The Problems Driving Resistance to Bt Crops—and Some Proposed Solutions
Cotton and corn are threatened by growing resistance in the pest Helicoverpa zea (a.k.a. bollworm or corn earworm) to the insecticidal properties of Bt crops. Two researchers identify contributing factors and identify insecticide resistance management practices that could help slow the problem.
Bt Corn Adoption Benefits Other Crops, Too
A new study of 40 years' worth of data from the mid-Atlantic region of the United States finds that widespread adoption of insect-resistant Bt corn has reduced pest damage and the need for insecticide applications in offsite, non-Bt crops such as pepper, green beans, and sweet corn, as well.
Maintaining Susceptibility to Insecticidal Traits in Populations of Corn Pests
Should growers that use Bt crops plant a separate nearby refuge field of non-insecticidal crops, or use a blended mixture of seeds that produce both in the same field?
How Climate Change May Accelerate Corn Earworm’s Resistance to Bt Crops
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 […]
Insect-resistant Maize Could Increase Yields and Decrease Pesticide Use in Mexico
Este comunicado está disponible en español. Although maize was originally domesticated in Mexico, the country’s average yield per hectare is 38% below the world’s average. In fact, Mexico imports 30% […]
NEXRAD Radar Can Track Insect Pest Migrations
A couple of weeks ago, the U.S. National Weather Service posted satellite photos of large clouds of monarch butterflies to their Facebook page. Now scientists at the U.S. Department of […]
Bt Sweet Corn Can Reduce Insecticide Use
A new study finds that genetically-modified sweet corn is better for the environment and safer for farm workers than conventional corn. Since 1996, corn containing a gene that allows it […]