The corn earworm is causing trouble again and fear is growing over the loss of effectiveness of Bt corn: Reports have been recorded of

Although days ago it was confirmed that early corn was 90% safe from the feared corn leafhopper (Dalbulus maidis), alerts have been renewed, this time due to the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), another major threat to this crop in our country and the region. According to the Pest Management Network (REM) of Aapresid, the first reports of damage in hybrids with Vip3A protein –corn with resistance to that pest– emerged in Corrientes, followed by others from northern Córdoba and Santa Fe. "The damages could indicate that this advantage is beginning to decrease. Vip3A continues to be a fundamental tool against this pest, so it constitutes a warning signal that requires immediate attention and coordinated actions among the different actors in the sector," they warned from that Association. Although it shows a preference for corn and sorghum, the fall armyworm can feed on more than 180 plant species and have several generations per year, thanks to a reproductive cycle of less ...