• DOI:10.1126/science.1190242
• Corpus ID: 238816

Areawide Suppression of European Corn Borer with Bt Maize Reaps Savings to Non-Bt Maize Growers

@article{Hutchison2010AreawideSO,
  title={Areawide Suppression of European Corn Borer with Bt Maize Reaps Savings to Non-Bt Maize Growers},
  author={William D. Hutchison and Eric Burkness and Paul D. Mitchell and Roger D. Moon and Timothy W. Leslie and Shelby J. Fleischer and Mark. Abrahamson and Krista L Hamilton and Kevin Lloyd Steffey and Michael E. Gray and Richard L Hellmich and L. Von Kaster and Thomas Hunt and Robert J. Wright and Kenneth T. Pecinovsky and Thomas L. Rabaey and Brian R. Flood and Earle S. Raun},
  journal={Science},
  year={2010},
  volume={330},
  pages={222 - 225}
}

• W. Hutchison, E. Burkness, +15 authors E. Raun
• Published 8 October 2010
• Medicine, Biology
• Science

Economic Benefits of Bt Maize Maize containing a transgenically expressed toxin originating from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt maize) is planted across the United States to combat insect herbivory. Non-Bt Maize is also planted alongside Bt maize fields to provide refuges for the insects, which helps to prevent resistance to Bt maize from evolving. Hutchison et al. (p. 222; see the Perspective by Tabashnik) analyzed how Bt maize affected the economic impact of the European corn borer moth in the midwestern United States, as well as its population dynamics. Larval density, a predictor of corn borer population size, has dropped in correlation with the percentage of Bt maize planted. In the highest Bt maize producing state, the positive effects of Bt maize in controlling insect herbivore populations extended to non-Bt maize. Furthermore, the decrease in insect populations demonstrated an overall economic benefit outweighing the overall extra costs associated with planting Bt maize. Genetically modified maize generally reduces insect populations to relieve pest pressure on unmodified neighboring crops. 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.