Integrating management tactics to mitigate Spodoptera frugiperda resistance in Bt corn: refuge proportions, natural parasitoids, and selective insecticide application

Abstract

Different approaches have been adopted to manage Spodoptera frugiperda resistance to Bt toxins. However, studying the synergism among these practices applied directly in crop fields is a major challenge. We used a computational model to investigate how the proportion of refuge strips [crop area occupied by non-Bt corn (maize): 5%, 10%, 15%, or 20%] and the presence of naturally occurring parasitoid, affected or not by a pesticide with different selectivities applied in the field, could influence the dynamics of the resistance allele (R) in a S. frugiperda population.