Side effect of transgenic plantsSide effect of transgenic plants

 Biology Centre, ASCR, v.v.i.  Institute of Entomology

Department of Experimental Ecology

Oxana Habuštová

 Biology Centre, ASCR, v.v.i.  Institute of Entomology

Department of Experimental Ecology

Oxana Habuštová

Conducted researchConducted research

Monitoring of selected insect taxa and spiders on ten 0.5-ha plots in a 14-ha field in 2002-2005. Maize MON810 expressing Cry1Ab was compared with a parental, non-transgenic cultivar. Ten plants and five pitfall traps per plot were examined in 2-week intervals.

Field trialsField trials

Average temperatures

Precipitation profile

Quantification of Cry toxinQuantification of Cry toxin

Content of Cry1Ab/c (µg/g) in MON810 in 2003-2005 (no toxin was detected in the control maize)Content of Cry1Ab/c (µg/g) in MON810 in 2003-2005 (no toxin was detected in the control maize)

Numbers of dominating insects per ten plants in 2003-2005

Abundance of sucking insects in relation to Bt expression, date and year

Species

2003

2004

2005

Bt

Non Bt

Bt

Non Bt

Bt

Non Bt

Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger, 1798)

576

612

631

653

415

494

Calathus fuscipes (Goeze, 1777)

328

215

99

63

110

78

Poecilus cupreus (Linné, 1758)

375

451

4019

4593

2962

3456

Bembidion quadrimaculatum (L., 1761)

123

114

186

224

50

60

Trechus quadristriatus (Schrank, 1781)

17

23

27

24

14

18

Bembidion lampros (Herbst, 1784)

11

3

45

67

43

22

Pseudoophonus rufipes (De Geer, 1774)

154

178

94

68

168

273

Clivina fossor (Linné, 1758)

37

36

30

23

14

16

Dominant carabid species

Dominant spider species

Abundance of epigeic arthropods on Cry1Ab (Bt), data, year, and plot position

• Maize MON810 contains > 1 ppm Cry1Ab in the stem and folliage but undetectable amounts in the flowers and grain.

• It is not attacked by the European corn borer.

• None of the other herbivores living on the maize plants and none of their predators were affected.

• The compositions of epigeic beetles and spiders was not altered due to Cry presence.

Conclusions

Recent experimentRecent experiment

• Will performed in the corner of 60ha field• 14 ha will divided into 25 plots of 0.5ha each• MON 88017, isogenic, treated with insecticides,

reference cultivar A and B will be sowed• Weather condition• Precipitation profile • Plant dwelling insect • Soil insects by pitfall traps• Entomopathogenic nematodes• Yellow sticky traps with pheromone „Csalomon

PAL“ for Diabrotica virgifera • Yellow sticky traps for natural enemies• Content of Cry3Bb1 toxin

Design of experimental field in 2009-2011

Thank you for your attention!Thank you for your attention!