During 1996, transgenic cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) expressing the Bt toxin of Bacillus thuringiensis was planted in the USA for the first time. Despite the new inbuilt insect resistance, the transgenic cotton in Texas and Georgia was infested by bollworms (Helicoverpa armigera). This commentary argues that if the cotton had been sprayed with an insecticide, it would have been 100% protected. It is suggested that the advantage of the transgenic cotton over conventional varieties lies in the reduction of the numbers of sprayings necessary for total protection.