Bt Corn Needs a Refuge
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| This is a requirement set by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. |
It is also a strategy endorsed by leading scientists to reduce the risk of insect populations developing resistance to Bt corn.
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| Failure to comply with refuge requirements may: |
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- lead to insect resistance
- low down the introduction of new Bt corn technologies
- affect individual grower’s access to these products
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| Refuge Size 20% |
If you are planting any Bt corn hybrids, you must plant at least 20% of your total corn acreage to non-Bt refuge. Any conventional or single trait herbicide tolerant corn hybrids of similar maturity and agronomics can be used as refuge but must be planted at the same time.
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| Scouting is Essential! |
Scout refuge plantings to determine the level of insect pressure in your field. Then scout the Bt hybrids to note their effectiveness and look for signs of damage that may indicate resistance to Bt.
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| Corn Rootworm Damage |
Dig up roots with a shovel to look for CRW feeding injury in mid-July when they have finished feeding. Look for lodging or goosenecking in the field.
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| Refuge Planting Requirements and Refuge Configurations |
Click here for more information
or go to the Canadian Corn Pest Coalition website www.cornpest.ca.
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| Additional Requirements for Insect Resistance Management: |
- keep accurate records of where the Bt and refuge plantings are
- mixing Bt and non-Bt corn seed at planting is not permitted
- the refuge may be treated for CRW larval control with soil-applied or seed insecticides if economic thresholds prescribe it
- the use of foliar insecticides to control ECB in the ECB refuge or adult CRW in the CRW refuge is not permitted
- late season control of ECB or pests other than CRW is permitted in the CRW refuge as long as the CRW Bt corn planting is also treated
- refuge and Bt corn hybrids must be of similar maturity (within 100-150 CHU) and for the CRW refuge, the adjacent field should have the same crop rotation history
- monitor for potential insect resistance and for other diseases or pest issues within both the refuge and Bt fields
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| For more information on Bt corn, Scouting Procedures and IRM go to the Canadian Corn Pest Coalition website: www.cornpest.ca |