Effectiveness of the natural resistance management refuge for Bt-cotton is dominated by local abundance of soybean and maize.

ABSTRACT: Genetically engineered crops expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry toxins have transformed insect management in maize and cotton, reducing insecticide use and associated off-target effects. To mitigate the risk that pests evolve resistance to Bt crops, the US Environmental Protection Agency requires resistance management measures. The approved resistance management plan for Bt maize in cotton production regions requires a structured refuge of non-Bt maize equal to 20% of the maize planted; that for Bt cotton relies on the presence of an unstructured natural refuge comprising both non-Bt crop and non-crop hosts. We examined how abundance of Bt crops (cotton and maize) and an important non-Bt crop (soybean) component of the natural refuge affect resistance to Bt Cry1Ac toxin in local po

SUBMITTER: Arends B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8413434 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature