The latest news about entomology, brought to you by the Entomological Society of America
By Andrew Porterfield The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is a major corn pest in South America, known to devour corn crops from Argentina to the Southeastern United States. Farmers have typically battled the worm’s infestation with chemical insecticides, but they have been met (unsurprisingly) with resistant insects. Transgenic corn raised to express Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) […]
Add “crop pests developing resistance to control methods faster” to the list concerning potential effects of global warming. Entomologists at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the University of Maryland have collaborated on an analysis of two decades’ worth of agricultural and pest management data from the state of Maryland to explore the interplay of […]
By Josh Lancette A new study from North Carolina found that corn growers in the state are not planting as much refuge crop as needed, potentially leading to increased insect resistance to Bt corn. Published in March in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management, the study also found that current methods for extension professionals to […]
By Josh Lancette When using Bt crops, a constant concern is preventing insect pests from becoming resistant. According to a paper published in the Journal of Economic Entomology that contains new analysis of previous studies, a common tactic to prevent resistance in Africa might not be working as hoped. Bt crops are plants that have […]
Bt crops are plants that have been genetically-engineered to produce proteins that are harmless to humans but are toxic to some devastating insect pests. The proteins are produced by genes from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) that have been inserted into the crops. These same Bt proteins have been used by organic farmers for more […]
