Student Poster Display
Plant-Insect Ecosystems
Student
Student Competition
Bhawana Regmi
University of Nebraska
North Platte, Nebraska
Alisson Santana (he/him/his)
Post-Doctoral Research Associate
University of Nebraska
North Platte, Nebraska
Julie Ann Peterson
Professor
University of Nebraska
North Platte, Nebraska
Western bean cutworm, Striacosta albicosta (Smith), is a destructive pest of corn (Zea mays L.), known for feeding on developing ears, which can lead to significant yield losses in both quantity and quality. Management strategies for this pest include transgenic hybrids that produce Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticidal proteins. However, the only effective protein remaining is Vip3A, which is commonly planted in an integrated refuge, where non-Bt plants are mixed with Bt plants. This study aimed to use field-realistic scenarios in the lab to recreate the most common feeding situations for S. albicosta larvae in a integrated refuge and to determine their effect on larval survival and development. We reared S. albicosta larvae on plant tissues collected from field plots. Neonate larvae were exposed to tassel tissues, while later instars were provided with either silks and kernels or kernels only, depending on the relevance to the age of the larvae. Larval survival, weight, body length, head capsule width, the amount of corn tissue consumed, and duration were assessed for all instars. The data collected here will enable us to evaluate the effectiveness of the Vip3A technology in suppressing S. albicosta infestations and explore the long-term durability of this technology using integrated refuges.