Question 17
HBollworms are insect pests of cotton plants.
In 2002, farmers in one region started to grow genetically modified (GM) cotton. The GM cotton makes Bt protein, which kills bollworms.
Farmers in the region still spray the cotton with insecticide when there are too many pests.
The Figure shows the mean number of insecticide sprays used on GM cotton and on non-GM cotton in the region.
Figure
a.[2]
Calculate the percentage decrease in the number of sprays used on GM cotton compared with non-GM cotton in 2002.
b.[1]
Describe the trend in the number of sprays used on GM cotton between 2002 and 2014.
c.[3]
Suggest an explanation for the trend you described in (b).
d.[2]
A company that sells GM cotton seed claims:
'Growing GM cotton is a long-term solution to pest damage.'
Use the Figure to evaluate this claim.
6.2 Feeding the human race Questions
127 exam-style questions on OCR GCSE Biology 6.2 Feeding the human race, covering 6.2.1 Biological factors affecting food security, 6.2.2 Agricultural solutions to growing demand, 6.2.3 Selective breeding, 6.2.4 Genetic engineering, 6.2.5 Steps in genetic engineering, 6.2.6 Benefits and risks of gene technology in agriculture, and 6.2.7 Biotechnological solutions to growing demand. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.