Pest Management Science (2013) 69, 1163-1172

David S. Wangila, B. Rogers Leonard, Mukti N. Ghimire, Yaoyu Bai, Liping Zhang, Yunlong Yang, Karla D. Emfinger, Graham P. Head, Fei Yang, Ying Niu and Fangneng Huang (2013)
Occurrence and larval movement of Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in seed mixes of non-Bt and Bt pyramid corn
Pest Management Science 69 (10), 1163-1172
Abstract:
BACKGROUND
Larval movement of target pest populations among Bt and non-Bt plants is a major concern in the use of a seed mixture refuge strategy for Bt resistance management. In this study, occurrence and larval movement of the sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.), were evaluated in four planting patterns of non-Bt and Bt plants containing Genuity® SmartStax^TM traits in 2009-2011. The four planting patterns were: (1) a pure stand of 27 Bt plants; (2) one non-Bt plant in the center, surrounded by 26 Bt plants; (3) a pure stand of 27 non-Bt plants; (4) one Bt plant in the center, surrounded by 26 non-Bt plants. Studies were conducted under four conditions: (1) open field with natural infestation; (2) greenhouse with artificial infestations; open field with artificial infestations (3) on the center plants only and (4) on every plant. The major objective of this study was to determine whether refuge plants in a seed mixture strategy could provide a comparable refuge population of D. saccharalis to a 'structured refuge' planting.
RESULTS
Larvae of D. saccharalis showed the ability to move from infested plants to at least four plants away, as well as to adjacent rows, but the majority remained within the infested row. However, the number of larvae found on the non-Bt plants in the mixture plantings was not significantly reduced compared with the pure stand of non-Bt corn.
CONCLUSION
The results of this study show that refuge plants in a seed mixture may be able to provide a comparable refuge population of D. saccharalis to a structured refuge planting.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Fang Neng Huang, Graham Head, Mukti N. Ghimire

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
resistance/tolerance/defence of host

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Diatraea saccharalis	Maize/corn (Zea mays)
Bacillus thuringiensis genes in crops (entomopathogen)	Diatraea saccharalis	Maize/corn (Zea mays)