Cited by 127Genetically Modified Organisms ResearchInsect Resistance and GeneticsInsect-Plant Interactions and Control

Extrapolating non-target risk of Bt crops from laboratory to field

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Duan, Jian J., Lundgren, Jonathan G., Naranjo, Steve, Marvier, Michelle·2010·Biology Letters

Abstract

The tiered approach to assessing ecological risk of insect-resistant transgenic crops assumes that lower tier laboratory studies, which expose surrogate non-target organisms to high doses of insecticidal proteins, can detect harmful effects that might be manifested in the field. To test this assumption, we performed meta-analyses comparing results for non-target invertebrates exposed to Bacillus thuringiensis ( Bt ) Cry proteins in laboratory studies with results derived from independent field studies examining effects on the abundance of non-target invertebrates. For Lepidopteran-active Cry proteins, laboratory studies correctly predicted the reduced field abundance of non-target Lepidoptera. However, laboratory studies incorporating tri-trophic interactions of Bt plants, herbivores and parasitoids were better correlated with the decreased field abundance of parasitoids than were direct-exposure assays. For predators, laboratory tri-trophic studies predicted reduced abundances that were not realized in field studies and thus overestimated ecological risk. Exposure to Coleopteran-active Cry proteins did not significantly reduce the laboratory survival or field abundance of any functional group examined. Our findings support the assumption that laboratory studies of transgenic insecticidal crops show effects that are either consistent with, or more conservative than, those found in field studies, with the important caveat that laboratory studies should explore all ecologically relevant routes of exposure.

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Authors
Duan, J. J., Lundgren, J. G., Naranjo, S., & Marvier, M.
Affiliations
  • Agricultural Research Service (US)
  • Santa Clara University (US)
Corresponding author
Marvier, Michelle
Venue
Biology Letters
Published
2009-09-09
Volume
6
Issue
1
Pages
74-77
ISSN
  • 1744-9561 (ISSN-L)
  • 1744-957X
OpenAlex
W2126159729
Cited by
127
References
9
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 14
FWCI
16.16
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Biology Letters (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Genetically Modified Organisms Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Insect Resistance and Genetics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Insect Science › Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
Keywords
Bt crops, non-target invertebrates, environmental risk assessment, laboratory-to-field extrapolation, tritrophic interactions, parasitoids, predators, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, insecticidal proteins
MeSH terms
Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins, Animals, Bacterial Proteins, Endotoxins, Hemolysin Proteins, Insecticides, Invertebrates, Pest Control, Biological, Species Specificity, Crops, Agricultural, Risk Assessment, Plants, Genetically Modified

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