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Article
Effect of Bt Maize and Soil Insecticides on Yield, Injury, and Rootworm Survival: Implications for Resistance Management
Journal of Economic Entomology
  • Jennifer L. Petzold-Maxwell, Iowa State University
  • Lance J. Meinke, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  • Michael E. Gray, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • Ronald E. Estes, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • Aaron J. Gassmann, Iowa State University
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-1-2013
DOI
10.1603/EC13216
Abstract

A 2-yr field experiment was conducted to determine the effects on Diabrotica spp. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) of an insecticidal seed treatment (Poncho 1250, (AI) /clothianidin) and a granular insecticide (Aztec 2.1G, (AI)/tebupirimphos and cyfluthrin) alone and in combination with maize producing the insectidical toxin Cry3Bb1 derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Yields for Bt maize plots were significantly greater than for non-Bt maize; however, insecticides did not significantly affect yield. Insecticides significantly decreased root injury in non-Bt maize plots, but there were no significant differences in root injury between Bt maize with or without either insecticide. Maize producing the Bt toxin Cry3Bb1 and the soil-applied insecticide Aztec significantly decreased survival of western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte), while only Bt maize significantly decreased survival of the northern corn rootworm (Diabrotica barberi Smith & Lawrence). For both species, Bt maize and each of the insecticides delayed emergence. In the absence of density-dependent mortality, Bt maize imposed 71 and 80% reduction in survival on the western corn rootworm and the northern corn rootworm, respectively. The data from this study do not support combining insecticide with Bt maize because the addition of insecticide did not increase yield or reduce root injury for Bt maize, and the level of rootworm mortality achieved with conventional insecticide was likely too low to delay the evolution of Bt resistance. In addition, delays in emergence from Bt maize combined with insecticides could promote assortative mating among Bt-selected individuals, which may hasten resistance evolution.

Comments

This article is from Journal of Economic Entomology 106 (2013): 1941, doi:10.1603/EC13216. Posted with permission.

Rights
This article is the copyright property of the Entomological Society of America and may not be used for any commercial or other private purpose without specific permission of the Entomological Society of America.
Copyright Owner
Entomological Society of America
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Citation Information
Jennifer L. Petzold-Maxwell, Lance J. Meinke, Michael E. Gray, Ronald E. Estes, et al.. "Effect of Bt Maize and Soil Insecticides on Yield, Injury, and Rootworm Survival: Implications for Resistance Management" Journal of Economic Entomology Vol. 106 Iss. 5 (2013) p. 1941 - 1951
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/aaron_gassmann/43/