Entomology, Ornithology & Herpetology: Current Research

Entomology, Ornithology & Herpetology: Current Research
Open Access

ISSN: 2161-0983

+44 1478 350008

Abstract

Non Target Effect of Cry1 Ab and Cry Ab x Cry3 Bb1 Bt Transgenic Maize on Orius insidiosus (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) Abundance

Santiago A. Palizada, Difabachew K. Belay, Bamphitlhi Tiroesele, Fatima Mustafa, Muhammad Irfan Ullah, Thomas Hunt, Jaime Molina-Ochoa, Steven R. Skoda, Pete L. Clark and John E. Foster.

Non-target effects of Cry1Ab x CP4 EPSPS and Cry1Ab+Cry3Bb1×CP4 EPSPS Bt transgenic new maize hybrids on insidious flower bugs [Orius insidiosus (Say)] was studied in Nebraska (Mead, C lay Center, and Concord) during 2007 and 2008. The Bt effect was compared to CP4 EPSPS maize (isoline), conventional maize, and insecticide applications of permethrin (Pounce® 1.5G) and bifenthrin (Capture® 2EC) to control first and second generations of Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), respectively. Yellow sticky cards, visual observations, and destructive samplings were used to evaluate O. insidiosus abundance. The yellow sticky card data in 2007 showed that O. insidiosus abundance was lower on Pounce® 1.5G treated non-Bt isoline maize plots compared to the BT transgenic hybrid s at 60 and 90 days after planting (DAP). From visual observations, numbers of O. insidiosus were lower in Pounce® 1.5G treated plots and no adverse effects of the Bt hybrids was observed. In 2008, no significant differences were found among treatments in the sticky card data, but the O. insidiosus population significantly increased, with increasing DAP, where the lowest and highest numbers were recorded at 30 and 120 DAP, respectively. In the visual observation and destructive samplings, numbers of O. insidiosus were lower at Concord compared to other sites. Results from the visual observation data in 2008 also revealed that O. insidiosus abundance was lower on Pounce® 1.5G treated plots compared to other treatments. This study showed no adverse effects of the new BT transgenic hybrids that included stacked resistance genes on O. insidiosus compared to the non-Bt maize hybrids.

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