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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Southern Insect Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #77972
Title: RESISTANCE MONITORING IN BT COTTON: FIRST YEAR OBSERVATIONS

Author
item Hardee, Dicky
item Streett, Douglas
item Adams, Larry
item Elzen, Gary

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/1/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Preliminary monitoring for Bacillus thuringiensis (b.t.) resistance in populations of cotton bollworm and tobacco budworm in cotton were initiated in 1996 with 23 different populations of the insects collected in Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. Both spray chamber and diet incorporation studies showed no shifts in baseline susceptibility levels of bollworm and budworm to B.t. insecticides (and by inference to B.t. cotton).

Technical Abstract: Resistance in insects to Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (B.t.) delta endotoxin proteins has recently received considerable interest both nationally and internationally for three primary reasons: (1) unprecedented interest on the part of the environmental community and organic producers; (2) the recent registration and deployment of transgenic plants in many countries; and (3) laboratory and field resistance to B.t. in 10-12 insect species. Preliminary B.t. resistance monitoring in cotton in populations of cotton bollworm (CBW), Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), and tobacco budworm (TBW), Heliothis virescens (F.) was initiated in 1996 by (1) subjecting 23 different populations of these insects collected in Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas to field doses of MVP R II biological insecticide in spray chamber bioassays (the toxic protein in MVP R II is the closest in toxicological properties of all B.t. insecticides to the CryIA(c) protein expressed in transgenic cotton), and (2) subjecting larvae of CBW and TBW from 3 sites in Mississippi to B.t. delta endotoxin to select the optimum diagnostic dose in rearing diet. Preliminary monitoring results from both methods showed no shifts in baseline susceptibility levels of bollworm and budworm to B.t. insecticide (and by inference to B.t. cotton). These studies will continue and expand in 1997.