Challenges of managing resistance in fall armyworm to Bt crops

Evolution of insect resistance to transgenic Bt crops is a serious threat to the sustainability of this technology. Fall armyworm (FAW) is a target of Bt corn and Bt cotton in both North and South America, as well as a target of Bt soybean in Brazil.  It is the first and the only target pest that has developed high levels of field resistance to commercial single-gene Bt crops at multiple locations across different countries and continents. To date, field resistance of FAW to single-gene Cry1F corn has been documented in Puerto Rico, Brazil, and the southeast coastal region of the U.S. mainland including Florida. The long distance migratory behavior of the insect makes it more difficult in managing the resistance. In this talk, I will update the current status of the resistance in both North and South America, discuss the challenges and possible management strategies.