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Transgenic Corn Expressing a Cry9C Insecticidal Protein from Bacillus thuringiensis Protected from European Corn Borer Damage
Author(s) -
Jansens Stefan,
Vliet Adri,
Dickburt Catherine,
Buysse Linda,
Piens Carla,
Saey Bernadette,
De Wulf Ann,
Gosselé Veronique,
Paez Alix,
Göbel Elke,
Peferoen Marnix
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1997.0011183x003700050035x
Subject(s) - ostrinia , european corn borer , bacillus thuringiensis , genetically modified maize , biology , tassel , pest analysis , agronomy , stalk , leaf miner , pest control , horticulture , field corn , genetically modified crops , botany , pyralidae , zea mays , transgene , gene , biochemistry , genetics , bacteria
The European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), is devastating insect pest in the corn ( Zea mays L.) growing regions of North America and Europe. Field evaluations in the USA and Belgium showed that transgenic corn events expressing Cry9C, an insecticidal crystal protein from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp, tolworthi , very effectively control both generations of the European corn borer. Second to fourth instar larvae fed with leaf material of event CBH351 expressing the Cry9C protein all died within 4 d. Cry9C events, expressing high levels of the insecticidal protein, showed minimal stalk tunneling after heavy artificial infestations. Event CBH351 tested in plots containing only Cry9C transgenic plants had 0.14‐ and 0.09‐cm tunneling per stalk compared with more than 30‐ and 23‐cm tunneling per stalk for the negative controls, in the Belgium and Iowa field trial, respectively. In plots containing 30% non‐transgenic plants the event CBH351, showed only 1.45‐cm tunneling per stalk. Leaf, tassel, and pith tissue contained 39.0, 17.4, and 84.8 μg Cry9C protein mg −1 soluble protein, respectively, in analyses conducted at harvest of the Belgium trial. The implications of Cry9C use for resistance management strategies are discussed.