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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #137173
Title: BIOTECHNOLOGY AND THE EUROPEAN CORN BORER: MEASURING HISTORICAL FARMER PERCEPTIONS AND ADOPTION OF TRANSGENIC BT CORN AS A PEST MANAGEMENT STRATEGY

Author
item PILCHER, CLINTON - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item RICE, MARLIN - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item HIGGINS, RANDALL - KANSAS STATE UNIV.
item STEFFEY, KEVIN - UNIV. OF ILLINOIS
item Hellmich Ii, Richard
item WITKOWSKI, JOHN - UNIV. OF NEBRASKA
item CALVIN, DENNIS - PENN STATE UNIVERSITY
item OSTLIE, KEN - UNIV. OF MINNESOTA
item GRAY, MICHAEL - UNIV. OF ILLINOIS

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/15/2002
Publication Date: 10/1/2002
Citation: PILCHER, C.D., RICE, M.E., HIGGINS, R.A., STEFFEY, K.L., HELLMICH II, R.L., WITKOWSKI, J., CALVIN, D., OSTLIE, K.R., GRAY, M. BIOTECHNOLOGY AND THE EUROPEAN CORN BORER: MEASURING HISTORICAL FARMER PERCEPTIONS AND ADOPTION OF TRANSGENIC BT CORN AS A PEST MANAGEMENT STRATEGY. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY. 2002. V. 95. P. 878-892.

Interpretive Summary: A three-year, multi-state survey of transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn farmers was conducted to evaluate perceptions of Bt corn performance and its utility as a European corn borer management option. A questionnaire was sent to farmers who had grown Bt corn during the previous field season in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania following the growing seasons of 1996, 1997, and 1998. Adoption rates, based on percent Bt corn acreage, increased dramatically from 1996 (10.5%) to 1998 (40.7%). The states growing the highest percentage of Bt corn included Minnesota, Iowa, and then Nebraska. However, the state that was adopting Bt corn at the fastest rate was Illinois. Historical use of insecticides did not influence the adoption of Bt corn. In addition, of those farmers who have used insecticides to control European corn borer, the percentage that have decreased their usage of pesticides nearly doubled from 1996 (13.2%) to 1998 (26.0%). The primary reason farmers planted Bt corn was to eliminate the yield loss caused by European corn borer. Most farmers felt yields were either similar to or higher than the non-Bt hybrids with Minnesota farmers perceiving the highest yield advantages. Farmers are becoming more aware of insect resistance management guidelines; however, they also clearly show preferences for having the flexibility to utilize different spatial plantings of Bt and non-Bt corn. Finally, most farmers felt European corn borers caused more yield loss than they previously suspected based on their plantings of Bt corn. This information will be useful for all stakeholders concerned with managing pest resistance to transgenic crops. Prolonging the value of these crops will benefit companies that produce these plants, as well as growers and consumers.

Technical Abstract: A three-year, multi-state survey of transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn farmers was conducted to evaluate perceptions of Bt corn performance and its utility as a European corn borer management option. A questionnaire was sent to farmers who had grown Bt corn during the previous field season in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania following the growing seasons of 1996, 1997, and 1998. There were 7,427 useable questionnaires returned with the following response percentages: 1996 (42.1%), 1997 (35.0%), and 1998 (22.6%). Adoption rates, based on percent Bt corn acreage, increased dramatically from 1996 (10.5%) to 1998 (40.7%). The states growing the highest percentage of Bt corn included Minnesota, Iowa, and then Nebraska. However, the state that was adopting Bt corn at the fastest rate was Illinois. Historical use of insecticides did not influence the adoption of Bt corn. In addition, of those farmers who have used insecticides to control European corn borer, the percentage that have decreased their usage of pesticides nearly doubled from 1996 (13.2%) to 1998 (26.0%). The primary reason farmers planted Bt corn was to eliminate the yield loss caused by European corn borer. Scouting for European corn borers has decreased from 91% (scouting 2.2 times a year) in 1996 to 75% (scouting 1.8 times a year) in 1998. Less scouting led to fewer farmers being knowledgeable of the presence of European corn borers in their fields, which increased from 8.9% in 1996 to 22.4% in 1998. Most farmers felt yields were either similar to or higher than the non-Bt hybrids with Minnesota farmers perceiving the highest yield advantages. Farmers are becoming more aware of insect resistance management guidelines; however, they also clearly show preferences for having the flexibility to utilize different spatial plantings of Bt and non-Bt corn. Finally, most farmers felt European corn borers caused more yield loss than they previously suspected based on their plantings of Bt corn.