Genetically-modified crops producing toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis were grown on over 60 million hectares globally in 2013. Since the first introduction of Bt cotton in 1996, insect-tolerant Bt crops have provided financial, safety and convenience benefits to growers throughout the world. Target pest resistance is an expected outcome of such intensive use of any pest control technology. Yet, unprecedented efforts have been deployed to delay and manage resistance to Bt crops. These included three foundational measures: high toxin expression, planting of refuges, and pyramids of multiple Bt toxins possessing unique receptor binding sites. I will differentiate laboratory-versus field-based definitions of resistance and then interpret the Global status of published reports of resistance to Bt crops with retrospective analysis of factors associated with failure versus success of the IRM programs.

Global retrospective on IRM of Bt crops: Successes, failures, and emerging challenges

248th National Meeting (2014)

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