abstract: genetically-modified crops expressing bacillus thuringiensis (bt) proteins have been widely cultivated, permitting an effective non-chemical control of major agricultural pests. while their establishment can enable an area-wide suppression of polyphagous herbivores, no information is available on the impact of bt crop abandonment in entire landscape matrices. here, we detail a resurgence of the cosmopolitan bollworm helicoverpa armigera following a contraction of bt cotton area in dynamic agro-landscapes over 2007-2019 in north china plain. an 80% reduction in bt cotton was mirrored in a 1.9-fold increase of ambient h. armigera population levels, culminating in 1.5-2.1-fold higher yield loss and a 2.0-4.4-fold increase in pesticide use frequency in non-bt crops (i.e. maize, peanut, soybean). our work unveils the fate of herbivorous insect populations following a progressive dis-use of insecticidal crop cultivars, and hints at how tactically deployed bt crops could be paired with agro-ecological measures to mitigate the environmental footprint of crop production.
plant biotechnology journal, if: 9.80
doi：http://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.13721
