PhD student North Carolina State University Wilson, North Carolina
Bt crops expressing insecticidal proteins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis have brought numerous economic and environmental benefits; however, resistance evolution poses a threat to the sustainability of this technology. Insecticide 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 the few strategies amenable to human intervention once Bt crops are planted. Farmers balance many considerations while running their operations. They must consider economic, climatic, and environmental conditions which are outside of their control, while also weighing recommendations and information in the quest to maximize quantity and quality of crop, while also managing insect, weed, and other pests. Therefore, the goal of this study was to investigate farmers perspectives on information sources and IRM practices using quantitative and qualitative data collection. Data presented on the symposium will give insights on the main factors influencing farmers preferred sources of information, and decision making. In addition, it will discuss main barriers on the adoption of IRM for Bt crops based on farmers’ perspectives and point out future strategies to promote compliance of IRM practices. The study brings novel insights of data collection methods to researchers that aim to investigate complex issues in agriculture, and it provides important elements to orient decision making in biotechnology policies for the agricultural sector.