Date: 3/30/99

Time: 8:05

Type: Symposium

Number: 113

Potential impact of genetically modified baculoviruses: research efforts and deployment strategies

*J. All, Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens , GA 30602; M. Treacy, American Cyanamid, Princeton, NJ 08540 and J.L. Flexner, DuPont Agricultural Products, Newark, DE 19714
Contact e-mail: jall@bugs.ent.uga.edu

Under natural conditions, feral nucleopolyhedrosis viruses (NPVs) can produce severe epizootics within pest populations, and the potential of these pathogens for use in insect management programs has been recognized for many years. Use of feral NPVs as microbial insecticides has generally not been successful for various reasons, including a long disease incubation of 5-10 days for toxicity in many insects. Gene constructs have been inserted within various NPVs to improve efficacy. A scorpion derived gene (AaIt) has been incorporated with various NPVs (AaIt-NPV), and these kill target insects up to five times faster than feral NPVs by inducing infected insect cells to produce a sodium channel neurotoxin. Safety of AaIt-NPVs is under investigation, but research indicates that impact on non-target insects and other animals is low and AaIt-NPVs are environmentally benign. Greenhouse and field tests in cotton, soybean, and cabbage show that AaIt-NPVs have improved control of tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (Fabricius); bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie); cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni (Hubner); and diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), over feral NPVs and sprayable Bacillus thuringiensis products. AaIt-NPVs are compatible with transgenic cotton and soybean containing Bt gene constructs and may be useful in Bt resistance management programs in transgenic crops and other situations requiring alternative modes of action, pest selectivity, and crop safety.

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