Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

This report covers the multi-state NC-205 project investigating stalk-boring Lepidoptera attacking corn. This project was revised October 1, 2000. The goal of this project is to develop management practices for European corn borer and related stalk-boring pests that are environmentally sensitive, ecologically compatible, and economically sustainable. Our studies are designed to analyze the economics of corn borer management practices, assess ecological and genetic factors that impact resistance management, evaluate the role of natural enemies of lepidopteran pests in corn-cropping systems and agricultural landscapes, assess impact of management strategies for stalk-boring insects on non-target organisms, and develop and disseminate information for use by IPM educators, policymakers, and regulators. Brief summary of minutes of annual meeting: Annual meeting of NC-205 was held at the USDA-ARS Carver Building in Beltsville, MD. Location and date were selected to facilitate interaction with the NCR-46 (Corn Rootworm) committee, and invited industry representatives interested in managing corn insect resistance to transgenic corn. Portions of the meeting were held with the NCR-46 committee. NC-205 Chairman Rick Hellmich called the meeting to order at 8:07 AM on January 26, 2005. Pat Porter provided committee members CDs with PDF files of the 2003 state reports. Dennis Kopp (CSREES) requested that the committee review a manuscript draft about the NC-205 regional project. Dennis Kopp and Steve Pueppke, along with past committee chairmen, plan to write a history of the committee's accomplishments. David Andow requested a discussion about the pre-review of the new project proposal. Charles Guse described a modeling project which is part of a larger project with EPA entitled "Evaluation and Integration of Models of Insect Resistance to Transgenic Crops." The purpose of modeling project is to develop protocols for comparing resistance management models and evaluate model differences and similarities. Dennis Calvin discussed progress on the USDA RAMP project "A Site-Specific Field Corn IPM Program that Incorporates Transgenic Technology." Robyn Rose (USDA-APHIS) updated the committee on activities related to updating protocols for monitoring possible non-target effects of biotech products. David Andow discussed the scope of the USDA IFAS grant. Grower refuge implementation was higher in 2004 than 2003. Committee members discussed outreach activities conducted at all locations related to NC-205 project objectives. Fangneng Haung from Louisiana State University was introduced as a new member of the committee. He briefed the committee on his research related to sugarcane borer. Mark Sears discussed meeting arrangements for the combined NC-205/NCR-46 meeting in Toronto, ON for the 2006 meeting. Mark requested the committee consider inviting government research personnel from Canada to the meeting. The meeting will be scheduled for the week of Jan. 23 or Jan. 30 depending on ability to arrange a meeting site. Dennis Kopp, CSREES representative, and Steve Pueppke, NC-205 Administrative Adviser, presented their reports the previous day during the combined meeting with NCR-46. State reports were presented in order of project objectives. Drs. Dennis Calvin and Tom Hunt were elected chair and secretary, respectively. Meeting was adjourned noon on Jan. 27.

Many new economic issues have arisen because of the commercial introduction of Bt corn. These issues include development of grower insect resistance management (IRM) compliance incentives and verification of corn borer yield-loss functions. WI and MN economists continue to analyze the possibility of using grower contract to manage risks associated with employing refuges. The economic component of the Bt maize Economic Tool or BET model is now available at an interactive website (www.essc.psu.edu/bet/); although it is still under revision. This model will be useful to growers interested in determining the value of Bt corn for their farms. The committee has been very successful in attaining funding related to insect resistance management. These projects are excellent examples of multi-state, multi-discipline projects that allow for stakeholder input. USDA-RAMP funded project is underway with PA, IA, NE participation that uses site-specific information to evaluate the economics of Bt corn and resistance monitoring. A USDA-IFAFS project is ongoing with MN, WI and KS participation to evaluate Bt corn spatial distribution and sociological and economic component of Bt adoption. An ARS/EPA project with participation from NE, PA, IA, IL, MN, TX, MS, NC, and UT is continuing that evaluates IRM modeling, resistance monitoring, and possible applications of remote-sensing technologies. Several research projects are underway to address ecological and genetic components of insect resistance management. Evaluation of European corn borer (ECB) voltinism by PA suggest multi-voltine moths have a much tighter range of development time compared with uni-voltine moths, which appears to be heritable. IA is using Bt and non-Bt strips as a tool to assess landscape influences on ECB aggregation areas and infestations. Preliminary data suggest that this alternating Bt/non-Bt strips method could be used to identify high ECB damage areas in fields. IA and NE have used family pedigrees to evaluate and genetic factors influencing Bt resistance. NE has established an ECB colony with resistance to a Bt protein that appears to be recessive. MN has improved the efficiency of the F2 screen, which is used to monitor for ECB that are resistant to Bt corn. The movement of male moths is being studies at Delaware. Kansas continues to study the movement of male and female SWCB. NC-205 members and cooperators (MD, ONT, IA) conducted follow-up research to studies previously published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. These studies were conducted to determine whether monarch larvae are affected by long-term exposure to Bt pollen and anthers. Larvae were put on milkweed plants in the field at the time of pollen shed for the full term of their development. Under this worse case scenario, fewer larvae reach adulthood. The proportion of the population exposed to these conditions is approximately 0.3%. The outcome of this research coupled with additional past studies and a model developed by PA and ZedX, Inc., a private weather data company, that predicts the proportion of the monarch population that co-occurs with pollen shed and likely mortality from this co-occurrence was integrated into a research paper and published in Environmental Entomology as a forum article. NC-205 members participated in several high-profile activities including the International Plant Protection Congress in Beijing, China, the Biosafety Congress in Montpellier, France, GMO Guidelines project in Kenya, Brazilian entomology meeting, EPA-sponsored (IRM) modeling workshop, EPA Science Advisory Panel, and an EPA non-targets workshop. Also, members participated in several radio programs, and crop protection clinics and other extension activities related to insect resistance management and protecting crops from stalk-boring pests. Members also wrote numerous newsletters that targeted growers interested in corn pests. Ontario produced a New Grower Handbook that was published in both English and French. Penn State, working with ZedX, Inc, has developed landscape models of European corn borer phenology that are updated daily with weather data and provided as regional maps that show the leading developmental stage of the pest (http://www.ento.psu.edu/extension/field_crops/predictionmaps.htm). Plans for the coming year include starting activities and research related to the new project. Discussions will continue with NCR-46 members concerning the development of compatible IRM strategies for ECB and corn rootworm transgenic corn. Collaborative research will include: 1) determine if remote-sensing technology can be used to distinguish corn damaged by ECB from corn with no ECB damage; 2) continue to determine frequency of resistant alleles in ECB populations, 3) continue to develop landscape approaches to ECB management; 4) use DNA markers to address ECB population structure questions; and 5) develop more efficient methods for evaluating possible non-target effects of transgenic corn.

Anderson, P. L., Hellmich, R. L. Sears, M. K., Sumerford, D. V., Lewis, L. C. 2004. Effects of Cry1Ab-expressing corn anthers on monarch butterfly larvae. Environ. Entomol. 33: 1109-1115. Buschman, L., P. Sloderbeck, and Merle Witt. 2004. Efficacy of VIP & Cry1Ab event corn hybrids for the control of Southwestern corn borer and Corn Earworm. In SWREC 2004 Field Day Rept. K-State Rept. Prog. 910: pp 45-48. http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/swao/entomology.htm Buschman, L., and P. Sloderbeck. 2004. Efficacy of insecticides for the control of Southwestern corn borer. In SWREC 2004 Field Day Rept. K-State Rept. Prog. 910: pp 49-51. http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/swao/entomology.htm Buschman, L, R Currie and P. Sloderbeck. 2004. Efficacy of Early Miticides applied early to control spider mites in corn, Trials 1. In SWREC 2004 Field Day Rept. K-State Rept. Prog. 910: 52-55. http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/swao/entomology.htm Buschman, L, R Currie and P. Sloderbeck. 2004. Efficacy of Early Miticides applied early to control spider mites in corn, Trials 2. In SWREC 2004 Field Day Rept. K-State Rept. Prog. 910: 56-60. http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/swao/entomology.htm Buschman, L, R Currie and P. Sloderbeck. 2004. Efficacy of Miticides applied post-tassel to control spider mites in corn, Post-Tassel Trial. In SWREC 2004 Field Day Rept. K-State Rept. Prog. 910: 61-64. http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/swao/entomology.htm Coates, B. S., Sumerford, D. V., and Hellmich, R. L. 2004. Geographic and voltinism differentiation among North American Ostrinia nubilalis (European corn borer) mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase haplotypes. J. Insect Sci., 4:35, 1-9 (Available online: insectscience.org/4.35). Coates, B. S., Sumerford, D. V., Hellmich, R. L., Lewis, L. C. 2004. Partial mitochondrial genome sequences of Ostrinia nubilalis and Ostrinia furnicalis. Int. J. Biol. Sci. 1: 13-18. Dillehay, B., G. W. Roth. D. D. Calvin, R. J. Kratochvil, G. A. Kuldau, and J. A. Hyde. 2004 Performance of Bt-corn Hybrids, their near-isolines and Leading corn hybrids in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Agron. J. 96: 818-824. Dively, G. P., R. Rose, M. K. Sears, R. L. Hellmich, D. E. Stanley-Horn, J. M. Russo, D. D. Calvin, P. L. Anderson. 2004. Effects on monarch butterfly larvae (Lepidoptera: Danaidae) after continuous exposure to Cry1Ab-expressing corn during anthesis. Environ. Entomol. 33: 1116-1125. Li, Huarong. 2004. Analyses of Resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis Delta-Endotoxins in the European Corn Borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Entomology, Kansas State University. 192 pp. Li, H., B. Oppert, R. Higgins, F. Huang, K. Zhu, and L. Buschman. 2004. Comparative analysis of proteinase activities of Bacillus thuringiensis-resistant and -susceptible Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol., 34: 753-762. Li, H., J. Gonzalez-Cabrera, B. Oppert, J. Ferre, R. Higgins, L. Buschman, G. Radke, K. Zhu, and F. Huang. 2004. Binding analyses of Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac with membrane vesicles from Bacillus thuringiensis-resistant and susceptible Ostrinia nubilalis. Biochem. and Biophys. Res. Comm. 323: 52-57. Matten, S. M., R. L. Hellmich and A. Reynolds. 2004. Current resistance management strategies for Bt corn in the United States. 2004. In Transgenic Crop Production: Concepts and Strategies, edited by Opender Koul and G. S. Dhaliwal, Science Publishers, Inc, Plymouth, UK. pp. 261-288. Qureshi, J. A., L. L. Buschman, S. B. Ramaswamy, J.E. Throne and P.M. Whaley. 2004. Evaluation of Rubidium Chloride and Cesium Chloride Incorporated in a Meridic Diet to Mark Diatraea grandiosella (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) for Dispersal Studies. Environ. Entomol. 33(3): 487-498. Qureshi, J. A., L. L. Buschman, J. E. Throne and S.B. Ramaswamy. 2004. Oil-Soluble Dyes Incorporated in Meridic Diet of Diatraea grandiosella (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) as Markers for Adult Dispersal Studies. J. Econ. Entomol. 97(3): 836-845. Qureshi, J. A., L. L. Buschman, J. E. Throne, P. M. Whaley and S.B. Ramaswamy. 2004. Evaluation of Rubidium Chloride and Cesium Chloride Sprayed on Corn Plants to Mark Diatraea grandiosella (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) for Mark-Recapture Dispersal Studies. Environ. Entomol. 33(4): 930-940. Sloderbeck, P. E., R. J. Whitworth, and R. A. Higgins. 2004. Corn insect management 2004. MF810 (Revised). 24 pp. Wilson, A. P., J. A. Hough-Goldstein, M. J. VanGessel, and J. D. Pesek. 2004. Effects of varying weed communities in corn on European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), oviposition and egg mass predation. Environ. Entomol. 33: 320-327. Xingquan, K., D. D. Calvin, M. C. Knapp, and F. L. Poston. 2004. Female European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) ovarian development stages: Their association with oviposition and use in a classification system. J. Econ. Entomol. J. Econ. Entomol. 97(3): 828  835. Dillehay, B. L. , D. D. Calvin, G. W. Roth, J. A. Hyde, G. A. Kuldau, R. J. Kratochvil, J. M. Russo, and D. G. Voight. Verification of a European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) loss equation in the major corn production region of the northeastern United States. In Press (J. of Econ. Entomol.) Sked, S. L. and D. D. Calvin. Phenological synchrony between Macrocentrus cingulum Brischke (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) with its preferred host, Ostrinia nubilalis Hubner (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), using models. Environ. Entomol. (Accepted for Publication).