4.6 Article

Tri-Trophic Studies Using Cry1Ac-Resistant Plutella xylostella Demonstrate No Adverse Effects of Cry1Ac on the Entomopathogenic Nematode, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora

Journal

JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
Volume 107, Issue 1, Pages 115-120

Publisher

OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC
DOI: 10.1603/EC13310

Keywords

Cry1Ac; biosafety; nontarget effect; risk assessment

Categories

Funding

  1. Biotechnology Risk Assessment Program Competitive Grant from the USDA, National Institute of Food and Agriculture [2010-33522-21772]
  2. NIFA [2010-33522-21772, 580069] Funding Source: Federal RePORTER

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The potential impacts on natural enemies of crops that produce insecticidal Cry proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are an important part of an environmental risk assessment. Entomopathogenic nematodes are important natural enemies of lepidopteran pests, and the effects of Bt crops on these nontarget organisms should be investigated to avoid disruption of their biological control function. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of Cry1Ac-expressing transgenic Bt broccoli on the entomopathogenic nematode, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Poinar (Rhabditida: Heterorhabditidae), under tri-trophic conditions. Using Cry1Ac-resistant Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) larvae as hosts, we evaluated the potential impact of Cry1Ac-expressing Bt broccoli on several fitness parameters of H. bacteriophora. Virulence, reproductive potential, time of emergence, and preference of H. bacteriophora for the host (P. xylostella) were not significantly affected when Cry1Ac-resistant P. xylostella larvae were reared on leaves of Cry1Ac or non-Bt broccoli. Also the aforementioned parameters of the subsequent generation of H. bacteriophora did not differ between nematodes obtained from P. xylostella reared on Cry1Ac broccoli compared with those obtained from P. xylostella reared on non-Bt broccoli. To the best of our knowledge, the current study provides the first clear evidence that Cry1Ac does not affect important fitness parameters of H. bacteriophora.

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