Resistant Pest Management Newsletter

Letter from the Editors

Bacillus thuringiensis ( B.t. ) resistance has recently received considerable interest both nationally and internationally. At the recent USDA B.t. Workshop, held in Washington, D.C. last month, many issues were presented, analyzed and discussed. The unique difference of this Workshop was USDA's effort to involve agricultural producers and field decision makers from both conventional and organic agriculture along with academics, industry personnel, USDA administrators and USDA researchers.

The Workshop focused on the potential for resistance in both sprayed and transgenic B.t., and explored some of the ecological, operational and policy options for managing B.t. resistance. A proceedings will be forthcoming. If you are interested, contact Dr. Bill McGaughey at USDA/ARS, 1515 College Avenue, Manhattan, Kansas 66502, e-mail: mcgaugh@crunch.usgmrl.ksu.edu, phone: (913) 776-2705, FAX: (913) 537-5584.

At another Workshop, Central American policy makers, researchers and extension personnel met in Zamorano, Honduras for an educational and policy exploration meeting on B.t. use and potential resistance. This group will develop a policy and educational effort to sustain B.t. usefulness in the region. Again, a proceedings will be forthcoming. If you are interested please contact Dr. Allen Hruska at Zamorano, Escuela Agricola Panamericana, Apartado Postal 93, Teucigalpa, Honduras, Phone: (504) 76-6140/50 Extension 2351, e-mail: allan%eapdpv%sdnhon@sdnhon.undp.org, FAX: (504) 76-6242.

A third workshop will be convened jointly by ISNAR and CamBio Tech. on B.t. deployment and other B.t. issues in October, 1996. This workshop will involve policy makers from Caribbean and South American countries, and address biotechnology issues including B.t. resistance. Again, a proceeding will be forthcoming. If you are interested please contact Joel Cohen, ISNAR, P.O. Box 93375, 2509 AJ The Hague, The Netherlands, Phone: (3170) 349-6100, FAX: (3170) 381-9677.

One might ask, "Why all the interest in B.t. when it occupies less than 2% of the total global insecticide sales?" Although the answer is complex, it has at least three elements:

Unprecedented interest on the part of the environmental community and organic producers,
The recent registration and deployment of transgenic plants in many countries, and
Laboratory and field resistance to B.t in ten to twelve insect pest species.

The Newsletter will continue to update subscribers on these developments, and publish summaries of these Workshop Proceeding as they become available.