title: Effects of transgenic Bt+CpTI cotton on the growth and reproduction of earthworm Eisenia foetida.
abstract: 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).
authors.affiliation: School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, China. liubiao@nies.org
authors.forename: Biao
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jinjie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Wenjun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Junyu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Yangping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003368:Gossypium / Q000502:physiology*; D009835:Oligochaeta / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D012098:Reproduction