EFFECTS OF BT RICE ON THE FOOD CONSUMPTION, GROWTH AND SURVIVAL OF CHILO SUPPRESSAUS LARVAE UNDER DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES*

Abstract

Abstract The Bt transgenic rice line, i.e. KMD1 containing a synthetic cry 1 Ab gene from Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner was tested in the laboratory for evaluating its effects on larval food consumption, growth and survival of striped stem borer (SSB), Chilo suppressalis (Walker) under different temperatures. The food consumption and body weight growth as well as the survival of both 3rd and 5th instar larvae fed on Bt rice were significantly reduced, as compared with those on the control. The temperature showed no marked effect on both food consumption and body weight growth of larvae fed on Bt rice stems since the onset of 3rd instar, conversely had significant effects as since the initial stage of 5th instar. In contrast, the temperature did not distinctly influence the survival of both 3rd and 5th instar larvae. There was a linearly positive relationship between the corrected mortality of larvae and the accumulative amount of Bt rice tissues ingested by larvae.