HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Related articles in JEQ Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (19) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Devare, M. H. Articles by Thies, J. E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Devare, M. H. Articles by Thies, J. E. Agricola Articles by Devare, M. H. Articles by Thies, J. E. Related Collections Maize

Effect of Cry3Bb Transgenic Corn and Tefluthrin on the Soil Microbial Community

Biomass, Activity, and Diversity

Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853

^* Corresponding author (mhd6{at}cornell.edu).

Received for publication May 7, 2003. Transgenic Bt corn expressing the Cry3Bb insecticidal protein active against corn rootworm (CRW) (Diabrotica spp.; Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) was released for commercial use in 2003 and is expected to be widely adopted. Yet, the direct and indirect risks to soil microorganisms of growing this CRW-resistant Bt corn versus applying insecticides to control the rootworm have not been assessed under field conditions. The effects of CRW Bt corn and the insecticide tefluthrin [2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-4-methylbenzyl (Z)-(1RS)-cis-3-(2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoroprop-1-enyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate] on soil microbial biomass, activity (N mineralization potential, short-term nitrification rate, and soil respiration), and bacterial community structure as determined by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis were assessed over two seasons in a field experiment. Bt corn had no deleterious effects on microbial activity or bacterial community measures compared with the non-transgenic isoline. The T-RFLP analysis indicated that amplifiable bacterial species composition and relative abundance differed substantially between years, but did not differ between rhizosphere and bulk soils. The application of tefluthrin also had no effect on any microbial measure except decreased soil respiration observed in tefluthrin-treated plots compared with Bt and non-transgenic isoline (NoBt) plots in 2002. Our results indicate that the release of CRW Bt corn poses little threat to the ecology of the soil microbial community based on parameters measured in this study.

Abbreviations: Bt corn, transgenic corn engineered to express Bacillus thuringiensis toxin • CRW, corn rootworm • NoBt, non-transgenic isoline • NoBt + I, non-transgenic isoline with insecticide applied • PCR, polymerase chain reaction • T-RF, terminal restriction fragment • T-RFLP, terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism

Related articles in JEQ:

This Issue in Journal of Environmental Quality

JEQ 2004 33: 799-804. [Full Text]  

This article has been cited by other articles:

				I. Icoz, D. Saxena, D. A. Andow, C. Zwahlen, and G. Stotzky Microbial populations and enzyme activities in soil in situ under transgenic corn expressing cry proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis. J. Environ. Qual., March 1, 2008; 37(2): 647 - 662. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Lamarche and R. C. Hamelin No Evidence of an Impact on the Rhizosphere Diazotroph Community by the Expression of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ab Toxin by Bt White Spruce Appl. Envir. Microbiol., October 15, 2007; 73(20): 6577 - 6583. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. M. LeBlanc, R. C. Hamelin, and M. Filion Alteration of Soil Rhizosphere Communities following Genetic Transformation of White Spruce Appl. Envir. Microbiol., July 1, 2007; 73(13): 4128 - 4134. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. E. Thies Soil Microbial Community Analysis using Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., March 12, 2007; 71(2): 579 - 591. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. S. Griffiths, S. Caul, J. Thompson, A. N. E. Birch, C. Scrimgeour, J. Cortet, A. Foggo, C. A. Hackett, and P. H. Krogh Soil Microbial and Faunal Community Responses to Bt Maize and Insecticide in Two Soils J. Environ. Qual., April 3, 2006; 35(3): 734 - 741. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Castaldini, A. Turrini, C. Sbrana, A. Benedetti, M. Marchionni, S. Mocali, A. Fabiani, S. Landi, F. Santomassimo, B. Pietrangeli, et al. Impact of Bt Corn on Rhizospheric and Soil Eubacterial Communities and on Beneficial Mycorrhizal Symbiosis in Experimental Microcosms Appl. Envir. Microbiol., November 1, 2005; 71(11): 6719 - 6729. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]