Field abundance and spatial patterns of ear-feeding insect pests in relation to levels of defective kernels in processing sweet corn.

In this study, we investigated the within-field distribution of sweet corn insect pests in relation to adjacent habitats and determined the level and specific causes of defective kernels affecting the quality of the final product at the processing cannery. Sap beetles [primarily Carpophilus lugubris (Murray, 1864) (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae)] and stink bugs [primarily Euschistus servus (Say) ((Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)] infested 27.6% and 73.

Degradation of transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis proteins in corn tissue in response to post-harvest management practices.

Knowledge of the persistence of Cry proteins in transgenic corn residue after harvest is necessary to assess the ecological risk to nontarget organisms. The amount of protein remaining in crop residue declines over time by a combination of microbial decomposition and leaching, both influenced by temperature, precipitation, and the amount of residue-soil contact. Here, we investigated how long biologically active Cry proteins persist in SmartStax corn residue expressing Cry1A.