A recently published study points to the role Bt corn has had in the low European corn borer (ECB) populations in Minnesota during the last 10 years. The study, in which the University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources (CFANS) collaborated, brought together 40 years of data that quantifies the “spillover” benefits of Bt corn adoption across multiple crops for the first time.
A recently published study points to the role Bt corn has had in the low European corn borer (ECB) populations in Minnesota during the last 10 years. The study, in which the University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources (CFANS) collaborated, brought together 40 years of data that quantifies the “spillover” benefits of Bt corn adoption across multiple crops for the first time.
“Minnesota is a leading producer of sweet corn, so we’re really interested in ways to reduce production costs,” said CFANS Professor and Extension Entomologist William Hutchison, a co-author of the study. The research, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, substantiates the suppression effect on ECB populations in 5 Atlantic coast states on 3 vegetable crops, including sweet corn.“We’ve been observing a similar decline in ECB in Minnesota, that is also correlated with Bt field corn use. This trend has also been evident in MN sweet corn for the last 10 years,” said Hutchison.
“We put more than 130,000 acres per year into sweet corn in Minnesota,” Hutchison said. “Because of Bt corn, farmers have reduced insecticide use by 66 percent during that time. That’s significant. Because we don’t have to spray as much as we used to, Minnesota sweet corn growers and processors are realizing $1.7 million in yearly savings, which is likely providing environment benefits as well.”
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