Title
Areawide Suppression of European Corn Borer with Bt Maize Reaps Savings to Non-Bt Maize Growers
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-2010
Journal or Book Title
Science
Volume
330
Issue
6001
First Page
222
Last Page
225
DOI
10.1126/science.1190242
Abstract
Transgenic maize engineered to express insecticidal proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) has become widely adopted in U.S. agriculture. In 2009, Bt maize was planted on more than 22.2 million hectares, constituting 63% of the U.S. crop. Using statistical analysis of per capita growth rate estimates, we found that areawide suppression of the primary pest Ostrinia nubilalis (European corn borer) is associated with Bt maize use. Cumulative benefits over 14 years are an estimated $3.2 billion for maize growers in Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, with more than $2.4 billion of this total accruing to non-Bt maize growers. Comparable estimates for Iowa and Nebraska are $3.6 billion in total, with $1.9 billion for non-Bt maize growers. These results affirm theoretical predictions of pest population suppression and highlight economic incentives for growers to maintain non-Bt maize refugia for sustainable insect resistance management.
Rights
Works produced by employees of the U.S. Government as part of their official duties are not copyrighted within the U.S. The content of this document is not copyrighted.
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Hutchison, W. D.; Burkness, E. C.; Mitchell, P. D.; Moon, R. D.; Leslie, T. W.; Fleischer, S. J.; Abrahamson, M.; Hamilton, K. L.; Steffey, Kevin L.; Gray, M. E.; Hellmich, Richard L.; Kaster, L. V.; Hunt, Thomas E.; Wright, R. J.; Pecinovsky, Kenneth T.; Rabaey, T. L.; Flood, B. R.; and Raun, E. S., "Areawide Suppression of European Corn Borer with Bt Maize Reaps Savings to Non-Bt Maize Growers" (2010). Entomology Publications. 122.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ent_pubs/122
Included in
Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons, Entomology Commons, Plant Breeding and Genetics Commons
Comments
This article is from Science; 330 (2010); 222-225; doi: 10.1126/science.1190242