Data from: Climate change, transgenic corn adoption, and field-evolved resistance in corn earworm

Increased temperature anomaly during the 21st century coincides with the proliferation of transgenic crops containing the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) (Bt) to express insecticidal Cry proteins. Increasing temperatures profoundly affect insect life histories and agricultural pest management. However, the implications of climate change on Bt crop-pest interactions and insect resistance to Bt crops remains unexamined. We analyzed the relationship of temperature anomaly and Bt adoption with field-evolved resistance to Cry1Ab Bt sweet corn in a major pest, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie). Increased Bt adoption during 1996-2016 suppressed H. zea populations, but increased temperature anomaly buffers population reduction. Temperature anomaly and its interaction with elevated selection pressure from high Bt acreage probably accelerated the Bt resistance development. H. zea damage to corn ears, kernel area consumed, mean instars, and proportion of late instars in Bt varieties increased with Bt adoption and temperature anomaly, through additive or interactive effects. Risk of Bt resistant H. zea spreading is high given extensive Bt adoption, and the expected increase in overwintering and migration. Our study highlights the challenges posed by climate change for Bt biotechnology based agricultural pest management, and the need to incorporate evolutionary processes affected by climate change into Bt resistance management programs.

21世纪的气温异常加剧，与表达苏云金杆菌（Bacillus thuringiensis, Berliner，简称Bt）杀虫Cry蛋白（Cry proteins）的转基因作物的大规模推广普及相伴出现。气温升高会深刻影响昆虫生活史与农业害虫防治策略，但气候变化对Bt作物-害虫互作关系以及昆虫对Bt作物的抗性的影响仍未得到研究。本研究针对农业主要害虫美洲棉铃虫（Helicoverpa zea, Boddie），分析了1996-2016年间气温异常、Bt作物种植推广率与该虫对Cry1Ab Bt甜玉米的田间演化抗性之间的关联。1996至2016年间，Bt作物推广应用的增加抑制了美洲棉铃虫种群数量，但气温异常加剧削弱了这种种群抑制效果。气温异常及其与高Bt种植面积带来的强选择压力之间的互作，可能加速了Bt抗性的演化进程。Bt品种上，美洲棉铃虫对玉米果穗的为害程度、取食籽粒面积、平均龄期以及高龄幼虫占比，均随Bt推广应用与气温异常加剧，通过加性效应或互作效应而升高。鉴于Bt作物的广泛种植，加上越冬与迁飞规模的预期增加，携带Bt抗性的美洲棉铃虫的扩散风险极高。本研究凸显了气候变化给基于Bt生物技术的农业害虫防治带来的挑战，同时表明需将气候变化影响的演化过程纳入Bt抗性治理方案。