Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Plant Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #67048
Title: EUROPEAN CORN BORER RESISTANCE: EVALUATION OF COMMERCIAL MAIZE HYBRIDS AND TRANSGENIC MAIZE CULTIVARS

Author
item Barry, B
item Darrah, Larry

Submitted to: CIMMYT Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/28/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Annual economic loss to producers because of European corn borer (ECB) damage to corn amounts to between $200-$500 million. This would be even greater if not for long-term research programs in public and private organizations. In order to determine the degree of ECB resistance in commercial maize hybrids and the efficacy of transgenic plants to control ECB, experiments were conducted by manually infesting plants with ECB larvae. Over a four-year period, 400 corn hybrids were evaluated. About 90% of the hybrids had some resistance to whorl-leaf feeding (first- generation ECB) and 75% had some resistance to sheath and sheath-collar feeding (second-generation ECB). In approximately two-thirds of these 400 hybrids, ECB resistance could be improved. Corn plants genetically transformed by using a gene(s) from bacteria (which allows corn plants to make their own insecticidal protein) are effective in controlling ECB throughout the life of the plant. As transgenic cultivars are developed and released, it will be necessary to have comparative, unbiased evaluations of performance from public institutions.

Technical Abstract: Annual economic loss to producers because of European corn borer (ECB), Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner), damage to maize, Zea mays (L.), amounts to several million dollars. This would be even greater if not for long-term host-plant resistance plant breeding programs in public and private organizations. In order to determine the degree of ECB resistance in commercial maize hybrids and the efficacy of transgenic plants to control ECB, experiments were conducted by manually infesting plants with neonate ECB larvae. Over a four-year period, 400 maize hybrids were evaluated. About 90% of the hybrids had some resistance to whorl-leaf feeding (first- generation ECB) and 75% had some resistance to sheath and sheath-collar feeding (second-generation ECB). In approximately two-thirds of these 400 hybrids, ECB resistance could be enhanced. Maize plants genetically transformed by using a gene(s) from Bacillus thuringiensis are effective in controlling ECB throughout the life of the plant. As transgenic cultivars are developed and released, it will be necessary to have comparative, unbiased evaluations of performance from public institutions.