Field efficacy of Bt cotton containing events DAS-21023-5 × DAS-24236-5 × SYN-IR102-7 against lepidopteran pests and impact on the non-target arthropod community in Brazil.

The efficacy and non-target arthropod effects of transgenic DAS-21023-5 × DAS-24236-5 × SYN-IR102-7 Bt cotton, expressing proteins Cry1Ac, Cry1F and Vip3Aa19, was examined through field trials in Brazil. Fifteen field efficacy experiments were conducted from 2014 through the 2020 growing season across six different states in Brazil to evaluate performance against key lepidopteran pests through artificial infestations of Chrysodeixis includens (Walker), Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith,1797), Spodoptera cosmioides (Walker, 1858) and Chloridea virescens (F., 1781), and natural infestations of Alabama argillacea (Hübner) and S. frugiperda. The impact of this Bt cotton technology on the non-target arthropod community in Brazilian cotton production systems was also assessed in a multi-site experiment. DAS-21023-5 × DAS-24236-5 × SYN-IR102-7 cotton significantly reduced the feeding damage caused by S. frugiperda, S. cosmioides, C. includens, C. virescens and A. argillacea, causing high levels of mortality (greater than 99%) to all target lepidopteran pests evaluated during vegetative and/or reproductive stages of crop development. Non-target arthropod community-level analyses confirmed no unintended effects on the arthropod groups monitored. These results demonstrate the value of transgenic Bt cotton containing event DAS-21023-5 × DAS-24236-5 × SYN-IR102-7 for consideration as part of an integrated approach for managing key lepidopteran pests in Brazilian cotton production systems.

Assessing the Efficacy of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Pyramided Proteins Cry1F, Cry1A.105, Cry2Ab2, and Vip3Aa20 Expressed in Bt Maize Against Lepidopteran Pests in Brazil.

Field studies across four states in maize-producing areas of Brazil were conducted to characterize the efficacy of a new pyramided Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Berliner technology in maize, Zea mays L., and compare it to existing single and pyramided commercial Bt technologies, to control Helicoverpa zea Boddie (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Elasmopalpus lignosellus Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), and Diatraea saccharalis F. (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). Bt maize expressing Vip3Aa20 protein and pyramided Bt maize expressing proteins Cry1F + Cry1A.105 + Cry2Ab2 + Vip3Aa20 provided excellent protection against kernel feeding by H. zea compared to Bt technologies expressing only Cry1F or Cry1A.105 + Cry2Ab2. Bt maize expressing Cry1F, Cry1A.105 + Cry2Ab2, Cry1F + Cry1A.105 + Cry2Ab2, and Cry1F + Cry1A.105 + Cry2Ab2 + Vip3Aa20 resulted in less than 5% of plants injured by E. lignosellus, significantly less than Bt maize expressing only Vip3Aa20 and a non-Bt maize iso-hybrid with and without a thiamethoxam seed treatment. The highest protection against plant cutting injury caused by A. ipsilon was observed in the pyramid Bt maize technology expressing Cry1F + Cry1A.105 + Cry2Ab2 + Vip3Aa20. However, it did not differ statistically from the Bt maize expressing Vip3Aa20, Cry1F, or Cry1F + Cry1A.105 + Cry2Ab2. All Bt maize hybrids evaluated in our study were highly effective in reducing tunneling injury caused by D. saccharalis. These results show that a new maize technology expressing pyramided Bt proteins Cry1F + Cry1A.105 + Cry2Ab2 + Vip3Aa20 offers a higher level of protection from feeding by the above lepidopteran pest complex compared to maize with a single Bt protein or double pyramided Bt proteins.

Impact of transgenic soybean expressing Cry1Ac and Cry1F proteins on the non-target arthropod community associated with soybean in Brazil.

Field-scale studies that examine the potential for adverse effects of Bt crop technology on non-target arthropods may supplement data from laboratory studies to support an environmental risk assessment. A three year field study was conducted in Brazil to evaluate potential for adverse effects of cultivating soybean event DAS-81419-2 that produces the Cry1Ac and Cry1F proteins. To do so, we examined the diversity and abundance of non-target arthropods (NTAs) in Bt soybean in comparison with its non-Bt near isoline, with and without conventional insecticide applications, in three Brazilian soybean producing regions. Non-target arthropod abundance was surveyed using Moericke traps (yellow pan) and pitfall trapping. Total abundance (N), richness (S), Shannon-Wiener (H'), Simpson's (D) and Pielou's evenness (J) values for arthropod samples were calculated for each treatment and sampling period (soybean growth stages). A faunistic analysis was used to select the most representative NTAs which were used to describe the NTA community structure associated with soybean, and to test for effects due to the treatments effects via application of the Principal Response Curve (PRC) method. Across all years and sites, a total of 254,054 individuals from 190 taxa were collected by Moericke traps, while 29,813 individuals from 100 taxa were collected using pitfall traps. Across sites and sampling dates, the abundance and diversity measurements of representative NTAs were not significantly affected by Bt soybean as compared with non-sprayed non-Bt soybean. Similarly, community analyses and repeated measures ANOVA, when applicable, indicated that neither Bt soybean nor insecticide sprays altered the structure of the NTA communities under study. These results support the conclusion that transgenic soybean event DAS-81419-2 producing Cry1Ac and Cry1F toxins does not adversely affect the NTA community associated with soybean.

Mexican rice borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) oviposition site selection stimuli on sugarcane, and potential field applications.

The Mexican rice borer, Eoreuma loftini (Dyar) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), a key pest of sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) and rice, Oryza sativa L., in Texas, has not been controlled with chemical insecticides or biological agents, but some sugarcane varieties have shown degrees of resistance. Assessment of selected sugarcane leaf characteristics indicate that preference for oviposition sites is mostly determined by the presence of a leaf fold and secondarily by the availability of dry leaf tissue, both of which are antixenotic nonchemical stimuli. We suggest that breeding sugarcane lines bearing leaves that do not fold on drying could provide substantial antixenotic resistance against the Mexican rice borer. Previously identified antixenotic chemical stimuli, i.e., low quantities or absence of important nutrients in green leaf tissue, only become apparent when resistant and susceptible sugarcane varieties are compared. Varietal differences in oviposition preference, however, were not observed on excised dry leaf tissue, indicating that expression of resistance in terms of chemical stimuli requires detection of biochemicals in nearby living leaf tissue. Excised dry sugarcane leaves retain the two dominant nonchemical oviposition preference stimuli for Mexican rice borers, and the leaves effectively trapped eggs away from intact plants when dry leaves were used as "mulch" at the bottom of greenhouse cages. Under commercial sugarcane field conditions, bundled dry leaves also collected Mexican rice borer eggs. Possible applications of dry sugarcane leaf substrate for egg scouting and for trapping eggs are discussed.

Management of feeding damage and survival of southwestern corn borer and sugarcane borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) with Bacillus thuringiensis transgenic field corn.

The efficacy of transgenic corn hybrids expressing an insecticidal Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) delta-endotoxin from different transformation events was evaluated in field corn, Zea mays L., against the southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella Dyar, and sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.). Susceptibilities of neonates and third instars were determined on Bt and non-Bt corn plants (V6 and R1 stages) in field plots and corn leaf tissue feeding exposure in laboratory bioassays. Bt corn hybrids associated with MON810 and CBH351 transformation events sustained significantly less injury by southwestern corn borer and sugarcane borer during mid-whorl stage infestations compared with their respective non-Bt hybrid equivalents. Southwestern corn borer and sugarcane borer feeding injury to ear leaf-sheath and husk tissues during the silking stage of corn was significantly reduced in MON810 and CBH351 Bt corn compared with their respective non-Bt hybrids. However, resistance levels to feeding injury in Bt hybrids associated with the MON810 event were significantly higher than that in the hybrid associated with the CBH351 event. Southwestern corn borer and sugarcane borer caused more feeding injury to husk tissue than to ear leaf-sheath tissue in both Bt and non-Bt hybrids infested during the silking stage. Laboratory performance of the MON810 event against southwestern corn borer and sugarcane borer varied among hybrids associated with the same event. Third instars of southwestern corn borer were highly susceptible to MON810 Bt corn hybrids in leaf tissue experiments. However, sugarcane borer larvae were susceptible to the MON810 event only in one of the Bt hybrids evaluated. Sugarcane borer mortality was significantly lower after 96 h of feeding exposure on CBH351 Bt corn leaf tissue than on MON810 Bt corn leaf tissue. Plant resistance to southwestern corn borer and sugarcane borer increased as plants matured, independent of the presence of a Bt construct. These results are essential to estimate the importance of Bt transgenic corn in areas of southern United States and other areas where mixed populations of southwestern corn borer and sugarcane borer are predominant and cause severe damage to corn production.