PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Scientists offer recommendations for delaying resistance to Bt corn in western corn rootworm

2013-11-26
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Richard Levine
rlevine@entsoc.org
301-731-4535
Entomological Society of America
Scientists offer recommendations for delaying resistance to Bt corn in western corn rootworm Corn that contains proteins that protect it from insect damage has been grown in the U.S. since the mid-1990s. Known as Bt corn, because the proteins are derived from a bacterium called Bacillus thuringiensis, these plants have been widely grown by farmers.

While Bt corn has been highly effective against the European corn borer, it has been less so against the western corn rootworm, which has been documented to show resistance to the Bt proteins. In a new article in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management -- an open-access, peer-reviewed, extension journal -- the authors explain why this has occurred, and they recommend an integrated pest management (IPM) approach to address it.

In "Resistance to Bt Corn by Western Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in the U.S. Corn Belt," Drs. Aaron Gassmann (Iowa State University), Michael Gray (University of Illinois), Eileen Cullen (University of Wisconsin), and Bruce Hibbard (University of Missouri) examine why Bt corn has been more effective against the European corn borer, which tunnels in the stem of the plant, and less so against the rootworm, which attacks the roots.

First, Bt proteins intended for the European corn borer are produced at a higher dose than the ones intended for rootworms; this ensures that fewer corn borers are likely to survive, which lowers the chances of them producing offspring that may be resistant. Second, corn borer moths travel farther before mating, which increases the chances of potentially resistant insects mating with non-resistant ones that have not been exposed to Bt proteins; this lowers the chances of them producing resistant offspring. Finally, fitness costs -- or negative effects -- of resistance in rootworms appear to be low.

"One approach to IRM is not necessarily optimal for all insect pests," according to the authors, who recommend that growers use the following IPM approaches to delay further rootworm resistance to Bt corn:

Rotate to soybean or other crops to break the corn rootworm life cycle between growing seasons.

Occasionally rotate to a non-Bt corn hybrid and consider use of a rootworm soil insecticide during planting.

Consider using corn that contains different Bt proteins than ones that may have performed poorly in the past.

Consider using pyramided Bt hybrids, which is defined as corn that contains multiple Bt proteins targeting corn rootworm .

If crop rotation is not an option and corn containing multiple Bt proteins is not available, suppression of rootworm adults by using insecticides for one or two growing seasons may be an appropriate remediation step.

Most importantly, implement a long-term integrated approach to corn rootworm management, based on scouting information and knowledge of corn rootworm densities, that uses multiple tactics such as rotation with other crops, rotation of Bt proteins, and the use of soil insecticides at planting with a non-Bt hybrid. Integration of tactics across seasons is fundamental to prolonging the usefulness of any effective management strategy.

### The full article is available for free at:

http://esa.publisher.ingentaconnect.com/content/esa/jipm/2013/00000004/00000003/art00003

The Journal of Integrated Pest Management is published by the Entomological Society of America, the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and people in related disciplines. Founded in 1889, ESA today has more than 6,500 members affiliated with educational institutions, health agencies, private industry, and government. Members are researchers, teachers, extension service personnel, administrators, marketing representatives, research technicians, consultants, students, and hobbyists. For more information, visit http://www.entsoc.org.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Treatment target identified for a public health risk parasite

2013-11-26
Treatment target identified for a public health risk parasite This news release is available in French. Montreal, November 26, 2013 – In the developing world, Cryptosporidium parvum has long been the scourge of freshwater. A decade ...

Genetics contribute to increased risk for end-stage renal disease for African Americans with CKD

2013-11-26
Genetics contribute to increased risk for end-stage renal disease for African Americans with CKD WASHINGTON (Nov. 26, 2013) – In the United States, African Americans have approximately twice the risk of end-stage renal disease compared to white Americans, despite ...

NASA satellite tracks Tropical Cyclone Lehar moving toward India

2013-11-26
NASA satellite tracks Tropical Cyclone Lehar moving toward India Tropical cyclone Lehar, located in the Bay of Bengal, continues to gain intensity while heading toward the same area of India where a much weaker tropical cyclone Helen recently came ashore. NASA's TRMM ...

NASA sees Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alessia's remnants trying to reorganize

2013-11-26
NASA sees Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alessia's remnants trying to reorganize After making landfall near Darwin on Nov. 24, the remnants of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alessia worked its way over to Australia's Northern Territory where it was seen from NASA's Aqua satellite. Aqua ...

New tales told by old infections

2013-11-26
New tales told by old infections Retroviruses are important pathogens capable of crossing species barriers to infect new hosts, but knowledge of their evolutionary history is limited. By mapping endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), retroviruses whose genes have become ...

Hands off -- please

2013-11-26
Hands off -- please Friendly information signs reduce vandalism on scientific equipment This news release is available in German. Behavioural biologists conducting research in the field often depend on state-of-the-art techniques. Consequently, ...

Brain imaging differences in infants at genetic risk for Alzheimer's

2013-11-26
Brain imaging differences in infants at genetic risk for Alzheimer's PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Researchers from Brown University and Banner Alzheimer's Institute have found that infants who carry a gene associated with increased risk for Alzheimer's disease ...

Using microRNA fit to a T (cell)

2013-11-26
Using microRNA fit to a T (cell) Researchers show B cells can deliver potentially therapeutic bits of modified RNA Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have successfully targeted T lymphocytes – which play a central ...

Cervical cancer screening overused in some groups of women

2013-11-26
Cervical cancer screening overused in some groups of women SALT LAKE CITY— For the past ten years, clinicians throughout the United States have been performing unnecessary Pap tests for cervical cancer screening in certain groups of women, according to a researcher from Huntsman ...

Search for habitable planets should be more conservative

2013-11-26
Search for habitable planets should be more conservative Scientists should take the conservative approach when searching for habitable zones where life-sustaining planets might exist, according to James Kasting, Evan Pugh Professor of Geosciences at Penn State, including ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Against the odds: Endometriosis linked to four times higher pregnancy rates than other causes of infertility, new study reveals

Microplastics discovered in human reproductive fluids, new study reveals

Family ties and firm performance: How cousin marriage traditions shape informal businesses in Africa

Novel flu vaccine adjuvant improves protection against influenza viruses, study finds

Manipulation of light at the nanoscale helps advance biosensing

New mechanism discovered in ovarian cancer peritoneal metastasis: YWHAB restriction drives stemness and chemoresistance

New study links blood metabolites and immune cells to increased risk of urolithiasis

Pyruvate identified as a promising therapeutic agent for ulcerative colitis by targeting cytosolic phospholipase A2

New insights into the clinical impact of IKBKG mutations: Understanding the mechanisms behind rare immunodeficiency syndromes

Displays, imaging and sensing: New blue fluorophore breaks efficiency records in both solids and solutions

Sugar, the hidden thermostat in plants

Personality can explain why some CEOs earn higher salaries

This puzzle game shows kids how they’re smarter than AI

Study suggests remembrances of dead played role in rise of architecture in Andean region

Brain stimulation can boost math learning in people with weaker neural connections

Inhibiting enzyme could halt cell death in Parkinson’s disease, study finds

Neurotechnology reverses biological disadvantage in maths learning

UNDER EMBARGO: Neurotechnology reverses biological disadvantage in maths learning

Scientists target ‘molecular machine’ in the war against antimicrobial resistance

Extending classical CNOP method for deep-learning atmospheric and oceanic forecasting

Aston University research: Parents should encourage structure and independence around food to support children’s healthy eating

Thunderstorms are a major driver of tree death in tropical forests

Danforth Plant Science Center adds two new faculty members

Robotic eyes mimic human vision for superfast response to extreme lighting

Racial inequities and access to COVID-19 treatment

Residential segregation and lung cancer risk in African American adults

Scientists wipe out aggressive brain cancer tumors by targeting cellular ‘motors’

Capturability distinction analysis of continuous and pulsed guidance laws

CHEST expands Bridging Specialties Initiative to include NTM disease and bronchiectasis on World Bronchiectasis Day

Exposure to air pollution may cause heart damage

[Press-News.org] Scientists offer recommendations for delaying resistance to Bt corn in western corn rootworm