Insecticidal cry and vip genes from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have been used for control of lepidopteran insects in transgenic crops. However, novel genes are required for gene pyramiding to delay evolution of resistance to the currently deployed genes. Two PCR-based techniques were employed for screening of cry2-type genes in 129 Bt isolates from diverse habitats in India and 27 known Bt str...

The effect of Bacillus thuringiensis toxin Cry1Ac on the behaviour of a laboratory-selected resistant population (72-fold) of Helicoverpa armigera on Bt-cotton was evaluated. Compared with non-Bt-cotton and Cry1Ac toxin incorporated in semi-synthetic diet, resistant larvae reared on Bt-cotton had only 0.13% survival and slower development. The results suggest that Cry1Ac from Bt-cotton exerts a...

The aim of the study was to test the effect of three flavonoids on growth and survival of Helicoverpa armigera (Hüb) and Spodoptera litura (Fab.). A set of experiments were carried out with varying concentrations of three flavonoids namely chlorogenic acid, quercetin and rutin at 23±1oC on growth, development and mortality of larvae of pod borer Helicoverpa armigera and tobacco caterpillar Spod...

Helicoverpa armigera, one of the world's most destructive crop pests, was first documented in Brazil in 2013. Within a few months, this polyphagous insect had spread over the Northeast and Central-West of Brazil, causing great agricultural losses. With several reports of populations resistant to pesticides and Bt crops around the world, there is great concern about the spread of this pest in Br...

Hybridization of sympatric closely related species may sometimes lead to introgression and speciation. The sister species Helicoverpa armigera and Helicoverpa assulta both use (Z)-11-hexadecenal and (Z)-9-hexadecenal as sex pheromone components but in reversed ratios. Female H. armigera and male H. assulta could hybridize and produce fertile male hybrids, which can then backcross with females o...

Wild-type baculovirus isolates typically consist of multiple strains. We report the full genome sequences of seven alphabaculovirus strains derived by passage through tissue culture from Helicoverpa armigera SNPV-AC53 (KJ909666).

Trichogramma Westwood (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) cause high mortality rates in the potentially resistant pest species, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), and are considered integral to the resistance management plan for Bacillus thuringiensis transgenic cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., production in the Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA), WesternAustralia.Measured as perc...

Midgut hydrolytic enzymes of Helicoverpa armigera Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) were identified and partially characterized. Km, Vmax, optimum pH, and specific activity were determined for proteolytic enzymes and αamylases. All hydrolytic enzyme activity had an optimum pH value in the alkaline pH range. We observed major serine protease activity, together with minor cysteine-like activity, th...

The use of insect viruses as biological control agents started in the early 1960s in China. To date, more than 32 viruses have been used to control insect pests in agriculture, forestry, pastures, and domestic gardens in China. In 2014, 57 products from 11 viruses were authorized as commercial viral insecticides by the Ministry of Agriculture of China. Approximately 1600 tons of viral insectici...

Four highly inducible genes of poplar trees, PtdKTI5, PtdWIN4, PtdPOP3 from hybrid poplar (Populus trichocarpa × P. deltoides) and PtKTI2 from trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) have been individually transformed into Arabidopsis thaliana for overexpression. High transcriptional level of each transgene in transgenic Arabidopsis lines was confirmed by RT-PCR analysis. The development, ...