Insects exposed to genetically modified crops expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins are under intense selection pressure that could result on widespread Bt resistance. Screening for early indications of Bt resistance developing in targeted Lepidoptera is conducted in many of the regions where genetically modified cotton and corn have been commercialized. Heliothis virescens (F.) (Lepido...

New breeding techniques (NBTs) for genetically modified (GM) crops, such as CRISPR/Cas9, could represent a valuable solution achieving sustainable agricultural system. This study examines Italian farmers' attitudes toward CRISPR/Cas9-modified blast-resistant rice in hypothetical context. It is one of the first studies to investigate NBTs. Additionally, it explores role sociodemographics, farm c...

One major concern regarding the release of Bt rice is its potential impact through tritrophic interactions on nontarget arthropods, especially natural enemies. We studied the effects of two Bt transgenic rice varieties, TT9- 3 and KMD1, expressing Cry1Ab/Cry1Ac and Cry1Ab, respectively, on a predatory ground spider [Ummeliata insecticeps (Bösenberg et Strand)] supplied with Bt rice-fed brown p...

Since the first commercial release of genetically modified (GM, also referred to as genetically engineered, GE) crops in the middle of 1990s, the research and development of transgenic biotechnology has made dramatic progress. To date, global cultivation area of GM crops has exceeded 120 million hectares (James, 2009) with extensive cultivation of herbicide-tolerant soybean and canola, insect-r...

Which genes have been incorporated into the Marucaresistant cowpea? The Maruca-resistant cowpea contains the cry1Ab (Bt) and nptII genes. The Bt gene was derived from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki. The Bt protein produced in modified cowpea plants has been shown to be identical to the naturally occurring protein, and equivalent to the protein used as a biopesticide b...

In this study, we investigate the long-term exposure (20 weeks) to fumonisin B(1) (FB(1)) in grower-finisher pigs by conducting a quantitative exposure assessment (QEA). Our analytical approach involved both deterministic and semi-stochastic modeling for dietary comparative analyses of FB(1) exposures originating from genetically engineered Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-corn, conventional non-Bt ...

In 2003 and 2004, Þeld studies were conducted at three sites in Zhejiang Province in China to assess the impacts ofBacillus thuringiensis(Bt)Berliner riceexpressing a fusedgeneof cry1Ab and cry1Ac on nontarget planthoppers and leafhoppers. Populations in Bt plots were sampled with yellow sticky card traps, Malaise traps, and a vacuum-suction machine, and compared with samples from non-Bt contro...

Unintended changes in plant physiology, anatomy and metabolism as a result of genetic engineering are a concern as more transgenic plants are commercially deployed in the ecosystem. We compared the cell wall chemical composition of three Populus lines (Populus trichocarpa Torr. & A. Gray x Populus trichocarpa Bartr. ex Marsh., Populus trichocarpa x Populus nigra L. and Populus deltoides x Popul...

Background: Lepidopteran and coleopteran species are the most important pests in maize. They can be controlled using genetically modified (GM) crops expressing insecticidal Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) proteins. The long-term success of this technology demands a pest resistance management. Important information for the successful management of resistance is the baseline susceptibility of the dif...

We determined whether plant volatiles help explain why Cotesia chilonis (a parasitoid of the target pest Chilo suppressalis) is less abundant in Bt than in non-Bt rice fields. Olfactometer studies revealed that C. chilonis females responded similarly to undamaged Bt and non-Bt rice plants. Parasitoids preferred rice plants damaged by 3(rd)-instar larvae of C. suppressalis, but did not different...