A global approach to resistance monitoring

• Published in: Journal of invertebrate pathology 2007-07, Vol.95 (3), p.224-226
• Main Authors: Sivasupramaniam, Sakuntala, Head, Graham P., English, Leigh, Li, Yue Jin, Vaughn, Ty T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Bacillus thuringiensis; Bacterial Proteins - pharmacology; Bacterial Toxins - pharmacology; baseline susceptibility; Bollgard; Bollgard ® II; Bt corn; Bt cotton; Bt resistance; crops; Cry1Ab; Cry1Ac; Cry2Ab2; crystal proteins; Diabrotica virgifera virgifera; Diatraea grandiosella; Endotoxins - pharmacology; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Global Health; Gossypium - genetics; Gossypium - microbiology; Helicoverpa armigera; Helicoverpa zea; Heliothis virescens; Hemolysin Proteins - pharmacology; insect pests; insect resistance management; Insecta - drug effects; Insecta - genetics; Insecta - growth & development; Insecticide Resistance - drug effects; Insecticide Resistance - genetics; Insecticides - pharmacology; International Cooperation; monitoring; Monsanto; Ostrinia nubilalis; Pectinophora gossypiella; Plants, Genetically Modified; resistance management; Resistance monitoring; transgenic plants; Yieldgard; Zea; Zea mays - genetics
• ISSN: 0022-2011; 1096-0805
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2007.03.013

Transgenic crops producing insecticidal toxins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis ( Bt) have been grown in many parts of the world since 1996. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has required that industry submit insect resistance management (IRM) plans for each Bt corn and cotton product commercialized. A coalition of stakeholders including the EPA, USDA, academic scientists, industry, and grower organizations have cooperated in developing specific IRM strategies. Resistance monitoring (requiring submission of annual reports to the EPA), and a remedial action plan addressing any contingency if resistance should occur, are important elements of these strategies. At a global level, Monsanto conducts baseline susceptibility studies (prior to commercialization), followed by monitoring studies on target pest populations, for all of its commercialized Bt crop products. To date, Monsanto has conducted baseline/monitoring studies in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, India, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa, Spain, and the United States. Examples of pests on which resistance monitoring has been conducted include cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa zea, European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis, pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella, Southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella, tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens, and western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, in the United States, cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera, in China, India and Australia, and H. virescens and H. zea in Mexico. No field-selected resistance to Bt crops has been documented.