Bacterial Rot Less Frequent in Philippine Bt Maize

The incidence of bacterial stalk and ear rot was observed to be significantly lower in Bt corn than its non-Bt counterparts in the Philippines. The study conducted by researchers in Pioneer Hi-Bred Philippines and Iowa State University showed that the use of biotech maize in areas where the bacterial rot disease is prevalent can be advantageous to farmers. The disease is caused by the bacterial pathogen Erwinia chrysanthemi pv. zeae.

The researchers conducted their study in nine field sites in the Philippines. Three transgenic maize hybrids expressing Cry1Ab protein and their conventional counterparts were planted. Comparative assessment of the Bt and non-Bt maize showed that the biotech maize have significantly lower mortality due to the disease, are free of Asian corn borer infestation, and have higher yield compared with the conventional variety. The transgenic hybrids yield about 1.2 to 5.1 tons per hectare more than the conventional maize.

 For the abstract of the paper, please visit http://www.apsnet.org/pd/summaries/dap07sum.asp#Dalmacio. Subscribers to the Plant Disease journal can also view the full paper at http://www.apsnet.org/pd/SubscriberContent/2007/PDIS-91-4-0346.pdf.