Lexington, Kentucky
October 8, 2008
Over the past 12 years, corn
growers have enjoyed lower populations of once troublesome
insects and lower yield losses thanks to Bt corn, said Ric
Bessin, entomologist in the
University of Kentucky College of Agriculture.
Bt corn is a genetically modified organism, which means a small
amount of genetic material from a different, naturally occurring
organism was added to its genetic makeup. The modified gene can
control a pest or a group of pests, thus preventing potentially
significant yield losses. One of the most common pests Bt corn
protects against is the European corn borer.
“Bt corn has been safely distributed, grown and consumed since
its introduction into the agricultural sector,” Bessin said.
“And since it controls pest populations, it’s even helping
farmers that do not grow Bt corn.”
Producers may find Bt corn extremely useful in today’s grain
market. With current corn prices around $5.50 a bushel, any
damage to the crop is more costly than in past years. Bt corn
can help producers keep crop loss at a minimum and retain higher
profit margins. It also saves producers the time and money
associated with scouting for pests and spraying pesticides on
infected crops.
Bessin, Jim Herbek, UK grain crops specialist, and Doug Johnson,
UK entomologist, completed a seven-year study on Bt corn and
found it is most beneficial to growers that are forced to plant
behind schedule because late planted crops are the most
susceptible to pests.
“We found that Bt corn can prevent as much as a 22 bushel per
acre yield loss,” Bessin said.
The crop became available to growers in 1996, and in 2008 makes
up over half of all corn acreage in the United States. Most of
the crop is used for livestock feed or ethanol.
As technology has advanced, varieties that protect against
different pests were developed. Varieties are now available to
control a single pest or group of pests. At UK, researchers are
studying corn that has as many as five modified genes.
“There is always the potential for pests to become resistant or
tolerant to the genes,” Bessin said. “We want to be proactive
and continue to work to anticipate pest resistances and make
improvements to the genes so plants can keep pests at bay before
they develop a resistance to previous varieties.”
University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, through its
land-grant mission, reaches across the commonwealth with
teaching, research and extension to enhance the lives of
Kentuckians. |
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