41st Annual Meeting of the Society for Invertebrate Pathology
and 9th International Conference on Bacillus thuringiensis

HERCULEX® XTRA Insect Protection from Dow AgroSciences represents a new generation of transgenic insect resistance traits for maize. HERCULEX® XTRA is a genetic stack of HERCULEX® I Insect Protection (Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry1F, event TC1507) and HERCULEX® RW Insect Protection (Bt Cry34Ab1 and Cry35Ab1, event DAS-59122-7). The Cry1F component of HERCULEX® XTRA protects against larvae of several economically important above ground pests of maize including stalk borers (Ostrinia nubilalis, Diatraea grandiosella, Diatraea saccharalis, Elasmopalpus lignosellus, Diatraea crambidoides), cutworms (Agrotis ipsilon, Striacosta albicosta) and fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda). The Cry34Ab1/Cry35Ab1 component of HERCULEX® XTRA protects against the larval stages of corn rootworms (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera , Diabrotica barberi and Diabrotica virgifera zeae). This presentation summarizes Dow AgroSciences’ recent field research results for HERCULEX® XTRA that demonstrate broad spectrum protection against above ground and below ground corn pests. Evidence that stacked insect resistance traits contribute to improved agronomic performance will be presented. Last, we describe SmartStax, an eight-way gene stack for enhanced insect spectrum and durability that also incorporates multiple modes of action for weed control.