Effects of transgenic Bt+CpTI cotton on the growth and reproduction of earthworm Eisenia foetida.
With the expansion of the planted area of transgenic Bt+CpTI cotton, the effects of this crop on non-target organisms in soil, including earthworms, are becoming the most important aspect of their ecological risk assessment. Laboratory toxicity studies were conducted to determine the effects of transgenic Bt+CpTI cotton leaves, containing high concentrations of the Bt toxin and cowpea trypsin inhibitor, on the earthworm Eisenia foetida. In comparison with the non-transgenic cotton line Zhong23, transgenic Bt+CpTI cotton Zhong41 had no significant acute toxicity on E. foetida. Moreover, the leaves of transgenic Bt+CpTI cotton were more suitable than the non-transgenic cotton Zhong23 for E. foetida growth and reproduction (time of reproduction, the number of cocoons and newly incubated offspring).
Liu
Biao
B
School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, China. liubiao@nies.org
Cui
Jinjie
J
Meng
Jun
J
Hu
Wenjun
W
Luo
Junyu
J
Zheng
Yangping
Y
D000818:Animals; D003368:Gossypium / Q000502:physiology*; D009835:Oligochaeta / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D012098:Reproduction