Comparison of transgenic Bt corn to control Spodoptera frugiperda field

This study aimed to compare the performance of transgenic Bt corn to control Spodoptera frugiperda in the growing season of maize. The study was conducted in Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. The experimental plots were six rows two feet each, with plant spacing of 0.7 m, with 5 plants per meter. The genotypes were sown on 11/23/2012 and 06/02/2013. The treatments were: (1) conventional corn 2B587 (control, without control); (2) transgenic corn expressing the Cry1F genes Cry1A105 + pat + Cry2Ab2 EPSPS (2B587, PowerCore^®); (3) Cry1A.105 Cry2Ab2 (DKB 390 , YieldGard VT PRO^®); (4) VIP3Aa20 (Status , Agrisur Viptera^®) ; (5) Cry1Ab VIP3Aa20 mEPSPS (Maximus , Agrisure Viptera 3^®); (6) Cry1F PAT (2B587 , Herculex^®); (7) Cry 1Ab Cry1F PAT EPSPS (30F53, Optimum Intrasect^®). After 28 days of sowing damage assessment sheets was performed following a visual Davis scale of 0 to 9. Three central planting lines were selected for these evaluations, where 25 consecutive plants were inspected. After 35 days of sowing plants were harvested 10 among the 25 evaluated by carrying out the destruction of these and noting the amount of neonate larvae, present in the small and large cartridge. All transgenic Bt maize were effective against S. frugiperda, Herculex and Optimum being the less effective.

Keywords: agricultural pests, Zea mays, Noctuidae.