Bt eggplant increases farmers' yields in India, Bangladesh, and the Philippines and cuts production costs

Eggplant is an important vegetable crop grown in many parts of the world. The eggplant fruit is used in several cuisines, preferred by many people as it absorbs oils and food flavors into its flesh through cooking. In some countries in South Asia such as India and Bangladesh, eggplant, locally known as brinjal, is a staple. It comes in different shapes and colors as some are striped and round, others white and short, looking like a chicken egg, thus its most famous name. In the Philippines, eggplant is called talong, and it is the top vegetable crop in terms of production area where an average of 21,225 hectares is planted with eggplant each year. In Bangladesh, it is the third most important vegetable in terms of production, and it is grown on about 50,000 hectares across the country. In these countries, eggplant farming is severely affected by the eggplant fruit and shoot borer (EFSB). Farmers experience significant yield losses up to 73% annually due to EFSB. To address this ...