May 27, 2010
On May 3 the EPA granted a time-limited registration to Pioneer Hi-Bred International through September 30, 2010 for a new product line which will change the way some refuges are implemented for insect resistance management.
Up to now a structured refuge was required for all insect-resistant Bt corn hybrids, with some differences between corn borer and rootworm active hybrids. Pioneer now offers Optimum® AcreMax™ 1 and Optimum® AcreMax™ RW, which feature built-in corn rootworm resistance management with the refuge integrated in the bag, thus eliminating the need for a structured refuge for corn rootworm. Both have herbicide tolerance. Continued registration beyond that date is dependent on public comment and Pioneer providing additional data to EPA on several topics.
Optimum® AcreMax™ 1 contains 90% of a Pioneer hybrid with Herculex® XTRA (CRW/CB/LL/RR2), and 10% of a Pioneer hybrid with the Herculex I trait (CB/LL/RR2) that serves as the corn rootworm refuge. A separate 20% non-Bt refuge for corn borers would still be required.
Optimum® AcreMax™ RW contains 90% of a Pioneer hybrid with Herculex RW and 10% of a Pioneer hybrid that serves as the corn rootworm refuge. Farmers can use Optimum® AcreMax™ RW as the corn borer refuge for Optimum® AcreMax™ 1.
Pioneer is demonstrating the product in farmers’ fields this year to support the 2011 ramp up. Pioneer has placed Optimum® AcreMax™ 1 insect protection and Optimum® AcreMax™ RW insect protection products in more than 2,600 grower fields and at Pioneer demonstration plots throughout the U.S.
Advances in transgenic technology and insect resistance management are occurring at a rapid pace, and it is sometimes hard to keep current. To help farmers keep up, Chris DiFonzo (Michigan State University) and Eileen Cullen (University of Wisconsin-Madison) developed the following table that presents a recent update of transgenic traits for corn.
Tom Hunt
Extension Entomologist, Haskell Agricultural Laboratory, Concord
Bob Wright
Extension Entomologist, Lincoln
| Table 1. Master list of transgenic traits for corn with target pests controlled (bold) or suppressed (italicized), and refuge requirements for the Midwest. Updated May 21, 2010. By Chris DiFonzo (Michigan State University) and Eileen Cullen (University of Wisconsin-Madison) | ||||
|
Trait Group/ Name |
Type |
Insect(s)1 |
Herbicide Tolerance2 |
Refuge % |
|
Agrisure Products (Syngenta; Syngenta + Mycogen/Dow) |
||||
|
Agrisure CB/LL |
Cry1Ab |
ECB |
LL |
20% |
|
Agrisure GT/CB/LL |
Cry1Ab |
ECB |
GT |
20% |
|
Agrisure RW |
mCry3A |
CRW |
-- |
20% |
|
Agrisure GT/RW |
mCry3A |
CRW |
GT |
20% |
|
Agrisure CB/LL/RW |
Cry1Ab |
CRW ECB |
LL |
20% |
|
Agrisure 3000GT |
Cry1Ab |
CRW ECB |
GT |
20% |
|
Agrisure Viptera 3110 |
Vip3A |
BCW CEW |
GT |
20% |
|
Agrisure Viptera 3111 |
Vip3A |
BCW CEW |
GT |
20% |
|
Herculex Products (Mycogen/Dow and DuPont/Pioneer) |
||||
|
Herculex 1 |
Cry1F |
BCW ECB |
LL |
20% |
|
Herculex RW |
Cry34Ab1/ |
CRW |
LL |
20% |
|
Herculex XTRA |
Cry 1F |
BCW CRW |
LL |
20 |
|
Optimum AcreMax Products (DuPont/Pioneer) |
||||
|
Optimum AcreMax RW |
Cry34Ab1/ |
CRW |
RR2 |
10% in the bag |
|
Optimum AcreMax 1 |
Cry 1F |
BCW CRW |
LL |
10% in the bag |
|
YieldGard/ Genuity Products (Monsanto) |
||||
|
YieldGard CB (YGCB) |
Cry1Ab |
ECB |
-- |
20% |
|
YieldGard RW (YGRW) |
Cry3Bb1 |
CRW |
-- |
20% - Adjacent |
|
YieldGard Plus |
Cry1Ab |
CRW ECB |
-- |
20% - Adjacent |
|
YieldGard Plus w/ RR2 |
Cry1Ab |
CRW ECB |
RR2 |
20% - Adjacent |
|
YieldGard VT |
Cry3Bb1 |
CRW |
RR2 |
20% - Adjacent |
|
YieldGard VT Triple (VT3) |
Cry1Ab |
CRW ECB |
RR2 |
20% - Adjacent |
|
Genuity Products (Monsanto; Monsanto + Mycogen/DowAgro) |
||||
|
Genuity VT Double Pro (VT2P) |
Cry1A.105 |
CEW |
RR2 |
5% |
|
Genuity VT Triple Pro (VT3P) |
Cry1A.105 |
CEW CRW ECB FAW |
RR2 |
20% |
|
Genuity SmartStax (GENSS) |
Cry1A.105 |
BCW CEW |
RR2 |
5% |
|
1 Insect targets: BCW – black cutworm; CEW – corn earworm; CRW - corn rootworm; ECB - European corn borer; FAW – fall armyworm; SB – stalk borer; WBC – western bean cutworm |
||||
|
Table 2. List of insect resistance and herbicide tolerance traits. |
|||
|
Trait |
Event |
Gene/Protein |
What it Does |
|
Syngenta Traits |
|||
|
Agrisure GT |
GA21 |
EPSPS |
Glyphosate-tolerant |
|
Agrisure CB/LL |
Bt 11 |
Cry1Ab + PAT |
Controls ECB |
|
Agrisure RW |
MIR604 |
mCry3Aa |
Controls CRW |
|
Agrisure LL |
|
PAT |
Glufosinate-tolerant |
|
Agrisure Viptera |
MIR162 |
Vip3A |
Controls various Leps |
|
Monsanto Traits |
|||
|
RR, RR2 |
NK603, MON603 |
CP4 |
Glyphosate-tolerant |
|
YieldGard CB |
MON810 |
Cry1Ab |
Controls ECB |
|
YieldGard RW |
MON863 |
Cry3Bb1 |
Controls CRW |
|
VT RW |
MON 88017 |
Cry3Bb1 |
Controls CRW |
|
VT Pro |
MON 89034 |
Cry1A.105 |
Controls ECB |
|
Mycogen/Dow and DuPont/Pioneer Traits |
|||
|
Herculex 1 |
TC1507 |
Cry1F |
Controls ECB |
|
Herculex RW |
DAS-59122-7 |
Cry34/35Ab1 |
Controls CRW |
