Mass release of susceptible males dilutes Bollgard II® Bt resistance in pink bollworm: A semi-field validated strategy

The pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), poses a significant threat to Bt cotton cultivation in India due to field-level resistance against Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab toxins. Existing pest management tactics have proven inadequate. To address this, homozygous susceptible (RR) m...

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Main Authors: Suresh R. Jambagi, M. Mohan, K. Muralimohan, T. Venkatesan, Satya Nand Sushil
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-08-01
Series:Biological Control
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S104996442500132X
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author Suresh R. Jambagi
M. Mohan
K. Muralimohan
T. Venkatesan
Satya Nand Sushil
author_facet Suresh R. Jambagi
M. Mohan
K. Muralimohan
T. Venkatesan
Satya Nand Sushil
author_sort Suresh R. Jambagi
collection DOAJ
description The pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), poses a significant threat to Bt cotton cultivation in India due to field-level resistance against Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab toxins. Existing pest management tactics have proven inadequate. To address this, homozygous susceptible (RR) male moths were mass-reared in the laboratory and released into Bt Bollgard II® cotton fields. Success was enhanced by trapping and removing feral resistant males with pheromone traps prior to releasing susceptible males. The effectiveness was assessed using bioassays, resistance dilution genetics, fitness cost estimation, field validation, and gene expression analysis. Resistance dilution was evident in both laboratory back-cross progenies and field progenies from feral females mated with released susceptible males. Resistance was autosomal with recessive inheritance for both Cry toxins. In treated plots, boll damage and larval numbers were significantly reduced. Genes linked to Bt resistance, including PgCad1, PgABCA2, APN, and ABCG8, showed significant down regulation (−4.93, −2.63, −1.73, and −1.49 fold, respectively), indicating partial restoration of susceptibility in field-collected larvae following mating (Field-R ♀ × Lab-S ♂). These findings highlight the potential of mass-releasing susceptible males as an effective and sustainable strategy for managing Bt-resistant pink bollworm, providing an alternative to traditional insecticide-based approaches.
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spelling doaj-art-18a897feb761419ca0cb8a6b89e39bb62025-08-20T03:28:43ZengElsevierBiological Control1049-96442025-08-0120710582210.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105822Mass release of susceptible males dilutes Bollgard II® Bt resistance in pink bollworm: A semi-field validated strategySuresh R. Jambagi0M. Mohan1K. Muralimohan2T. Venkatesan3Satya Nand Sushil4ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, Bengaluru 560024, India; University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru 560065, India; Corresponding author at: ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, Bengaluru 560024, India.ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, Bengaluru 560024, India; Corresponding author.University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru 560065, IndiaICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, Bengaluru 560024, IndiaICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, Bengaluru 560024, IndiaThe pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), poses a significant threat to Bt cotton cultivation in India due to field-level resistance against Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab toxins. Existing pest management tactics have proven inadequate. To address this, homozygous susceptible (RR) male moths were mass-reared in the laboratory and released into Bt Bollgard II® cotton fields. Success was enhanced by trapping and removing feral resistant males with pheromone traps prior to releasing susceptible males. The effectiveness was assessed using bioassays, resistance dilution genetics, fitness cost estimation, field validation, and gene expression analysis. Resistance dilution was evident in both laboratory back-cross progenies and field progenies from feral females mated with released susceptible males. Resistance was autosomal with recessive inheritance for both Cry toxins. In treated plots, boll damage and larval numbers were significantly reduced. Genes linked to Bt resistance, including PgCad1, PgABCA2, APN, and ABCG8, showed significant down regulation (−4.93, −2.63, −1.73, and −1.49 fold, respectively), indicating partial restoration of susceptibility in field-collected larvae following mating (Field-R ♀ × Lab-S ♂). These findings highlight the potential of mass-releasing susceptible males as an effective and sustainable strategy for managing Bt-resistant pink bollworm, providing an alternative to traditional insecticide-based approaches.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S104996442500132XBt BGII cottonCry1AcCry2AbPink bollwormResistance dilution
spellingShingle Suresh R. Jambagi
M. Mohan
K. Muralimohan
T. Venkatesan
Satya Nand Sushil
Mass release of susceptible males dilutes Bollgard II® Bt resistance in pink bollworm: A semi-field validated strategy
Biological Control
Bt BGII cotton
Cry1Ac
Cry2Ab
Pink bollworm
Resistance dilution
title Mass release of susceptible males dilutes Bollgard II® Bt resistance in pink bollworm: A semi-field validated strategy
title_full Mass release of susceptible males dilutes Bollgard II® Bt resistance in pink bollworm: A semi-field validated strategy
title_fullStr Mass release of susceptible males dilutes Bollgard II® Bt resistance in pink bollworm: A semi-field validated strategy
title_full_unstemmed Mass release of susceptible males dilutes Bollgard II® Bt resistance in pink bollworm: A semi-field validated strategy
title_short Mass release of susceptible males dilutes Bollgard II® Bt resistance in pink bollworm: A semi-field validated strategy
title_sort mass release of susceptible males dilutes bollgard ii r bt resistance in pink bollworm a semi field validated strategy
topic Bt BGII cotton
Cry1Ac
Cry2Ab
Pink bollworm
Resistance dilution
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S104996442500132X
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