Pyramiding of cry genes in high-dose transgenic eucalyptus provides control of Thyrinteina arnobia (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) and reduces the risk of resistance

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Abstract
In Brazilian eucalyptus farms, the brown looper caterpillar (Thyrinteina arnobia) causes severe defoliation and up to 40% reduction in biomass production. In controlling T. arnobia, transgenic eucalyptus event 1521K059 was developed to produce the Cry1Ab, Cry1Bb, and Cry2Aa pesticidal proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. We performed bioassays with leaf material from eucalyptus events and the purified individual pesticidal proteins to establish susceptibility in T. arnobia larvae, and competition binding assays with the three Cry proteins and midgut brush border membrane vesicles of T. arnobia. The results from bioassays support high toxicity against T. arnobia for all three Cry proteins and that eucalyptus event 1521K059 is a high-dose event for T. arnobia. Lack of competition between the three Cry proteins supports that event 1521K059 is a pyramided trait. These observations support the high activity of eucalyptus event 1521K059 against T. arnobia larvae and a low risk of resistance evolution.
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  • Suzano S.A

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