The evolution of resistance and cross-resistance threaten the sustainability of genetically engineered crops that produce insecticidal toxins derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is a serious pest of maize and has been managed with Bt maize since 2003. We conducted laboratory bioassays with maize hybrids producing...

Insecticide resistance is one of the major obstacles to the control of agriculturally important arthropod pests. Resistance results in increased application frequencies, increased dosages, decreased yields, environmental damage, and outbreaks of human and animal diseases when vectors cannot be controlled. The World Health Organization has called insecticide resistance "the biggest single obstac...

Bacteria and fungi that colonise plant surfaces and internal plant tissues (epiphytes and endophytes respectively) are ubiquitous, residing latently or actively colonising the plant locally as well as systemically. Endophytic microorganisms generally originate from the epiphytic communities of the root or aerial surfaces as well as from within seed material. Besides entering plants through natu...

RISKS TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY POSED BY RESISTANT PESTS Many general questions and observations were made concerning the risk of pests, especially insect pests to a crop containing a transgenic pesticide, e.g., the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin. If pests cannot be controlled, food and fiber crops will be jeopardized and may negatively impact society throughout the world. As a result, ...

Transgenic crops expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins have been widely and successfully deployed for the control of target pests, while allowing a substantial reduction in insecticide use. The evolution of resistance (a heritable decrease in susceptibility to Bt toxins) can pose a threat to sustained control of target pests, but a high-dose refuge (HDR) management strategy has been key...