@article{pezzini_taylor_reisig_fritz_2024, title={Cross- pollination in seed- blended refuge and selection for Vip3A resistance in a lepidopteran pest as detected by genomic monitoring}, volume={121}, ISSN={["1091-6490"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2319838121}, DOI={10.1073/pnas.2319838121}, abstractNote={
            The evolution of pest resistance to management tools reduces productivity and results in economic losses in agricultural systems. To slow its emergence and spread, monitoring and prevention practices are implemented in resistance management programs. Recent work suggests that genomic approaches can identify signs of emerging resistance to aid in resistance management. Here, we empirically examined the sensitivity of genomic monitoring for resistance management in transgenic Bt crops, a globally important agricultural innovation. Whole genome resequencing of wild North American
            Helicoverpa zea
            collected from non-expressing refuge and plants expressing Cry1Ab confirmed that resistance-associated signatures of selection were detectable after a single generation of exposure. Upon demonstrating its sensitivity, we applied genomic monitoring to wild
            H. zea
            that survived Vip3A exposure resulting from cross-pollination of refuge plants in seed-blended plots. Refuge seed interplanted with transgenic seed exposed
            H. zea
            to sublethal doses of Vip3A protein in corn ears and was associated with allele frequency divergence across the genome. Some of the greatest allele frequency divergence occurred in genomic regions adjacent to a previously described candidate gene for Vip3A resistance. Our work highlights the power of genomic monitoring to sensitively detect heritable changes associated with field exposure to Bt toxins and suggests that seed-blended refuge will likely hasten the evolution of resistance to Vip3A in lepidopteran pests.
          }, number={13}, journal={PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA}, author={Pezzini, Daniela and Taylor, Katherine L. and Reisig, Dominic D. and Fritz, Megan L.}, year={2024}, month={Mar} }
 @article{pezzini_delborne_reisig_2023, title={How can policymakers and researchers develop effective insect resistance management guidelines? A quantitative and qualitative study of Brazilian farmers' perspectives and attitudes}, volume={1}, ISSN={["2572-2611"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10352}, DOI={10.1002/ppp3.10352}, abstractNote={Societal Impact StatementToday, over 80% of the US and Brazil row crop acreage has plants expressing insecticidal proteins to prevent the damage caused by caterpillars. These plants (crops expressing Bacillus thuringiensis, Bt, toxins) have brought several benefits to farmers, the environment, and society. However, these can be eroded when insects develop resistance to these toxins. Researchers and regulatory agencies have developed tactics that should be followed by farmers to avoid resistance but with limited efficacy. Our research provides recommendations for researchers and policymakers that are based on farmers' perspectives, thereby offering changes for current guidelines to successfully manage insect resistance and protect Bt crops' efficacy.Summary

Genetically engineered crops expressing insecticidal proteins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have brought numerous benefits; however, pest resistance evolution poses a threat to the sustainability of this technology. Insect resistance management (IRM) for Bt crops has been defined as a wicked problem as it involves sociobiological complexities. A main challenge in IRM is the adoption of non‐Bt refuge, which is one out of the few strategies amenable to human intervention.
This study investigated farmers' perspectives on information sources and IRM practices in Brazil using quantitative and qualitative data collection. A total of 145 farmers responded to online Qualtrics surveys, and 13 farmers participated in person to open‐ended interviews.
This study demonstrates that farmers rely on strong social networks for information exchange and that sources with expertise based on local field experience are the most reliable channels of communication. We identified new challenges for refuge adoption such as the need to spray insecticides for pests not targeted by Bt and the intangible aspect of resistance evolution. Based on results of sources of information and perspectives on IRM practices, we discuss strategies that may be successful in delaying insecticide resistance evolution based on local contexts.
This is the first study to investigate Brazilian farmers' perceptions on information sources and IRM strategies using qualitative data. Our results provide important elements to orient research development and decision‐making in biotechnology policies for the agricultural sector in Brazil and other similar contexts.
}, number={5}, journal={PLANTS PEOPLE PLANET}, author={Pezzini, Daniela and Delborne, Jason A. A. and Reisig, Dominic}, year={2023}, month={Jan} }
 @article{pezzini_reisig_buntin_del pozo-valdivia_gould_paula-moraes_reay-jones_2023, title={Impact of seed blend and structured maize refuge on Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) potential phenological resistance development parameters in pupae and adults}, volume={6}, ISSN={["1526-4998"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.7529}, DOI={10.1002/ps.7529}, abstractNote={AbstractBACKGROUNDHelicoverpa zea, an economic pest in the south‐eastern United States, has evolved practical resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry toxins in maize and cotton. Insect resistance management (IRM) programs have historically required planting of structured non‐Bt maize, but because of its low adoption, the use of seed blends has been considered. To generate knowledge on target pest biology and ecology to help improve IRM strategies, nine field trials were conducted in 2019 and 2020 in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina to evaluate the impact of Bt (Cry1Ab + Cry1F or Cry1Ab + Cry1F + Vip3A) and non‐Bt maize plants in blended and structured refuge treatments on H. zea pupal survival, weight, soil pupation depth, adult flight parameters, and adult time to eclosion.RESULTSFrom a very large sample size and geography, we found a significant difference in pupal mortality and weight among treatments in seed blends with Vip3A, implying that cross‐pollination occurred between Bt and non‐Bt maize ears. There was no treatment effect for pupation depth, adult flight distance, and eclosion time.CONCLUSIONResults of this study demonstrate the potential impact of different refuge strategies on phenological development and survival of an important pest species of regulatory concern. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.}, journal={PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE}, author={Pezzini, Daniela T. and Reisig, Dominic D. and Buntin, G. David and Del Pozo-Valdivia, Alejandro I and Gould, Fred and Paula-Moraes, Silvana V and Reay-Jones, Francis P. F.}, year={2023}, month={Jun} }
 @misc{prade_sandhi_elzay_arnold_pickens_freedman_dillard_gresham_morris_pezzini_et al._2023, title={Transforming entomology to adapt to global concerns: 2021 student debates}, volume={23}, ISSN={["1536-2442"]}, DOI={10.1093/jisesa/iead064}, abstractNote={Abstract
               The 2021 Student Debates of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) were held at the Annual Meeting in Denver, CO. The event was organized by the Student Debates Subcommittee (SDS) of the Student Affairs Committee (SAC). The theme of the 2021 Student Debates was “Transforming Entomology to Adapt to Global Concerns”, with 3 topics. Each topic had an unbiased introduction and 2 teams. The debate topics were (i) Nonnative insect introduction is an ethical approach for counteracting proliferation and overpopulation of consumers, (ii) What is the best technology to control undesirable insect pests in urban and agricultural settings? and (iii) Compared to other solutions, like plant-based diets, insect farming is the best method to address rising human global food and nutrient supply demands. Unbiased introduction speakers and teams had approximately 6 months to prepare for their presentations.}, number={4}, journal={JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE}, author={Prade, Patricia and Sandhi, Ramandeep Kaur and Elzay, Sarah DePaolo and Arnold, Katherine and Pickens, Victoria and Freedman, Andrew and Dillard, DeShae and Gresham, Sean and Morris, Ashley and Pezzini, Daniela and et al.}, year={2023}, month={Jul} }
 @article{george_hornstein_clower_coomber_dillard_mugwanya_pezzini_rozowski_2022, title={Lessons for a SECURE Future: Evaluating Diversity in Crop Biotechnology Across Regulatory Regimes}, volume={10}, ISSN={["2296-4185"]}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2022.886765}, DOI={10.3389/fbioe.2022.886765}, abstractNote={Regulation of next-generation crops in the United States under the newly implemented “SECURE” rule promises to diversify innovation in agricultural biotechnology. Specifically, SECURE promises to expand the number of products eligible for regulatory exemption, which proponents theorize will increase the variety of traits, genes, organisms, and developers involved in developing crop biotechnology. However, few data-driven studies have looked back at the history of crop biotechnology to understand how specific regulatory pathways have affected diversity in crop biotechnology and how those patterns might change over time. In this article, we draw upon 30 years of regulatory submission data to 1) understand historical diversification trends across the landscape and history of past crop biotechnology regulatory pathways and 2) forecast how the new SECURE regulations might affect future diversification trends. Our goal is to apply an empirical approach to exploring the relationship between regulation and diversity in crop biotechnology and provide a basis for future data-driven analysis of regulatory outcomes. Based on our analysis, we suggest that diversity in crop biotechnology does not follow a single trajectory dictated by the shifts in regulation, and outcomes of SECURE might be more varied and restrictive despite the revamped exemption categories. In addition, the concept of confidential business information and its relationship to past and future biotechnology regulation is reviewed in light of our analysis.}, journal={FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY}, publisher={Frontiers Media SA}, author={George, Dalton R. and Hornstein, Eli D. and Clower, Carrie A. and Coomber, Allison L. and Dillard, DeShae and Mugwanya, Nassib and Pezzini, Daniela T. and Rozowski, Casey}, year={2022}, month={May} }
 @article{ribeiro_aita_pezzini_difonzo_hunt_knodel_krupke_marchi-werle_michel_seiter_et al._2022, title={Optimization of sample unit size for sampling stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in soybean}, volume={157}, ISSN={["1873-6904"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.cropro.2022.105986}, abstractNote={Cost-effective and reliable sampling procedures are crucial for integrated pest management. Sweep net sampling is commonly used for stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in soybean, with sample size being the number of sets of sweeps, and sample unit size the number of sweeps in each set. Sample unit size has received little attention, but can affect sampling parameters. Here, two sample unit sizes (10 vs. 25 sweeps) were compared for the sampling of stink bug taxa. On average, sampling for stink bugs took 3.6 more minutes with the 25-sweep than with the 10-sweep sample unit size. Generally, estimates of the mean number of stink bugs per sweep were similar between the two sample unit sizes for Euschistus spp. and Chinavia hilaris combined ("combined herbivores") and Euschistus spp. The 25-sweep sample unit size had a higher probability of detecting combined herbivores, Euschistus spp. and Podisus spp., lower standard errors and relative variance for combined herbivores and Euschistus spp., lower standard errors for C. hilaris, and higher relative net precision [which accounts for sampling cost (i.e., time)] for combined herbivores and Euschistus spp. Taken together, the better probability of detection, precision and efficiency of the 25-sweep sample unit size support the continued use of sampling plans developed for that sample unit size. The optimization of sample unit sizes is an important factor that should be accounted for in the development of sampling plans.}, journal={CROP PROTECTION}, author={Ribeiro, Arthur V and Aita, Rafael Carlesso and Pezzini, Daniela T. and DiFonzo, Christina D. and Hunt, Thomas E. and Knodel, Janet J. and Krupke, Christian H. and Marchi-Werle, Lia and Michel, Andrew P. and Seiter, Nicholas J. and et al.}, year={2022}, month={Jul} }
 @article{aita_pezzini_burkness_difonzo_finke_hunt_knodel_krupke_marchi-werle_mccornack_et al._2021, title={Presence-Absence Sampling Plans for Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in the Midwest Region of the United States}, volume={114}, ISSN={["1938-291X"]}, DOI={10.1093/jee/toab076}, abstractNote={Abstract
               Stink bugs represent an increasing risk to soybean production in the Midwest region of the United States. The current sampling protocol for stink bugs in this region is tailored for population density estimation and thus is more relevant to research purposes. A practical decision-making framework with more efficient sampling effort for management of herbivorous stink bugs is needed. Therefore, a binomial sequential sampling plan was developed for herbivorous stink bugs in the Midwest region. A total of 146 soybean fields were sampled across 11 states using sweep nets in 2016, 2017, and 2018. The binomial sequential sampling plans were developed using combinations of five tally thresholds at two proportion infested action thresholds to identify those that provided the best sampling outcomes. Final assessment of the operating characteristic curves for each plan indicated that a tally threshold of 3 stink bugs per 25 sweeps, and proportion infested action thresholds of 0.75 and 0.95 corresponding to the action thresholds of 5 and 10 stink bugs per 25 sweeps, provided the optimal balance between highest probability of correct decisions (≥ 99%) and lowest probability of incorrect decisions (≤ 1%). In addition, the average sample size for both plans (18 and 12 sets of 25 sweeps, respectively) was lower than that for the other proposed plans. The binomial sequential sampling plan can reduce the number of sample units required to achieve a management decision, which is important because it can potentially reduce risk/cost of management for stink bugs in soybean in this region.}, number={3}, journal={JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY}, author={Aita, Rafael Carlesso and Pezzini, Daniela T. and Burkness, Eric C. and DiFonzo, Christina D. and Finke, Deborah L. and Hunt, Thomas E. and Knodel, Janet J. and Krupke, Christian H. and Marchi-Werle, Lia and McCornack, Brian and et al.}, year={2021}, month={Jun}, pages={1362–1372} }
 @article{araujo_pezzini_ramos_picanco_bastos_hunt_hutchison_2020, title={Development and validation of sampling plans for Frankliniella schultzei on tomato}, volume={134}, ISSN={["1873-6904"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.cropro.2020.105163}, abstractNote={Tomato is known to be among the most affected crops for several Frankliniella schultzei transmitted tospoviruses that cause extensive economic losses worldwide. Despite the importance of this insect as a vector in tomato, no research-based economic thresholds or sampling plans have been developed for use in integrated pest management (IPM) programs for this pest on tomato. Here, six sampling schemes and the sampling distribution of F. schultzei on tomato were investigated. We also developed and evaluated eight sampling plans for F. schultzei on tomato using nominal thresholds, numerous field data sets and computer simulation. Beating the tomato plant apical section over a white plastic tray was the best sampling method to assess F. schultzei density. In addition, F. schultzei had an aggregated sampling distribution in tomato fields. Both sequential and conventional plans resulted in similar decision-making outcomes; however, depending on the nominal threshold adopted, the economy of time when using the sequential sampling plans in relation to conventional sampling plans ranged from 30% to 80%. The beating tray sampling method used in this study provided the best accuracy and was most cost-effective for F. schultzei sampling. The nominal thresholds associated with the binomial sequential sampling plans developed are an efficient and time-saving option for managing F. schultzei and the associated tospovirus complex in tomato, contributing toward improved integrated pest management programs for this economic pest of tomato.}, journal={CROP PROTECTION}, author={Araujo, Tamiris A. and Pezzini, Daniela T. and Ramos, Rodrigo S. and Picanco, Marcelo C. and Bastos, Cristina S. and Hunt, Thomas E. and Hutchison, William D.}, year={2020}, month={Aug} }