The advent of Bt cotton has revolutionized the control of pink bollworm, the most serious pest of cotton in the desert southwest. Widespread adoption of Bt technology by Arizona growers has increased the risk of PBW resistance development. To address this issue a multi-level approach to resistance monitoring has been adopted by the Arizona Cotton Research and Protection Council including:

1. Monitoring of over wintering PBW moth population emergence. This long-term survey provides insight into the suppressive effects of Bt cotton on PBW areawide.
2. Paired Field Studies-Boll sampling of 36 pairs of adjacent Bt/non-Bt fields statewide measures the continued efficacy of Bt in areas of high PBW pressure.
3. Embedded Refuge Studies-Sampling studies involving a single row embedded non-Bt refuge strategy provide an effective alternative to external refuge scenarios.
4. Rapid Response Team-A standardized approach utilizing trained personnel to rapidly investigate reported cases of inadequate field performance of Bt significantly increases the scope of monitoring statewide.