Resistance is an ongoing concern with the management of H.armigera in the Australian

cotton industry. Management strategies are in place to either prevent, or retard, further

development of resistance to either chemical insecticides or to the Cry1Ac protein in

transgenic plants. However, these strategies, particularly those concerning the Cry proteins, are based on models of resistance, as information is lacking regarding putative resistance genes in H. armigera. This project aimed to increase our understanding of the genetic basis of resistance ideas, about which underlie the basis of the resistance management strategies.

The focus was on Bt resistance, but the work is also directly applicable to conventional

chemistry insecticide resistance.This project was a collaborative one between the CSIRO genetics group in Canberra and Dr Heckel's group at the University of Melbourne. It made use of recent advances in genetic studies of H. armigera, in particular, the development of a genetic linkage map by Dr Heckel

for this species, developed through the use of AFLPs. Linkage maps enable a speedier means to define the genetic basis of resistance than is available through more conventional approaches.