Refuge Confusion and Compliance Remain Key Concerns for Corn Producers

During the recently concluded 2011 Corn and Soybean Classics, 90 percent of the farmer participants confirmed that they have planted transgenic Bt cotton in 2010 and 94 percent would plant again in 2011. This may be due to the current favorable commodity prices that are expected to continue to fuel the reliance on transgenic crops. However, because of the continuous fast development of the pyramided and stacked traits, farmers are now planting these materials that need differing refuge requirements.

There is thus a concern that refuge compliance might not be followed which could result to increased selection pressure on the insect population and the eventual adaptation to Bt hybrids. Around 66% of the farmers at the conference have indicated that they will use refuge deployment with their Bt hybrids. In addition, the ‘refuge-in-a-bag' approach could become dominant as a refuge management practice.

"In essence, we will see a 95 percent to 5 percent agricultural landscape emerge with Bt and non-Bt seed interspersed in cornfields," said University of Illinois Extension entomologist Mike Gray.

For more on this article, see http://westernfarmpress.com/management/refuge-confusion-and-compliance-remain-key-concerns-corn-producers.