Crop

PEST analysis

Bacteria

Crop protection

Agronomy

Biology

Agriculture

Integrated pest management

Horticulture

Ecology

Bacillus thuringiensis

Bt cotton

Agricultural science

Agroforestry

Genetics

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Significance Area-wide Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) adoption suppresses pests regionally, with declines expanding beyond the planted Bt crops into other non-Bt crop fields. The offsite benefits to vegetable crops from such pest suppression have not been documented. We show that widespread Bt field corn adoption is strongly associated with marked decreases in the number of recommended insecticidal applications, insecticides applied, and damage to vegetable crops in the United States. These positive impacts to growers, including organic producers, in the agricultural landscape expands on known ecological effects of Bt adoption.

Regional pest suppression associated with widespread Bt maize adoption benefits vegetable growers