CRY1AC TOXIC PROTEIN IN OVERWINTERED VOLUNTEER AND ANNUAL SEEDED NUCOTON33B(R) (BT) AND DELTAPINE (DPL) 5415 COTTONS: EFFECTS ON PINK BOLLWORM (PBW) AND TOBACCO BUDWORM (TBW) LARVAL MORTALITIES

Authors: Henneberry, Thomas; Jech, Lynn; De La Torre, Theresa; MAURER, JAMIE - P/T WCRL EMPLOYEE

Submitted to: University of Arizona Agricultural Experiment Station
Publication Type: Experiment Station
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/15/2003
Publication Date: 6/1/2003
Citation: HENNEBERRY, T.J., JECH, L.J., DE LA TORRE, T.M., MAURER, J. CRY1AC TOXIC PROTEIN IN OVERWINTERED VOLUNTEER AND ANNUAL SEEDED NUCOTON33B(R) (BT) AND DELTAPINE (DPL) 5415 COTTONS: EFFECTS ON PINK BOLLWORM (PBW) AND TOBACCO BUDWORM (TBW) LARVAL MORTALITIES. UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 2003. pp. 197-203

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Season-long protection from pink bollworm (PBW), Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), damage has been outstanding each year, since 1996, in NuCOTN 33B7 (Bt) commercial cotton plantings in Arizona. Cotton is a perennial plant and whether or not the insect toxic protein was expressed in overwintered Bt cotton was unknown. This could be a consideration in Arizona Bt resistance monitoring in the field since occasional overwintered volunteer cotton plants may occur. In 2002 we studied Cry1Ac levels in overwintered volunteer Bt cotton plants and determined their effects on PBW and tobacco budworm (TBW), Heliothis virescens F., larval mortalities. No TBW larvae survived three-day feeding periods on Bt leaves compared with < 3% TBW larval mortality feeding on DPL 5415 leaves. PBW larval mortality after three-day feeding on flower buds or seven-day feeding on Bt cotton bolls exceeded 98% compared with 40 to 41% mortality feeding in DPL 5415 fruiting forms. Cry1Ac toxic protein in leaves, flower buds or cotton bolls of overwintered Bt cotton was not significantly different compared with 2002 seeded cotton.