COMBINATIONS INCLUDING CRY34AB/35AB AND CRY3Aa PROTEINS TO PREVENT DEVELOPMENT OF RESISTANCE IN CORN ROOTWORMS (DIABROTICA SPP.)

Abstract

The subject invention relates in part to Cry34Ab / 35Ab in combination with Cry3Aa. The subject invention relates in part to the surprising discovery that combinations of Cry34Ab / Cry35Ab and Cry3Aa are useful for preventing development of resistance (to either insecticidal protein system alone) by a corn rootworm (Diabrotica spp.) population. As one skilled in the art will recognize with the benefit of this disclosure, corn plants producing these insecticidal Cry proteins will be useful to mitigate concern that a corn rootworm population could develop that would be resistant to either of these insecticidal protein systems alone. Plants (and acreage planted with such plants) that produce these two insecticidal protein systems are included within the scope of the subject invention.

Description

BACKGROUND[0001]Humans grow corn for food and energy applications. Corn is an important crop. It is an important source of food, food products, and animal feed in many areas of the world. Insects eat and damage plants and thereby undermine these human efforts. Billions of dollars are spent each year to control insect pests and additional billions are lost to the damage they inflict.[0002]Damage caused by insect pests is a major factor in the loss of the world's corn crops, despite the use of protective measures such as chemical pesticides. In view of this, insect resistance has been genetically engineered into crops such as corn in order to control insect damage and to reduce the need for traditional chemical pesticides.[0003]Over 10 million acres of U.S. corn are infested with corn rootworm species complex each year. The corn rootworm species complex includes the northern corn rootworm (Diabrotica barberi), the southern corn rootworm (D. undecimpunctata howardi), and the western co...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent is about the use of a combination of proteins called Cry34Ab / Cry35Ab and Cry3Aa to prevent resistance in a population of corn rootworms. This invention is helpful in preventing the development of resistance to the insecticidal protein systems used alone. This combination of proteins can be produced in plants, which helps to address the concern of a resistant population of corn rootworms developing.

Problems solved by technology

Insects eat and damage plants and thereby undermine these human efforts.

Billions of dollars are spent each year to control insect pests and additional billions are lost to the damage they inflict.

Damage caused by insect pests is a major factor in the loss of the world's corn crops, despite the use of protective measures such as chemical pesticides.

Lodging eventually reduces corn yield and often results in death of the plant.

By feeding on cornsilks, the adult beetles reduce pollination and, therefore, detrimentally affect the yield of corn per plant.

However, if two toxins bind to two different receptors, this could be an indication that the insect would not be simultaneously resistant to those two toxins.

Predicting competitive binding for the Cry34 / 35 system is also further complicated by the fact that two proteins are involved in the Cry34 / 35 binary system.

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