Crops transformed to express Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins can cause close to 100% mortality of certain target pest species. This study assessed the effect of target pest reduction on the predatory insect Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) in the presence of alternative prey. Numbers of lacewings recovered from Bt oilseed rape (cultivar Oscar, event O52) did not differ significantly from number...

Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. (referred to as “Pioneer” hereafter) has petitioned APHIS (USDA-APHIS Petition Number #11-244-01p, referred to as “Petition”) for a determination that genetically engineered (GE) corn (Zea mays) event DP-ØØ4114-3 (referred to as “4114 maize” or “4114”) is unlikely to pose a plant pest risk and, therefore, is no longer a regulated article under regulations at ...

Onfarm field trials carried out with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton in different states of India show that the technology substantially reduces pest damage and increases yields. The yield gains are much higher than what has been reported for other countries where genetically modified crops were used mostly to replace and enhance chemical pest control. In many developing countries, small-sca...

1 Monsanto Company (Monsanto) has petitioned APHIS for a determination that MON 87705 soybean is unlikely to pose a plant pest risk (Rogan, 2009) and, therefore, should no longer be a regulated article under APHIS’ 7 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 340. APHIS administers 7 CFR part 340 under the authority of the plant pest provisions of the Plant Protection Act of 2000 . This plant pest ...

Protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP)-proline-, glutamate-, serine-, and threonine-rich sequence (PEST) is ubiquitously expressed and is a critical regulator of cell adhesion and migration. PTP-PEST activity can be regulated transcriptionally via gene deletion or mutation in several types of human cancers or via post-translational modifications, including phosphorylation, oxidation, and caspase-de...

beet armyworm (spodoptera exigua (hubner)) (lepidoptera: noctuidae) is the most economically important sugar beet (beta vulgaris) pest worldwide. the main control method of this pest is insecticides use. thus, it is important to develop alternative means of controlling this pest, including host plant resistance using plant lectins. in the current study, the effects of gna (galanthus nivalis agg...

A farmer's decision on whether to control a pest is usually based on the perceived threat of the pest locally and the guidance of commercial advisors. Therefore, farmers in a region are often influenced by similar circumstances, and this can create a coordinated response for pest control that is effective at a landscape scale. This coordinated response is not intentional, but is an emergent pro...

There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that the simplification of land uses associated with a strong dependence on agrochemical inputs is decreasing environmental quality, threatening biodiversity, and increasing the likelihood of pest outbreaks. The development of farming systems with greater reliance on ecosystem services, such as biological control of insect pests, should increase th...

Many factors including pest natural enemy ratios, starting densities, timings of natural enemy releases, dosages and timings of insecticide applications and instantaneous killing rates of pesticides on both pests and natural enemies can affect the success of IPM control programmes. To address how such factors influence successful pest control, hybrid impulsive pest-natural enemy models with dif...

Neonicotinoid insecticides are widely used for control of insect pests around the world and are especially pervasive in agricultural pest management. There is a growing body of evidence indicating that the broad-scale and prophylactic uses of neonicotinoids pose serious risks of harm to beneficial organisms and their ecological function. This provides the impetus for exploring alternatives to n...