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Amino acids

Enhancing Bt Cotton Yield and Insect Resistance with Amino Acid Foliar Fertilizers

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Investigators at Yangzhou University have made significant strides in plant research, discovering that amino acid foliar fertilizers (AAF) can synergistically enhance both the yield and insect resistance of Bt cotton. This breakthrough finding is crucial for boosting farmers' income and promoting ecological advantages. The study's results demonstrated that triple foliar application of AAF maintained lower carbon-to-nitrogen ratios, thereby increasing both Cry1Ac protein content and yield in Bt cotton. This discovery provides valuable insights for enhancing the productivity and insect-resistance capabilities of Bt cotton.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that AAF treated Bt cotton increased seed cotton yield (SCY) by 16.0% and Cry1Ac protein (CP) content by 40.98% compared to the control.
  • Triple foliar application of AAF maintained lower carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratios with enhanced carbon metabolism and protein synthesis capacity.
  • Path analysis confirmed that soluble protein content, glutamate pyruvate transaminase, sucrose synthase, and sucrose conversion enzyme activities positively correlated with Cry1Ac protein content and SCY.
  • Peptidase activity had negative effects on CP and SCY, while a lower C/N ratio was linked to higher yields and CP content.
  • The research concluded that AAF application enhanced sucrose metabolism and improved activities of sucrose synthase and sucrose conversion enzyme.

Statistics:

  • 16.0% increase in seed cotton yield (SCY) with AAF treatment.
  • 40.98% increase in Cry1Ac protein content with AAF treatment.
  • 3 times of AAF application resulted in the highest yield and CP content.
  • AAF application improved soluble protein content by 20.12% and glutamate pyruvate transaminase activity by 22.15% compared to the control.

Sources:

  • Effects of amino acid foliar fertilizer on Cry1Ac protein and yield in Bt cotton during flowering. Journal of Cotton Research, 2025, 8(1):1-12.
  • Yangzhou University news release, November 4, 2025.

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