Field performance of transgenic elite commercial hybrid rice expressing Bacillus thuringiensis δ-endotoxin

Here we describe development of transgenic elite rice lines expressing a St fusion gene derived from cryIA(b) and cryIA(c) under the control of rice acfinI promoter. The lines used in the study were indica CMS restorer line of Minghui 63 and its derived hybrid rice Shanyou 63, The level of St fusion protein CryIA(b)/CryIA(c) detected in Minghui 63 (T51-1) plants was 20 ng/mg soluble protein. The St Shanyou 63 was field-tested in natural and repeated heavy manual infestation of two lepidopteran insects, leaffolder and yellow stem borer. The transgenic hybrid plants showed high protection against both insect pests without reduced yield.