Wednesday Morning, March 31, 1999

Overview: Managing insect resistance to transgenic corn is a timely issue since reregistration of Bt events will occur in 2001. Companies that supply the genes are already preparing insect resistance management (IRM) plans. The importance of this topic is highlighted by recent interest from the National Corn Growers Association who has agreed to participate in the symposium along with two growers. Non-random mating of European corn borer moths and monitoring for resistance, current IRM issues, will be addressed in separate presentations. Two speakers will consider crop insurance as on option to provide producers with incentives to participate in IRM programs. All corn scientists must start to consider combined IRM strategies for corn borers and rootworm because transgenic corn hybrids for rootworms are on the horizon. The first presentation to address this issue will be made during this symposium.

8:00 Introduction. R. A. Higgins, Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506.

8:10 Managing corn insect resistance to transgenic corn: the National Corn Growers' perspective. S. McFarland, National Corn Growers Association, 1000 Executive Parkway, Suite 105, St. Louis, MO 63141.

8:30 Value of in-field monitoring of Bt corn for insect resistance: practical and statistical considerations. R. C. Venette, W. D. Hutchison, & D. A. Andow, Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108.

8:50 Bt Resistance management: perspectives from an Iowan producer. Gayl Hopkins, Brookside Acres, Salix, IA 51052.

9:10 Bt Resistance management: perspectives from a Colorado producer. Tim Hume, 46017 Rd. X, Walsh, CO 81090.

9:30 Break

9:45 Using insurance to increase the adoption of refuge acres in Bt corn. Thomas J. Buman, Agren, Inc. 312 W. 3rd St., Carroll, IA 51401.

10:05 Using insurance to encourage adoption of IPM: the case of corn rootworm. P. Mitchell, Department of Economics, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011.

10:25 Photorhabdus toxin complex (Tc) is it an alternative for Bt in transgenic crops? D. J. Bowen, Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706.

10:45 Transgenic insecticidal cultivars and corn rootworms: resistance management considerations. M. E. Gray, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL 61820.

11:05 Question and answer period

11:25 Summary. Eldon Ortman, Agricultural Experiment Station, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907.