The National Corn Growers Association submitted formal comments to the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure future access and continued success with the use of Bt technology. In September, the EPA published a proposal to update insect resistance management strategies for pests like corn earworm and fall armyworm. The agency went through a similar process several years ago for corn rootworm. “The proposal offered what the EPA is calling ‘complex mitigation strategies’ that would directly impact corn growers nationwide, not only in the south,” says Chad Wetzel, chair of the NCGA Production Technology Access Action Team. “EPA proposed phasing out certain Bt pyramids nationwide.” He says the NCGA doesn’t support that for multiple reasons, noting it would seriously limit grower seed selection and drastically increase the use of a select few Bt products, which would increase the risk of resistance development for those traits. The EPA also proposed an increase from five to ten percent for refuge in a bag product used across the Corn Belt. NCGA says it doesn’t support the idea because EPA didn’t provide any data or details on how this would impact resistance management.