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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Maricopa, Arizona » U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center » Pest Management and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #197853

Title: THE EFFECTS ON LARVAL DEVELOPMENT AND MORTALITY, PUPATION AND TOLERANCE TO TOXIC PROTEIN IN COTTON BOLLS, POLLEN, AND ARTIFICIAL DIET BIOASSAYS OF PINK BOLLWORM (PBW) FEEDING ON NUCOTN 33B COTTON BOLLS

Author
item Henneberry, Thomas
item Jech, Lynn
item MAURER, JAMIE - FORMER USDA-ARS

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/6/2006
Publication Date: 6/1/2006
Citation: Henneberry, T.J., Jech, L.J., Maurer, J. 2006. The effects on larval development and mortality, pupation and tolerance to toxic protein in cotton bolls, pollen, and artificial diet bioassays of pink bollworm (pbw) feeding on nucotn 33b cotton bolls. National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference, San Antonio, TX, January 3-6, 2006 1437-1442.

Interpretive Summary: Cottons that have a gene or genes from Bacillus thuringiensis Kurstaki (Berliner) that produce insect toxins have been grown in Arizona since 1996. The threat of pink bollworm (PBW), resistance development to the toxin has been of continuing concern. The increasing need for information on PBW interactions in transgenic cotton cultures to provide information to supplement resistant management programs prompted us to conduct laboratory studies from 2001 to 2005 to determine the effect of PBW feeding on Bt bolls on larval development, mortality, pupation, and tolerance to the Cry1Ac toxin. Initially, higher larval mortality occurred and more days were required for pupal development following four day feeding periods on NuCOTN 33B bolls compared with similar feeding periods on Delta and Pineland (DPL) 5415 strain non-toxin containing bolls. Mortality and larval development time decreased as the number of larval feeding generations increased suggesting adaptation to the toxin in bolls. Small numbers of larvae of the Bt(4) PBW strain developed by feeding for 35 of 40 generations for four days in each generation on NuCOTN 33B bolls, survived on Bt pollen during a 14-day test period and survived to adult emergence on artificial diet containing Cry1Ac toxin, but not on Bt bolls. No larvae of a susceptible DPL(4) 5415-PBW control strain developed to maturity when feeding on Bt pollen or bolls or high concentrations of Cry1Ac protein in artificial diet.

Technical Abstract: Cottons that have a gene or genes from Bacillus thuringiensis Kurstaki (Berliner) that produce insect toxins have been grown in Arizona since 1996. The threat of pink bollworm (PBW), Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) resistance development to the toxin has been of continuing concern. The increasing need for information on PBW interactions in transgenic cotton cultures to provide information to supplement resistant management programs prompted us to conduct laboratory studies from 2001 to 2005 to determine the effect of PBW feeding on Bt bolls on larval development, mortality, pupation, and tolerance to the Cry1Ac toxin. Initially, higher larval mortality occurred and more days were required for pupal development following four day feeding periods on 'NuCOTN 33B'[Bt(4) strain] bolls compared with similar feeding periods on 'Delta and Pineland (DPL) 5415' [DPL(4) strain] non-toxin containing bolls. Mortality and larval development time decreased as the number of larval feeding generations increased suggesting adaptation to the toxin in bolls. Small numbers of larvae of the Bt(4) PBW strain developed by feeding for 35 of 40 generations for four days in each generation on NuCOTN 33B bolls, survived on Bt pollen during a 14-day test period and survived to adult emergence on artificial diet containing Cry1Ac toxin (10 ug/ml), but not on Bt bolls. No larvae of a susceptible DPL(4) 5415-PBW control strain developed to maturity when feeding on Bt pollen or bolls or high concentrations (10 ug/ml) of Cry1Ac protein in artificial diet.