Suppressing resistance to Bt cotton with sterile insect releases.
Genetically engineered crops that produce insecticidal toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are grown widely for pest control. However, insect adaptation can reduce the toxins' efficacy. The predominant strategy for delaying pest resistance to Bt crops requires refuges of non-Bt host plants to provide susceptible insects to mate with resistant insects. Variable farmer compliance is one of the limitations of this approach. Here we report the benefits of an alternative strategy where sterile insects are released to mate with resistant insects and refuges are scarce or absent. Computer simulations show that this approach works in principle against pests with recessive or dominant inheritance of resistance. During a large-scale, four-year field deployment of this strategy in Arizona, resistance of pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) to Bt cotton did not increase. A multitactic eradication program that included the release of sterile moths reduced pink bollworm abundance by >99%, while eliminating insecticide sprays against this key invasive pest.
Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA. brucet@cals.arizona.edu
Bruce E
BE
Tabashnik
Mark S
MS
Sisterson
Peter C
PC
Ellsworth
Timothy J
TJ
Dennehy
Larry
L
Antilla
Leighton
L
Liesner
Mike
M
Whitlow
Robert T
RT
Staten
Jeffrey A
JA
Fabrick
Gopalan C
GC
Unnithan
Alex J
AJ
Yelich
Christa
C
Ellers-Kirk
Virginia S
VS
Harpold
Xianchun
X
Li
Yves
Y
Carrière
D000818:Animals; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005260:Female; D007248:Infertility, Male; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D009036:Moths; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012641:Selection, Genetic