ABSTRACT

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required a refuge-based insect resistance management (IRM) program for Bollgard™ II cotton (Cry2Ab2 and Cry1Ac plant-incorporated protectants (PIPs) as expressed in cotton) which is virtually the same as for Bollgard™ cotton. There are three structured refuge options with specific deployment requirements: 5% external, unsprayed structured refuge, 5% embedded refuge, and 20% external, sprayed structured refuge. There is also an optional community refuge program. Other requirements are for annual resistance monitoring, grower education, compliance assurance, research, and reporting. There is also a requirement for a remedial action plan should insect resistance develop in the field. The registration for Bollgard™ II cotton was granted on December 23, 2002 and expires May 1, 2004 due to the expiration of the temporary tolerance exemption for the Cry2Ab2 protein.