Methods and compositions are provided which employ a silencing element that, when ingested by a pest, such as a Coleopteran plant pest or a Diabrotica plant pest, decrease the expression of a target sequence in the pest. In specific embodiments, the decrease in expression of the target sequence controls the pest and thereby the methods and compositions are capable of limiting damage to a plant. The present invention provides various target polynucleotides set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOS: 1-236 or active variants and fragments thereof, wherein a decrease in expression of one or more the sequences in the target pest controls the pest (i.e., has insecticidal activity). Further provided are silencing elements which when ingested by the pest decrease the level of the target polypeptide and thereby control the pest. In specific embodiment, the pest is D. virgifera virgifera, D. barberi, D. speciosa, or D. undecimpunctata howardi. Plants, plant part, bacteria and other host cells comprising the silencing elements or an active variant or fragment thereof of the invention are also provided.

The present invention is directed to the vegetative insecticidal proteins (Vips) modified to comprise heterologous bacterial carbohydrate binding modules and the methods of use thereof. Expression of modified proteins resulted in variations to activity against lepidopteran pest species of agricultural importance such as Corn earworm and Fall armyworm conveying broad spectrum insect control.

The field is molecular biology, and more specifically, methods for chromosomal engineering of multiple native genes, such as disease resistance genes in a genomic locus using site-specific editing to produce plants. Also described herein are methods of generating heterologous genomic locus in a plant that comprises a plurality of intraspecies polynucleotide sequences.

Transgenic INIR17 maize plants comprising an ecry3.1Ab expression cassette linked to a secondary nopaline synthase terminator element which lack a selectable marker gene and/or which comprise modifications that provide for facile excision of the INIR17 transgenic locus from the maize plant genome are provided. Genomic DNA of INIR17 transgenic plants, detection of INIR17 plants and products thereof, methods of making INIR17 plants, and use of INIR17 plants to facilitate breeding are disclosed.

Compositions and methods for controlling plant pests are disclosed. In particular, novel engineered hybrid insecticidal proteins having toxicity to at least European corn borer are provided. By fusing unique combinations of complete or partial variable regions and conserved blocks of at least two different Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry proteins or a modified Cry proteins a hybrid insecticidal protein having activity against at least European corn borer is designed. Nucleic acid molecules encoding the novel hybrid proteins are also provided. Methods of making the hybrid proteins and methods of using the hybrid proteins and nucleic acids encoding the hybrid proteins of the invention, for example in transgenic plants to confer protection from insect damage are also disclosed.

Compositions having pesticidal activity and methods for their use are provided. Compositions include isolated and recombinant polypeptide sequences having pesticidal activity, recombinant and synthetic nucleic acid molecules encoding the pesticidal polypeptides, DNA constructs comprising the nucleic acid molecules, vectors comprising the nucleic acid molecules, host cells comprising the vectors, and antibodies to the pesticidal polypeptides. Nucleotide sequences encoding the polypeptides provided herein can be used in DNA constructs or expression cassettes for transformation and expression in organisms of interest. The compositions and methods provided herein are useful for the production of organisms with enhanced pest resistance or tolerance. Transgenic plants and seeds comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes a pesticidal protein of the invention are also provided. Methods are provided for producing the polypeptides disclosed herein, and for using those polypeptides for controlling a pest. Methods and kits for detecting polypeptides of the invention in a sample are also included.

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) plants exhibiting resistance to Nasonovia ribisnigri biotype Nr:1 are provided, together with methods of producing, identifying, or selecting plants or germplasm with a Nasonovia ribisnigri biotype Nr:1 resistance phenotype. Such plants include lettuce plants comprising introgressed genomic regions conferring pest resistance. Compositions, including novel polymorphic markers for detecting plants comprising introgressed loci, are further provided.

Pesticidal proteins exhibiting inhibitory, suppressive, and toxic activity against Lepidopteran pest species are disclosed, and include, but are not limited to, TIC4064 and TIC4064 amino acid sequence variants. DNA constructs are provided which contain a recombinant nucleic acid sequence encoding one or more of the disclosed pesticidal proteins. Transgenic plants, plant cells, seed, and plant parts resistant to Lepidopteran infestation are provided which contain recombinant nucleic acid sequences encoding the pesticidal proteins of the present invention. Methods for detecting the presence of the recombinant nucleic acid sequences or the proteins of the present invention in a biological sample, and methods of controlling Lepidopteran species pests using any of the TIC4064 and TIC4064 amino acid sequence variant pesticidal proteins are also provided.

Transgenic INIR6 maize plants comprising modifications of the DP-4114 maize locus which provide for facile excision of the modified DP-4114 transgenic locus or portions thereof, methods of making such plants, and use of such plants to facilitate breeding are disclosed.

The disclosure provides nucleic acids, and variants and fragments thereof, derived from strains of Bacillus thuringiensis encoding variant polypeptides having increased pesticidal activity against insect pests, including Lepidoptera and Coleopteran. Particular embodiments of the disclosure provide isolated nucleic acids encoding pesticidal proteins, pesticidal compositions, DNA constructs, and transformed microorganisms and plants comprising a nucleic acid of the embodiments. These compositions find use in methods for controlling pests, especially plant pests.