The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has prepared a draft plant pest risk assessment (PPRA) and draft environmental assessment (EA) regarding Bayer’s application for the deregulation of its GM insect-protected cotton, MON 88702, which was submitted to APHIS in 2019 (see AgbioNews Sep 26, 2019). Based on APHIS' analysis of field and laboratory data submitted by Bayer, peer-reviewed publications, information analysed in the draft EA, the draft PPRA, comments provided by the public on the petition, and discussion of issues in the draft EA, APHIS has determined that cotton designated as event MON 88702 is unlikely to pose a plant pest risk.

Cotton varieties containing the event MON 88702 have been developed to produce a modified Cry51Aa2 insecticidal crystal protein derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) that protects against feeding damage caused by targeted hemipteran (Lygus hesperus and Lygus lineolaris) and thysanopteran (Frankliniella spp.) insect pests.