scholarly journals Occurrence and Ear Damage of Helicoverpa zea on Transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis Maize in the Field in Texas, U.S. and Its Susceptibility to Vip3A Protein

Toxins ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fei Yang ◽  
José C. Santiago González ◽  
Jayme Williams ◽  
Donald C. Cook ◽  
Ryan T. Gilreath ◽  
...  

The corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), is a major pest of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize and cotton in the U.S.. Reduced efficacy of Bt plants expressing Cry1 and Cry2 against H. zea has been reported in some areas of the U.S.. In this study, we evaluated the occurrence and ear damage of H. zea on transgenic Bt maize expressing Cry proteins or a combination of Vip3A and Cry proteins in the field in Texas in 2018. We found that the occurrence of H. zea larvae and the viable kernel damage area on the ear were not different between non-Bt maize and Bt maize expressing Cry1A.105+Cry2Ab2 and Cry1Ab+Cry1F proteins. A total of 67.5% of the pyramided Bt maize expressing Cry1Ab+Cry1F+Vip3A was damaged by 2nd–4th instar larvae of H. zea. Diet bioassays showed that the resistance ratio against Vip3Aa51 for H. zea obtained from Cry1Ab+Cry1F+Vip3A maize was 20.4 compared to a field population collected from Cry1F+Cry1A.105+Cry2Ab2 maize. Leaf tissue bioassays showed that 7-day survivorship on WideStrike3 (Cry1F+Cry1Ac+Vip3A) cotton leaves was significantly higher for the H. zea population collected from Cry1Ab+Cry1F+Vip3A maize than for a Bt-susceptible laboratory population. The results generated from this study suggest that H. zea has evolved practical resistance to Cry1 and Cry2 proteins. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure the sustainable use of the Vip3A technology in Bt maize and cotton.

1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 340-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven R. Sims ◽  
Jay C. Pershing ◽  
Barbara J. Reich

Twelve independently transformed lines of transgenic corn (Zea mays L.) expressing the CryIA(b) insecticidal protein from Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki were field tested to evaluate their resistance to the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie). Silks of the primary (=top) ears of transgenic [CryIA(b) positive] and isoline control plants [no CryIA(b) protein] were artificially infested with first-instar H. zea larvae and the length of ear penetration was measured after 19 d. Eight of the 12 lines had significantly less ear damage than their respective isoline controls; 3 transgenic lines reduced H. zea feeding damage by > 75% and stunted surviving H. zea larvae. Concentration of the CryIA(b) protein (μg/g fresh weight) in silks of the transgenic lines, determined using ELISA, ranged from 0.0 to 1.28 μg/g. Within transgenic lines, there was a weak (P < 0.06) negative relationship between the concentration of CryIA(b) protein in fresh silks and the length of H. zea ear penetration.


1999 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 273-285
Author(s):  
Richard L. Ridgway ◽  
Robert R. Farrar

Five commercial granular formulations of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner marketed for controlling the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), were compared for insecticidal activity using treated discs of bean leaves. Three formulations, Dipel 10G®, Full-Bac ECBG™, and Strike BT®, were similar in terms of both mortality and speed of kill. A formulation containing a strain of B. thuringiensis developed by plasmid fusion, Condor G®, caused mortality similar to the other three formulations, but the speed of kill was slower. A fifth formulation containing a B. thuringiensis toxin produced by Pseudomonas fluorescens Migula as result of a gene transfer, M-Peril™, caused substantially less mortality than any of the other formulations. An experimental water dispersible formulation, based on a previously developed granular matrix formulation containing B. thuringiensis and a nutrient-based phagostimulant, caused significantly higher mortality of the European corn borer than a similar formulation without the phagostimulant. Simulated field studies were conducted to study the effects of the phagostimulant on feeding and protection of B. thuringiensis from ultraviolet (UV) light. Bean plants treated with B. thuringiensis and the phagostimulant were exposed to different UV regimes outdoors under canopies made of specialized acrylic plastics and then infested with larvae of the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie). A significant interaction between the UV regimes and the phagostimulant was found, indicating that the phagostimulant acted both as a feeding stimulant and as a UV protectant to enhance the activity of B. thuringiensis.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan L. Fritz ◽  
Schyler O. Nunziata ◽  
Rong Guo ◽  
Bruce E. Tabashnik ◽  
Yves Carrière

AbstractTransgenic corn and cotton produce crystalline (Cry) proteins derived from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) that are toxic to lepidopteran larvae. Helicoverpa zea, a key pest of corn and cotton in the U.S., has evolved widespread resistance to these proteins produced in Bt corn and cotton. While the genomic targets of Cry selection and the mutations that produce resistant phenotypes are known in other lepidopteran species, little is known about how Cry proteins shape the genome of H. zea. We scanned the genomes of Cry1Ac-selected and unselected H. zea lines, and identified eleven genes on six scaffolds that showed evidence of selection by Cry1Ac, including cadherin-86C (cad-86C), a gene from a family that is involved in Cry1A resistance in other lepidopterans. Although this gene was expressed in the H. zea larval midgut, the protein it encodes has only 17 to 22% identity with cadherin proteins from other species previously reported to be involved in Bt resistance. An analysis of midgut-expressed cDNAs showed significant between-line differences in the frequencies of putative nonsynonymous substitutions (both SNPs and indels). Our results indicate that cad-86C is a target of Cry1Ac selection in H. zea. Future work should investigate phenotypic effects of these nonsynonymous substitutions and their impact on phenotypic resistance in field populations.


1995 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert R. Farrar ◽  
Richard L. Ridgway

To help improve control of insect pests with microbial insecticides, we investigated the interactions of four commercial, nutrient-based phagostimulants (Pheast [AgriSense], Coax [CCT Corp.], Gusto [Atochem North America, Inc.], and Entice [Custom Chemicides] with Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner and four lepidopterous insect pests (gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar [L.] [Lymantriidae]; corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea [Boddie] [Noctuidae]; European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis [Hübner] [Pyralidae]; and diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella [L.] [Plutellidae]). Comparisons were made of treated foliage in Petri dishes in the laboratory and of sprayed whole plants in a greenhouse. In general, phagostimulants increased mortality of all species tested, but no consistent differences among phagostimulants were found for any species. Food consumption was generally lower on the treatments that contained phagostimulants causing the highest rates of mortality, possibly as a result of more rapid ingestion of a lethal dose on these treatments. Reduced rates of feeding by insects on treatments with B. thuringiensis alone were seen, probably due in part to intoxication and, possibly, to behavioral effects as well. Indications of potentially significant interactions between host plants and both B. thuringiensis and phagostimulants also were seen.


2006 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry C. Allen ◽  
Henry N. Pitre

A 2-yr study was conducted to measure the influence of transgenic corn, Zea mays L., expressing the CrylAb endotoxin of Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) (Bt) by means of Event MON810 on natural populations of Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) and Diatraea grandiosella (Dyar). The studies were conducted at Leland and Morgan City, MS, in 1999 and at Morgan City in 2000. Although total numbers of H. zea larvae were not significantly different on transgenic corn hybrids compared with their near-isogenic parent lines, fewer large larvae were found on the transgenic hybrids. Differences in H. zea larval growth were noticeable when larvae fed on Bt corn vs non-Bt corn. The delay in larval growth for insects within a single generation, which could possibly result in asynchronous mating between insecticide resistant and susceptible insects, was observed for larvae feeding on plants expressing the Bt toxin. Diatraea grandiosella caused limited damage to the transgenic corn hybrids compared with their near-isogenic parent lines. Yields were not significantly greater for the Bt corn hybrids compared with their near-isogenic parent lines. Yields were not significantly greater for the Bt corn hybrids compared with the near-isogenic, non-Bt corn parents; however, there was a trend toward higher yields for Bt hybrids compared with their near-isogenic non-Bt parents.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jocelyn L. Smith ◽  
Yasmine Farhan ◽  
Arthur W. Schaafsma

AbstractTransgenic maize, Zea mays L., modified to express insecticidal proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner, was introduced in 1996 to control Ostrinia nubilalis Hübner (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), a key maize pest in North America. The high-dose/refuge concept, developed to delay or prevent resistance evolution to this technology, has been exemplified by O. nubilalis as no cases of practical resistance were identified in >20 years. This study documents the first case of practical resistance to Cry1F Bt maize by O. nubilalis in North America. Four collections of O. nubilalis were made from Cry1F maize in Nova Scotia, Canada with unexpected injury (UXI) ranging from 30–70%. Greater survival of UXI collections was observed when larvae were exposed to the highest concentration of 200 ng Cry1F cm−2 in diet-overlay bioassays compared to susceptible laboratory colonies. Larvae also fed and survived on Cry1F leaf tissue in 7 d bioassays. A collection from non-Bt maize, 120 km west of the UXI region, also survived 200 ng Cry1F cm−2, but was susceptible to Cry1F leaf tissue. Detection of Cry1F-resistant O. nubilalis in what might be considered an insignificant maize-growing region indicates that a number of preventable causal factors may have been related to inadequate stewardship of Bt maize technology.


2003 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 509-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosalind Cook ◽  
Anne Carter ◽  
Pam Westgate ◽  
Ruth Hazzard

Field studies were conducted in 2000 and 2001 to rate the efficacy and longevity of four pesticide treatments against corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea) larvae (CEW) in sweet corn (Zea mays). The four treatments used were 1) corn oil, 2) Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. kurstaki (Bt), 3) oil + Bt, and 4) an untreated plot. All treatments were applied on silk day 5. Silk day 1 was the first day that more than 50% of the ears had 2.5 cm (1 inch) or more silks emerging from the husk using a hand-held pump applicator. Two first-instar CEW larvae were placed directly into silk channel of selected ears on 6 different days (days 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 after first silk). The same six ears were then harvested 4 days later. Untreated ears had more live CEW and higher levels of feeding damage than the other three treatments ears for all harvest days in both years. The number of CEW found per ear was lower when Bt was included in the treatment. The use of corn oil gave the lowest damage ratings on almost all harvest days in both years. Treatments which contained oil had the highest number of marketable ears in both years, but also the highest percentage of underdeveloped kernels at the tip of the ear (6% to 9%). The oil and Bt treatments appeared to control CEW for at least 17 days, from silking through maturity. This treatment regime appears to be a promising alternative for growers to conventional pest management methods.


Toxins ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Niu ◽  
Isaac Oyediran ◽  
Wenbo Yu ◽  
Shucong Lin ◽  
Marcelo Dimase ◽  
...  

The corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), is a major pest targeted by pyramided Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn and cotton in the U.S. Cry1Ab is one of the first insecticidal toxins used in Bt crops, while Vip3A is a relatively new toxin that has recently been incorporated into Cry corn with event MIR 162 and Cry cotton varieties to generate pyramided Bt traits targeting lepidopteran pests including H. zea. The objectives of this study were to determine the current status and distribution of the Cry1Ab resistance, and evaluate the susceptibility to Vip3Aa20 expressed in MIR 162 corn in H. zea in the southeastern U.S. During 2018 and 2019, 32 H. zea populations were collected from non-Bt corn (19 populations), Cry corn (12), and Cry/Vip3A cotton (1) across major corn areas in seven southeastern states of the U.S. Susceptibility of these populations to Cry1Ab and Vip3Aa20 was determined using diet-overlay bioassays. Compared to a known susceptible insect strain, 80% of the field populations were 13- to >150-fold resistant to Cry1Ab, while their response to Vip3Aa20 ranged from >11-fold more susceptible to 9-fold more tolerant. Mean susceptibility to each Bt toxin was not significantly different between the two groups of the populations collected from non-Bt and Bt crops, as well as between the two groups of the populations collected during 2018 and 2019. The results show that resistance to Cry1Ab in H. zea is widely distributed across the region. However, the Cry1Ab-resistant populations are not cross-resistant to Vip3Aa20, and H. zea in the region is still susceptible to the Vip3Aa20 toxin. Vip3Aa20 concentrations between 5 and 10 µg/cm2 may be used as diagnostic concentrations for susceptibility monitoring in future. Additional studies are necessary to elucidate the impact of the selection with Bt corn on resistance evolution in H. zea to Vip3A cotton in the U.S.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 1563-1574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan L. Fritz ◽  
Schyler O. Nunziata ◽  
Rong Guo ◽  
Bruce E. Tabashnik ◽  
Yves Carrière

Transgenic corn and cotton produce crystalline (Cry) proteins derived from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) that are toxic to lepidopteran larvae. Helicoverpa zea, a key pest of corn and cotton in the U.S., has evolved widespread resistance to these proteins produced in Bt corn and cotton. While the genomic targets of Cry selection and the mutations that produce resistant phenotypes are known in other lepidopteran species, little is known about how selection by Cry proteins shape the genome of H. zea. We scanned the genomes of Cry1Ac-selected and unselected H. zea lines, and identified twelve genes on five scaffolds that differed between lines, including cadherin-86C (cad-86C), a gene from a family that is involved in Cry1A resistance in other lepidopterans. Although this gene was expressed in the H. zea larval midgut, the protein it encodes has only 17 to 22% identity with cadherin proteins from other species previously reported to be involved in Bt resistance. An analysis of midgut-expressed cDNAs showed significant between-line differences in the frequencies of putative nonsynonymous substitutions (both SNPs and indels). Our results indicate that cad-86C is a likely target of Cry1Ac selection in H. zea. It remains unclear, however, whether genomic changes at this locus directly disrupt midgut binding of Cry1Ac and cause Bt resistance, or indirectly enhance fitness of H. zea in the presence of Cry1Ac by some other mechanism. Future work should investigate phenotypic effects of these nonsynonymous substitutions and their impact on fitness of H. zea larvae that ingest Cry1Ac.


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