Using the diamondback moth/Bt broccoli system as a model, we have investigated aspects important to the long-term deployment of this novel technology. Although the diamondback moth/Bt broccoli system may not exactly duplicate the currently available insect/Bt crop systems such as crops like corn, and potatoes, it can help identify areas for further work. Concurrently with more field studies conducted to refine the presently utilized recommendations, industry, public sector scientists, and farmers must work together to develop a second generation of technology and implementation strategies to ensure the even longer term durability of Bt-transgenic plants. Within the plant showed that toxin expression is fairly uniform throughout the plant when the plant is in its vegetative stage17. We used cytoplasmic male sterile transgenic plants hemizygous for the cry1A(c) gene for field tests. Additional treatments were included for reference to reflect native diamondback moth populations and were 0% refuge and 100% refuge with no insect release in either (one replicate each). Counts of larvae (all stages) were taken at five periods over the season beginning on 1 July and ending on 12 September. Leaf-dip bioassays with Javelin WG (Bt var. kurstaki; Novartis) to evaluate resistance were done with progeny of the released larvae (time zero) and with progeny of larvae counted in the final collection.

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