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1. Changes in the frequency of Cry1Ac resistance genes and shifts in tolerance of cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera, to the Cry1Ac toxin were assessed using bioassays of F1 and F2 offspring of isofemale lines from Anci County of Hebei Province (a multiple-crop system including corn, soybean, peanut, and Bt cotton) and Xiajin County of Shandong Province (an intensive Bt cotton planting area) in Northern China during 2002–2005. 2. A conservative analysis of the overall results indicated that there was a small increase in the frequency of major, non-recessive resistance genes over time. 3. The relative average development ratings [RADR – growth rate of a line on a Bt diet in proportion to the growth rate on a non-Bt (NBT) diet] of the bollworm larvae in F1 tests increased significantly from year to year, indicating a gradual trend towards higher tolerance to Cry1Ac in the field populations. 4. There were also significant positive correlations between RADR of the lines in the F1 generation and the RADR of their F2 offspring, indicating that the tolerance was genetically based. 5. Quantitative genetic simulation analysis showed that resistance of H. armigera to Bt cotton in Xiajin could evolve to a high level in 11–15 years if no effective resistance management measures are carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transgenic cotton that has been engineered to produce insecticidal toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and so to resist the pest cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) has been widely planted in Asia. Analysis of the population dynamics of H. armigera from 1992 to 2007 in China indicated that a marked decrease in regional outbreaks of this pest in multiple crops was associated with the planting of Bt cotton. The study area included six provinces in northern China with an annual total of 3 million hectares of cotton and 22 million hectares of other crops (corn, peanuts, soybeans, and vegetables) grown by more than 10 million resource-poor farmers. Our data suggest that Bt cotton not only controls H. armigera on transgenic cotton designed to resist this pest but also may reduce its presence on other host crops and may decrease the need for insecticide sprays in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]