Insect Resistance Management for Corn

Hybrids with in-plant protection against corn borer, rootworm and other insect pests provide an excellent management tool to help protect your investment in seed genetics. The performance advantage of insect-resistance technology has been well documented. Both Pioneer and university yield trials have demonstrated the superior combination of Pioneer® brand hybrids with Herculex® and YieldGard® traits.

To protect the usefulness and availability of these Bt technologies for the future, growers must implement an Insect Resistance Management (IRM) program as specified in the Corn Hybrid-Herbicide Management Guide (PDF 28 KB) or the appropriate Product Use Guide. To prevent insects from developing resistance to these Bt genes, and thus protect the technology long into the future, a non-Bt corn refuge is required on at least 20 percent of corn acres. (In cotton-growing areas, a 50 percent non-Bt refuge is required for corn borer-resistant traits.) Required location and distance of the non-Bt refuge from insect-protected corn is different for hybrids a rootworm gene than for those with corn borer resistance. The goal of these IRM requirements is to ensure that susceptible insects are available to mate with any insects that survive after feeding on corn containing these genes. When susceptible and resistant corn borers or rootworms mate, the next generation is genetically susceptible, preventing buildup of a resistant insect population.