A 5-year field study showed no apparent effect of the Bt transgenic 741 poplar on the arthropod community and soil bacterial diversity

Lihui Zuo,Minsheng Yang,Runlei Yang,Junxia Liu,Zhixian Zhen,Lisha Huang

doi:10.1038/s41598-018-20322-3

Lihui Zuo, Minsheng Yang + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-20322-3

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Journal: Scientific Reports	Publication Date: Jan 31, 2018
Citations: 27	License type: open-access

Affiliation: Hebei Agricultural University

Abstract

China is currently the only country that has commercialized genetically engineered tree species, and this has attracted worldwide attention. As a perennial tree species, transgenic poplar has a long growth cycle and needs to be tested for long-term ecological risks. The main purpose of this study was to explore the ecological safety of perennial transgenic poplars in arthropod community, physical and chemical properties of soil, gene flow, and soil microbial diversity. The study found transgenic poplars could effectively inhibit the number of pests. Moreover, transgenic poplar 741 did not affect the stability of the arthropod community. Studies on the microbial diversity of poplar showed that transgenic poplars did not affect the physical and chemical properties of the soil and the soil microbial community structure. Furthermore, the microbial community structure was obviously affected by location and season. The results showed that a 5-year-old transgenic 741 poplar did not pose an ecological risk, and did not affect the microbial community structure or functional diversity. This study provides a reference for the ecological security evaluation of transgenic poplars, and provides a theoretical basis for promoting the commercialization of transgenic poplars.

Highlights

Poplar (Salicaceae populus) is one of the most widely distributed and adaptable forest and tree species in the world, which has important economic and ecological value
This study found that transgenic poplars could effectively inhibit the number of pests compared with controls
An analysis of the arthropod community showed good ecological effects, and there was no obvious difference between the two groups

Summary

Introduction

Poplar (Salicaceae populus) is one of the most widely distributed and adaptable forest and tree species in the world, which has important economic and ecological value. Due to the rapid growth of the poplar planting area, and most plantations are pure forests, poplars often have large areas infested with insect pests, especially Lepidoptera and Coleoptera pests. As such, it is easy to use A. tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation It is considered a model plant for tree genetic engineering research[3]. Wu9successfully transferred the Bt gene to European black poplar (Populas nigra) for the first time in 1991; this was the prelude to insect resistance transgenic research. In 2002, several new poplar varieties, including an insect resistant transgenic P. nigra variety, and the transgenic 741 poplar, were commercialized. The emergence of transgenic poplar has effectively reduced the occurrence of insect pests and the use of chemical pesticides, which provides valuable germplasm resources for poplar insect resistance breeding. It can further improve the safety evaluation of transgenic poplar, and provide more detailed guidance and a theoretical basis for the commercialization of transgenic poplar

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