Abstract
Transgenic rice producing insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) could help protect the plants from damage by lepidopteran pests. However, one concern is the potential of Bt rice to harm non-target natural enemies, which play a vital role in pest control. In the present study, the potential effects of Cry1C rice and Cry2A rice on different life-table parameters and population dynamics of Pseudogonatopus flavifemur, a parasitoid of rice planthoppers, were evaluated under laboratory and field condition. The exposure of P. flavifemur to plant-produced Bt proteins was also analyzed. Results indicated that direct feeding on rice plants was the main exposure pathway of P. flavifemur to the Cry1C and Cry2A proteins. No significant difference on the development, survival, longevity, fecundity, and prey consumption of P. flavifemur was detected over two generations between the Bt and non-Bt rice treatments. Furthermore, the population dynamics of P. flavifemur were not affected by Cry1C rice and Cry2A rice. In conclusion, the tested Cry1C rice and Cry2A rice do not appear to harm the parasitoid P. flavifemur.
Highlights
Rice, Oryza sativa L., is one of the principal staple foods in the world
The average of Cry1C protein detected in P. flavifemur that had been exposed to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) rice plants infested with N. lugens or to uninfested Bt rice plants for 48 h was 0.15 μg/g and 0.143 μg/g fresh weight (FW), respectively, which was significantly lower than those in Cry1C rice stem, but significantly higher than those in N. lugens (0.053 μg/g FW) (F = 225.82; df = 3, 19; P < 0.001)
We confirmed the presence of Cry1C and Cry2A in the tissue of two Bt rice lines and in N. lugens that had fed on the plants, albeit at a very low concentration
Summary
Oryza sativa L., is one of the principal staple foods in the world. More than 50% of the world populations depend on rice for their daily lives[1]. Laboratory studies have been conducted to assess the impact of Bt rice on lethal and sublethal endpoints of important natural enemy species that are common in Chinese rice fields (Li et al 2017). These include the predators Cyrtorhinus lividipennis (Hemiptera: Miridae)[17,18,19], Propylea japonica (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)[20, 21], Paederus fuscipes (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)[22], Chrysoperla nipponensis (as Chrysoperla sinica) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)[23], Ummeliata insecticeps (Araneida: Linyphiidae)[24], Pardosa pseudoannulata (Araneae: Lycosidae)[25], and the parasitoid Anagrus nilaparvatae (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae)[26, 27]. We evaluated the exprosure pathways of P. flavifemur to Cry1C and Cry2A produced by Bt rice, the tri-trophic effects of Bt rice on different life-table parameters of P. flavifemur and the potential effects of Bt rice on P. flavifemur populations in the field
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