Evaluating the role of soybean in the natural refuge system within the Mid-South

Recently, cotton acres as a whole throughout the Mid-South and Southeast regions of the U.S. have declined substantially. This is due in part to an increase in prices and acreage of corn and soybean. Recent inflation in the price of soybeans is indicative of the growing demand and importance of the commodity. Additionally, the pest status of bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), has increased in soybean. As a result, there is growing interest from producers and industry to have commercial access to transgenic soybean varieties that express the Bt toxins to help assist management against lepidopteran pests. One issue arising is that presently soybeans are assumed to be a key host in the natural refuge concept used for Bt cotton. Bacillus thuringiensis has been a tremendous asset in cotton and corn production, but the potential for resistance development by multiple insect species is a concern. Research is needed to determine if the introduction of Bt soybeans into the U.S. will present an unacceptable risk to the sustainability of other crops. This project will examine the contribution of soybean to the susceptible heliothine populations in the natural refuge system.