Western corn rootworm (Diabrotica vergifera vergifera Leconte) is one of the most serious insect pests of corn, accounting for an estimated $ 650 million to $ 1 billion annually in yield losses and control costs in the United States. Transgenic Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner) corn for corn rootworm control, so far, is not currently commercially available, but several companies (e.g Monsanto, Pioneer and Novartis AG) are evaluating transgenic “rootworm” cultivar with different Bt events. Preliminary data show that some Bt corn hybrids are very effective against corn rootworm larvae. The effect of the Bt toxin on the non-target organisms and the target pest need to be quantified in order to deploy these cultivars wisely in IPM & IRM programs. The objective of this study is to conduct field, greenhouse and laboratory tests to evaluate the effect of transgenic corn for corn rootworm control on several nontarget organisms (above and below ground) and the biological fitness of corn rootworm beetles after larval and/or adult feeding on transgenic corn. The effects of this new technology on CRW populations as well as on the natural enemies that are important components in every ecosystem will be determined.
Species 1: Coleoptera Chrysomelidae Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Western corn rootworm)
Species 2: Coleoptera Coccinellidae Coleomegilla maculata
Species 3: Oligochaeta Lumbricidae Lumbricus terrestris (Night crawler, Earthworms)
Keywords: Bt corn, non-target species
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