ABSTRACT
Tools of molecular biology and genetic engineering have provided humankind with unprecedented power to manipulate and develop novel crop genotypes towards a safe and sustainable agriculture in the 21st century. Technologies and chemical inputs that have proven harmful to human health and environment need to be replaced with safer alternatives to manage insect pests in agricultural ecosystems. This chapter discusses the efficacy of various categories of insecticidal proteins for the development of insect-resistant transgenic plants. One of the primary concerns of deployment of genetically engineered insect- resistant crops in a developing country like India is the durability of resistance. Engineering with Bt genes for insect resistance in crops has been a commercially successful technology. The management of insect pests in agriculture is feasible in a safe and effective manner. Molecular tools give us an opportunity to develop genotypes that carry resistance traits.
