Mirid Bug Outbreaks in Multiple Crops Correlated with Wide-Scale Adoption of Bt Cotton in China

TLDR

Bt cotton reduces reliance on external pesticides by providing built‑in control of cotton bollworm. Reduced pesticide use in northern China has turned Bt cotton into a source of Miridae bugs that now threaten other crops such as grape, apple, peach, and pear. Lu et al.

Abstract

Collateral Damage Cotton crops that have been bioengineered to express the insecticidal toxin derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) carry their own insect control, particularly against the cotton bollworm, and are less dependent on externally applied pesticides. Lu et al. (p. 1151 , published online 13 April) now show that reduction in general pesticide use in cotton-growing regions of northern China has shifted the balance of regional pest populations. Bt-expressing cotton now serves as a source of herbivorous insects of the Miridae family, rather than the sink that nonengineered cotton was when less specific pesticides were used. Because these insects will eat a variety of plants, they are emerging as a threat to other crops, including grape, apple, peach, and pear.