Effects of three-year cultivation of Cry1Ab-expressing Bt maize on soil microarthropod communities

Abstract

The impact of Cry1Ab-expressing Bt maize (event MON810) on non-target fauna has been a major concern since its deployment in Europe. In this paper, we have assessed the levels of Cry1Ab in rhizosphere soil samples from a Bt maize crop and evaluated the potential effects of Bt maize on soil microarthropods by a three-year trial in an experimental farm-scale field in Central Spain. The Cry1Ab toxin was detected in decaying soil organic matter (OM) from Bt maize plots up to three months after harvest, with values ranging between 0.10 and 0.18ng Cry1Ab/mg OM, but it showed low insecticidal activity. The study focused on Acari and Collembola, the two major components of the soil microarthropod community. They accounted for 88% of the total specimens collected, and they were identified at the suborder and species level, respectively. Interestingly, Cry1Ab was detected for the first time in field collected collembolans, Entomobrya spp., demonstrating their exposure to the toxin. The abundance of mites and collembolans and the frequency of occurrence of the main collembolan species did not rely on the type of maize except for Parisotoma notabilis, more abundant and frequent in Bt maize plots. However, significant differences among years were common in both groups. Noticeably, we found higher values of species richness and diversity of collembolans in Cry1Ab-expressing Bt maize than in non-Bt plots, which could be explained under different scenarios. Our results suggest that continuous cultivation of Bt maize does not negatively affect soil microarthropods, indicating that Bt maize could be compatible with this community.