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Submitted to: University of Missouri Agricultural Chemicals Short Course
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 11/21/1995 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: The European corn borer (ECB) is an introduced pest, causing $200-$500 million annual loss to the corn industry. This insect has numerous hosts and the biology and the variations thereof are significant in managing this pest. Conventional control methods include: cultural, biological, chemical, and host-plant resistance. A new tool that has reached the market to manage ECB is genetically engineered plants. Transgenic maize plants developed by bombardment of callus tissue with microprojectiles carrying Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have been developed. Some of the transgenic maize lines and hybrids have proven to be very effective in controlling ECB. The insecticidal quality of these maize cultivars is maintained throughout the growth of the plant. The concentration of the endotoxins in leaves, sheath, and sheath-collar sites where young ECB larvae begin to feed are effective in controlling both first and second generations of this insect. The larvae usually feed no more than enough to make a feeding scar (not even a hole) on the leaf or sheath. Most ECB larvae die within a day after attempting to feed, and if any do not die, they are stunted or die later. As with any management tool, this should be considered as part of the arsenal for controlling ECB. A significant concern is the development of resistance to the insecticidal quality of Bt transgenic maize plants. Strategies are being studied in theory and practice to prevent or delay resistance development. |
