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1 February 2014 Tri-Trophic Studies Using Cry1Ac-Resistant Plutella xylostella Demonstrate No Adverse Effects of Cry1Ac on the Entomopathogenic Nematode, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora
Saurabh Gautam, Daniel Olmstead, Jun-Ce Tian, Hilda L. Collins, Anthony M. Shelton
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Abstract

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 Cry1Acexpressing 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.

© 2014 Entomological Society of America
Saurabh Gautam, Daniel Olmstead, Jun-Ce Tian, Hilda L. Collins, and Anthony M. Shelton "Tri-Trophic Studies Using Cry1Ac-Resistant Plutella xylostella Demonstrate No Adverse Effects of Cry1Ac on the Entomopathogenic Nematode, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora," Journal of Economic Entomology 107(1), 115-120, (1 February 2014). https://doi.org/10.1603/EC13310
Received: 4 July 2013; Accepted: 1 November 2013; Published: 1 February 2014
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KEYWORDS
biosafety
Cry1Ac
nontarget effect
risk assessment
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