Regional pest suppression associated with widespread Bt maize adoption benefits vegetable growers

Galen P. Dively; P. Dilip Venugopal; Dick Bean; Joanne Whalen; Kristian Holmstrom; Thomas P. Kuhar; Hélène B. Doughty; Terry Patton; William Cissel; William D. Hutchison

doi:10.1073/pnas.1720692115

Regional pest suppression associated with widespread Bt maize adoption benefits vegetable growers

Galen P. Dively, P. Dilip Venugopal, Dick Bean, Joanne Whalen, Kristian Holmstrom, Thomas P. Kuhar, Hélène B. Doughty, Terry Patton, William Cissel, William D. Hutchison

Entomology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

133 Scopus citations

Abstract

Transgenic crops containing the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) genes reduce pests and insecticide usage, promote biocontrol services, and economically benefit growers. Area-wide Bt adoption suppresses pests regionally, with declines expanding beyond the planted Bt crops into other non-Bt crop fields. However, the offsite benefits to growers of other crops from such regional suppression remain uncertain. With data spanning 1976–2016, we demonstrate that vegetable growers benefit via decreased crop damage and insecticide applications in relation to pest suppression in the Mid-Atlantic United States. We provide evidence for the regional suppression of Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), European corn borer, and Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), corn earworm, populations in association with widespread Bt maize adoption (1996–2016) and decreased economic levels for injury in vegetable crops [peppers (Capsicum annuum L.), green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), and sweet corn (Zea mays L., convar. saccharata)] compared with the pre-Bt period (1976–1995). Moth populations of both species significantly declined in association with widespread Bt maize (field corn) adoption, even as increased temperatures buffered the population reduction. We show marked decreases in the number of recommended insecticidal applications, insecticides applied, and O. nubilalis damage in vegetable crops in association with widespread Bt maize adoption. These offsite benefits to vegetable growers in the agricultural landscape have not been previously documented, and the positive impacts identified here expand on the reported ecological effects of Bt adoption. Our results also underscore the need to account for offsite economic benefits of pest suppression, in addition to the direct economic benefits of Bt crops.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	3320-3325
Number of pages	6
Journal	Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume	115
Issue number	13
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1720692115
State	Published - Mar 27 2018

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We thank Mike Embry and Amy Miller, the numerous research assistants and summer research interns, graduate students, and trap operators for their help in data collection over the past 40 y. We thank the research farm managers, David Armentrout, Mike Newell, Alfred Hawkins, Kevin Conover, and Dave Justice for establishing and maintaining sentinel plots of sweet corn and peppers. We also thank Joseph Ingerson-Mahar and Gerald Ghidiu for providing trap and pepper damage data from New Jersey. This project was funded by US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture Biotechnology Risk Assessment Grant MD-ENTO-0807, with partial support from the Maryland Integrated Pest Management Extension and Agricultural Experiment Station. The fun-ders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Funding Information:
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. We thank Mike Embry and Amy Miller, the numerous research assistants and summer research interns, graduate students, and trap operators for their help in data collection over the past 40 y. We thank the research farm managers, David Armentrout, Mike Newell, Alfred Hawkins, Kevin Conover, and Dave Justice for establishing and maintaining sentinel plots of sweet corn and peppers. We also thank Joseph Ingerson-Mahar and Gerald Ghidiu for providing trap and pepper damage data from New Jersey. This project was funded by US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture Biotechnology Risk Assessment Grant MD-ENTO-0807, with partial support from the Maryland Integrated Pest Management Extension and Agricultural Experiment Station. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 National Academy of Sciences. All Rights Reserved.

Keywords

Agricultural biotechnology
Ecological effects
Offsite benefits
Pest management
Regional pest suppression

Publisher link

10.1073/pnas.1720692115

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Dively, G. P., Dilip Venugopal, P., Bean, D., Whalen, J., Holmstrom, K., Kuhar, T. P., Doughty, H. B., Patton, T., Cissel, W., & Hutchison, W. D. (2018). Regional pest suppression associated with widespread Bt maize adoption benefits vegetable growers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 115(13), 3320-3325. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1720692115

Dively, GP, Dilip Venugopal, P, Bean, D, Whalen, J, Holmstrom, K, Kuhar, TP, Doughty, HB, Patton, T, Cissel, W & Hutchison, WD 2018, 'Regional pest suppression associated with widespread Bt maize adoption benefits vegetable growers', Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 115, no. 13, pp. 3320-3325. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1720692115

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abstract = "Transgenic crops containing the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) genes reduce pests and insecticide usage, promote biocontrol services, and economically benefit growers. Area-wide Bt adoption suppresses pests regionally, with declines expanding beyond the planted Bt crops into other non-Bt crop fields. However, the offsite benefits to growers of other crops from such regional suppression remain uncertain. With data spanning 1976–2016, we demonstrate that vegetable growers benefit via decreased crop damage and insecticide applications in relation to pest suppression in the Mid-Atlantic United States. We provide evidence for the regional suppression of Ostrinia nubilalis (H{\"u}bner), European corn borer, and Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), corn earworm, populations in association with widespread Bt maize adoption (1996–2016) and decreased economic levels for injury in vegetable crops [peppers (Capsicum annuum L.), green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), and sweet corn (Zea mays L., convar. saccharata)] compared with the pre-Bt period (1976–1995). Moth populations of both species significantly declined in association with widespread Bt maize (field corn) adoption, even as increased temperatures buffered the population reduction. We show marked decreases in the number of recommended insecticidal applications, insecticides applied, and O. nubilalis damage in vegetable crops in association with widespread Bt maize adoption. These offsite benefits to vegetable growers in the agricultural landscape have not been previously documented, and the positive impacts identified here expand on the reported ecological effects of Bt adoption. Our results also underscore the need to account for offsite economic benefits of pest suppression, in addition to the direct economic benefits of Bt crops.",

keywords = "Agricultural biotechnology, Ecological effects, Offsite benefits, Pest management, Regional pest suppression",

author = "Dively, {Galen P.} and {Dilip Venugopal}, P. and Dick Bean and Joanne Whalen and Kristian Holmstrom and Kuhar, {Thomas P.} and Doughty, {H{\'e}l{\`e}ne B.} and Terry Patton and William Cissel and Hutchison, {William D.}",

note = "Funding Information: We thank Mike Embry and Amy Miller, the numerous research assistants and summer research interns, graduate students, and trap operators for their help in data collection over the past 40 y. We thank the research farm managers, David Armentrout, Mike Newell, Alfred Hawkins, Kevin Conover, and Dave Justice for establishing and maintaining sentinel plots of sweet corn and peppers. We also thank Joseph Ingerson-Mahar and Gerald Ghidiu for providing trap and pepper damage data from New Jersey. This project was funded by US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture Biotechnology Risk Assessment Grant MD-ENTO-0807, with partial support from the Maryland Integrated Pest Management Extension and Agricultural Experiment Station. The fun-ders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Funding Information: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. We thank Mike Embry and Amy Miller, the numerous research assistants and summer research interns, graduate students, and trap operators for their help in data collection over the past 40 y. We thank the research farm managers, David Armentrout, Mike Newell, Alfred Hawkins, Kevin Conover, and Dave Justice for establishing and maintaining sentinel plots of sweet corn and peppers. We also thank Joseph Ingerson-Mahar and Gerald Ghidiu for providing trap and pepper damage data from New Jersey. This project was funded by US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture Biotechnology Risk Assessment Grant MD-ENTO-0807, with partial support from the Maryland Integrated Pest Management Extension and Agricultural Experiment Station. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 National Academy of Sciences. All Rights Reserved.",

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doi = "10.1073/pnas.1720692115",

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AU - Dively, Galen P.

AU - Dilip Venugopal, P.

AU - Bean, Dick

AU - Whalen, Joanne

AU - Holmstrom, Kristian

AU - Kuhar, Thomas P.

AU - Doughty, Hélène B.

AU - Patton, Terry

AU - Cissel, William

AU - Hutchison, William D.

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N2 - Transgenic crops containing the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) genes reduce pests and insecticide usage, promote biocontrol services, and economically benefit growers. Area-wide Bt adoption suppresses pests regionally, with declines expanding beyond the planted Bt crops into other non-Bt crop fields. However, the offsite benefits to growers of other crops from such regional suppression remain uncertain. With data spanning 1976–2016, we demonstrate that vegetable growers benefit via decreased crop damage and insecticide applications in relation to pest suppression in the Mid-Atlantic United States. We provide evidence for the regional suppression of Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), European corn borer, and Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), corn earworm, populations in association with widespread Bt maize adoption (1996–2016) and decreased economic levels for injury in vegetable crops [peppers (Capsicum annuum L.), green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), and sweet corn (Zea mays L., convar. saccharata)] compared with the pre-Bt period (1976–1995). Moth populations of both species significantly declined in association with widespread Bt maize (field corn) adoption, even as increased temperatures buffered the population reduction. We show marked decreases in the number of recommended insecticidal applications, insecticides applied, and O. nubilalis damage in vegetable crops in association with widespread Bt maize adoption. These offsite benefits to vegetable growers in the agricultural landscape have not been previously documented, and the positive impacts identified here expand on the reported ecological effects of Bt adoption. Our results also underscore the need to account for offsite economic benefits of pest suppression, in addition to the direct economic benefits of Bt crops.

AB - Transgenic crops containing the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) genes reduce pests and insecticide usage, promote biocontrol services, and economically benefit growers. Area-wide Bt adoption suppresses pests regionally, with declines expanding beyond the planted Bt crops into other non-Bt crop fields. However, the offsite benefits to growers of other crops from such regional suppression remain uncertain. With data spanning 1976–2016, we demonstrate that vegetable growers benefit via decreased crop damage and insecticide applications in relation to pest suppression in the Mid-Atlantic United States. We provide evidence for the regional suppression of Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), European corn borer, and Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), corn earworm, populations in association with widespread Bt maize adoption (1996–2016) and decreased economic levels for injury in vegetable crops [peppers (Capsicum annuum L.), green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), and sweet corn (Zea mays L., convar. saccharata)] compared with the pre-Bt period (1976–1995). Moth populations of both species significantly declined in association with widespread Bt maize (field corn) adoption, even as increased temperatures buffered the population reduction. We show marked decreases in the number of recommended insecticidal applications, insecticides applied, and O. nubilalis damage in vegetable crops in association with widespread Bt maize adoption. These offsite benefits to vegetable growers in the agricultural landscape have not been previously documented, and the positive impacts identified here expand on the reported ecological effects of Bt adoption. Our results also underscore the need to account for offsite economic benefits of pest suppression, in addition to the direct economic benefits of Bt crops.

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Regional pest suppression associated with widespread Bt maize adoption benefits vegetable growers

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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