INSERT INTO `bibliography_bibliography_i18n` (`id`, `title`, `abstract`, `locale`) VALUES
(3464, 'Monitoring of Bt resistance from field-collected Helicoverpa armigera populations in Northern China. ', 'Transgenic crops that produce toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) to control insects are grown widely, but rapid evolution of resistance by pests could nullify the benefits of Bt. Cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa ermigere Hübner, is an economically important lepidopteran pest that has experienced intense selection for resistance to Bt-Cry1Ac cotton in China since 1997. Since 2002, changes in the frequency of alleles for resistance and the quantitative shifts in tolerance to Cry1Ac were monitored for 7 years using bioassays of F1 and F2 offspring of isofemale lines of larvae of H. armigera from the field in Xiajin County of Shandong Province (an intensive Bt cotton planting area) and Anci County of Hebei Province (a multiple-crop system including maize, Zee mays L.; soybean, Glycine max L.; peanut, Arechis hypogaea L.; and Bt cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L.) in Northern China. Here, we summarized the monitoring data from Xiajin and Anci regions during 2002–2008. The monitoring results during this period indicated that the frequency of alleles for resistance has remained low in both regions of China. The results suggested that natural refugia may be part of an effective management strategy for delaying the evolution of resistance in H. armigera to Bt cotton in Northern China.', 'en_US'),
(3465, 'Expanded use of pyramided transgenic maize hybrids expressing novel Bacillus thuringiensis toxins in the southern U.S.: potential for areawide suppression of Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in the Mississippi Delta.', 'The corn earworm or cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), is an economically important pest throughout much of North America, but particularly in the southern U.S., where many crops are vulnerable to damage. Although transgenic cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., expressing selected insecticidal toxins of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) has been available since 1996 in the southern states, the Cry1Ac toxin in cotton and Cry1Ab in maize, Zea meys L., are not known to cause consistent mortality in H. zea. Consequently, long-term areawide suppression would not be expected. However, with the advent of pyramided Bt events for cotton and field corn, and in the absence of the evolution of field-level resistance to Bt toxins, the potential exists for these crops to suppress H. zea. Simulation modeling predicted the initial decrease in abundance to be rapid, illustrating the impact of an immediate adoption of the two Bt crops, with high efficacy. Abundance of H. zea remained low and approximated an 85% reduction from baseline. This decrease or areawide suppression effect was proportional to the 80 and 90% Bt use rates for maize and cotton, respectively. The residual population that remains is largely the result of the net influx of moths via annual migration from outside Mississippi. These results are discussed within the context of resistance management and alternative migration and crop composition scenarios.', 'en_US'),
(3466, 'Susceptibility of isofamilies of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to Cry1Ac and Cry1Fa proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis.', 'The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), is one of the most important insect pests on the American continent. Its control has relied primarily on multiple applications of insecticides that can amount to 1,000 g of active ingredient per hectare on some of approximately 30 crops the insect damages. The use of genetically engineered crops that express Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Berliner toxins, Bt-corn, Zee meys L.; and Bt-cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L.; are other ways to control this insect. However, fall armyworm is one of the Lepidoptera species least susceptible to Bt proteins, and a case of high tolerance to Bt-corn has already being reported. We found the susceptibility to Cry1Ac and Cry1Fa proteins of Bt in 133 isofamilies from five regions of three countries was similar to the susceptibility of two Bt-susceptible laboratory colonies to these proteins. Four isofamilies from Puerto Rico were very tolerant to Cry1Fa and not so tolerant to Cry1Ac. Two of the four isofamilies were backcrossed with a Bt-susceptible laboratory colony and their progeny was as susceptible to both Bt proteins as was the Bt-susceptible colony, indicating that resistance to Bt is a recessive trait.', 'en_US'),
(3467, 'Field-evolved resistance to Bt cotton: bollworm in the U.S. and pink bollworm in India.', 'Some field populations of bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), in the southeastern U.S. have evolved resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) toxins Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab produced by transgenic cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. Decreased susceptibility to Cry1Ac, the toxin in first-generation Bt cotton (Bollgard), was detected in laboratory diet bioassays and was associated with increased survival on Bollgard plant tissues and control problems in the field. Bollgard cotton is no longer registered in the U.S. and has been replaced primarily by Bt cotton that produces Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab (Bollgard II). Laboratory diet bioassay results showed that the percentage of field populations resistant to Cry2Ab increased from 0% in 2002 to 50% in 2005. In bioassays from 2003 to 2006, 14 field-derived strains of bollworm had &lt;50% mortality at 150 µg Cry2Ab per milliliter of diet, the highest toxin concentration tested. As with the recently reported resistance of pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), to Bollgard cotton in India, laboratory diet bioassays provide the critical data documenting genetically based decreases in susceptibility of bollworm field populations to Bt toxins Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab. Resistance to Bt toxins linked with increased damage to Bt crops in the field has now been documented in at least four target lepidopteran pests. Systematic analyses of these cases, as well as the many cases in which pests remain susceptible to Bt crops, can provide knowledge useful for increasing the durability of current and future generations of transgenic insecticidal crops.', 'en_US'),
(3468, 'Insights into the genetics and molecular mechanisms of pink bollworm resistance to Cry toxins.', 'Transgenic crops producing Becillus thuringiensis (Bt) Berliner (Bacillales: Bacillaceae) toxins target key insect pests in cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., and maize, Zea mays L., cropping systems. The pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is currently the target of an area-wide eradication program with the purpose to eliminate pink bollworm from cotton-producing areas of the U.S. and adjacent areas of northern Mexico. Transgenic Bt cotton is a key component of the program. Evolution of resistance to Bt cotton could jeopardize the eradication program and diminish success of long-term control of pink bollworm populations. Molecular monitoring for known resistance alleles and bioassays indicated that pink bollworm resistance to Bt cotton in the U.S. remains rare. However, recent discovery of field-evolved resistance to Bt cotton in India emphasizes the need for diligent resistance monitoring and stewardship of the Bt transgenic technology. Resistance to Cry1Ac in laboratory-selected strains of pink bollworm may involve at least two resistance mechanisms, based on characterization of cadherin-based resistant strains and a newly selected Bt4R strain. In all previous resistant strains of pink bollworm, resistance involved mutations in a cadherin gene encoding for a functional Cry1Ac toxin receptor. Selection of the Bt4R strain using Bt cotton bolls and Cry1Ac in diet revealed a novel mechanism of resistance that differs from previously described Cadherin mutations.', 'en_US'),
(3469, 'Incipient resistance of Helicoverpa punctigera to the Cry2Ab Bt toxin in Bollgard II(R) cotton.', 'Combinations of dissimilar insecticidal proteins (“pyramids”) within transgenic plants are predicted to delay the evolution of pest resistance for significantly longer than crops expressing a single transgene. Field-evolved resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) transgenic crops has been reported for first generation, single-toxin varieties and the Cry1 class of proteins. Our five year data set shows a significant exponential increase in the frequency of alleles conferring Cry2Ab resistance in Australian field populations of Helicoverpa punctigera since the adoption of a second generation, two-toxin Bt cotton expressing this insecticidal protein. Furthermore, the frequency of cry2Ab resistance alleles in populations from cropping areas is 8-fold higher than that found for populations from non-cropping regions. This report of field evolved resistance to a protein in a dual-toxin Bt-crop has precisely fulfilled the intended function of monitoring for resistance; namely, to provide an early warning of increases in frequencies that may lead to potential failures of the transgenic technology. Furthermore, it demonstrates that pyramids are not ‘bullet proof’ and that rapid evolution to Bt toxins in the Cry2 class is possible.', 'en_US'),
(3470, 'Genetically modified salmon and full impact assessment.', 'As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers approving a genetically modified (GM) Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), it faces fundamental questions of risk analysis and impact assessment. The GM salmon—whose genome contains an inserted growth gene from Pacific chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and a switch-on gene from ocean pout (Zoarces americanus)—would be the first transgenic animal approved for human consumption in the United States. But the mechanism for its approval, FDA\\''s new animal drug application (NADA) process, narrowly examines only the risks of each GM salmon compared with a non-GM salmon. This approach fails to acknowledge that the new product\\''s attributes may affect total production and consumption of salmon. This potentially excludes major human health and environmental impacts, both benefits and risks. Regulators need to consider the full scope of such impacts in risk analyses to avoid unintended consequences, yet FDA does not consider ancillary benefits and risks from salmon market expansion, a result of what may be an overly narrow interpretation of statutes.', 'en_US'),
(3471, 'Camv 35S is a developmental promoter being temporal and spatial in expression pattern of insecticidal genes (Cry1ac and Cry2a) in cotton. ', 'Stable integration and spatio -temporal expression of two insecticidal genes (Cry1Ac and Cry2A) in transgenic cotton was studied. Firstly, integration of both genes was confirmed in these advance lines by different molecular analysis. The quantitative levels of both Cry1Ac and Cry2A genes were found variable among these cotton lines and also varied between different plant parts.  These lines showed a stable integration of insecticidal genes in T5 and T6 Progeny. The expression of both genes declined gradually with the age of plant as well as in different plant parts throughout the season. The leaves of Bt Cotton were found to have maximum expression of Cry1Ac and Cry2A genes followed by squares, bolls, anthers and petals. Toxin level in fruiting part was less as compared to other parts showing the in consistency in toxin level inspite of using 35S CaMV promoter which is constitutively expressing promoter. The study conducted suggested that CaMV 35S promoter is a developmental promoter and also it triggered research to find out new possible promoters to make expression of insecticidal genes consistent throughout life of cotton plant.', 'en_US'),
(3472, 'The past, present and future of critical aspects of global ethics and corporate social responsibility in agriculture and food technology industry.', 'The technological advancements in agriculture and food technology industry have created many controversial ethics and social responsibility areas. The aim of this paper is to discuss the past, present and potential future trends in ethics and corporate social responsibility in agriculture and food technology industry. It also seeks to identify the ethics and corporate social responsibility gap generated by the rapid technological advancements in this industry. The factors that need to be taken into account by corporate as a part of its ethics and social responsibility when introducing new technology were discussed in this paper. The discussion revealed that new technologies have generated great ethics and social responsibility. These concerns are in regard to consumers and workers health, environment, economic, over use of natural resources and the impact on future generation life. Based on this discussion it was established that in the current situation and with regard to the advancements in agriculture and food technology, the industry has ethical and social responsibility towards the general consumers. This paper reasons that corporations working in agriculture and food technology are required to actively consider their responsibility and adopt ethical and social responsibility policy. Moreover, this paper has predicted the future trends on light of the past and present technological advancements. Based on the discussion, the paper concluded that there is an ethical and social responsibility gap due to the advancements in agriculture and food technology. Thus, it is the responsibility of corporation to address this gap when evaluating new technology. The evaluation should consider several suitable means such as environmental impact analysis as well as social impact analysis. It was also concluded that the current risk assessment of genetically modified food has its limitation due to the availability of limited long term scientific evidence. In order to align the corporate practice with its ethics and social responsibility a list of recommendations were formulated by the authors. These recommendations included but not limited to: 1. The integration of consumer health impact with other relevant factors such as economical and environmental impacts; 2. Adequate labelling of genetically modified ingredient; 3. Adopting an ethic and social responsibility policy; 4. Implementation of post-marketing surveillance and monitoring strategy to assess the long term effects of genetically modified food on human health, and 5. The implementation of a suitable system to control the release of unauthorized genetically modified crops from research laboratories into the food chains and the environment.', 'en_US'),
(3473, 'Transcriptional gene silencing in plants.', 'The review presents current data on molecular genetic mechanisms of suppression of the gene (transgene) expression in plants at the transcriptional level. The stages of RNA-directed DNA methylation are discussed in detail. Mutations affecting transcriptional gene inactivation without altering nucleotide sequence methylation are described.', 'en_US'),
(3474, 'Abiotic stress and transgenics: implications for reproductive success and crop-to-wild gene flow in Brassicas.', 'Various abiotic and biotic stressors affect crop and weed plant performance in agroecosystems. Ozone (O3) tolerance in plants is partly regulated by the genotype and phenotypical properties, and it varies greatly in related species of wild and crop backgrounds. Thus, a continuous increase in atmospheric O3 concentration could change population dynamics of sexually compatible crop and weed species, and consequently affect crop-to-wild gene flow in the future. One way to build resistance against a biotic stressor, in this case insect-mediated herbivory, in crop plants is transgene-mediated insecticidal toxin production. In this study we aimed to describe how the physiological and phenological responses in a crop Brassica and its weedy relatives functioned to affect their comparative O3 tolerance. Furthermore, we studied how harbouring a transgene affects these responses in B. napus and B. rapa × transgenic B. napus BC2F2 backcross hybrid plants to reveal any within-plant trade-offs among toxin production, growth and O3 tolerance. We found a higher number of O3 symptoms but more effective compensatory assimilate allocation directed to reproduction for wild B. rapa compared to crop B. napus under elevated O3. This result suggested that the invasion-orientated strategy of producing a high number of seeds when vegetative growth is limited might improve the performance of weedy species under elevated O3. The probabilities for crop-to-wild transgene flow could be increased through higher seed production in hybrids under elevated O3, but the germination of hybrid seeds in particular was hampered by O3. The presence of transgenes did not perturb fecundity, within-plant biomass allocation or O3 tolerance of B. napus.', 'en_US'),
(3475, 'Information system for monitoring environmental impacts of genetically modified organisms.', 'Background, aim and scope:  European legislation stipulates that genetically modified organisms (GMO) have to be monitored to identify potential adverse environmental effects. A wealth of different types of monitoring data from various sources including existing environmental monitoring programmes is expected to accumulate. This requires an information system to efficiently structure, process and evaluate the monitoring data.\r\nMethods:  A structure for an Information System for Monitoring GMO (ISMO) was developed by a multidisciplinary research team. It is based on the requirement to organise all relevant information in a logical, readily accessible and functional manner.\r\nResults:  For the ISMO, we present a combination of three interrelated components: Firstly, an ISMO should comprise a knowledge database structured according to information related to the different scale levels of biological organisation relevant to GMO monitoring and scientific hypotheses on cause–effects which should be validated by monitoring data. Secondly, a monitoring database should be part of an ISMO containing GMO-specific monitoring data and meta-data. This monitoring database should be linked with monitoring data from other monitoring programmes which are relevant for GMO-related questions. Thirdly, an ISMO should encompass a database covering administrative and procedural data. Neither national nor international approaches to an ISMO exist yet.\r\nConclusions:  An ISMO as designed in this paper could support competent authorities in both the GMO notification process and in post-market monitoring. This includes evaluating the environmental risks of experimentally releasing GMO and placing them on the market, assessing monitoring plans and evaluating monitoring results. The ISMO should be implemented on both the national and international level, preferably combining different administrative scales. Harmonisation approaches towards GMO monitoring data are at an initial stage, but they are a precondition to coordinated GMO monitoring and to successfully implementing an ISMO. It is recommended to set up a legal basis and to agree on common strategies for the data coordination and harmonisation.', 'en_US'),
(3476, 'The demography of feral alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) populations occurring in roadside habitats in Southern Manitoba, Canada: implications for novel trait confinement.', 'Purpose:  Feral populations of cultivated crops can act as reservoirs for novel genetically engineered (GE) traits and aid in trait movement at the landscape level. However, little information is available on the potential of cultivated crops to become feral. In this study, we investigated the ferality of alfalfa populations (non-GE version) occurring in roadside habitats. Knowledge on the nature of roadside alfalfa populations would be useful for designing efficient trait confinement protocols and coexistence strategies in alfalfa.\r\nMethods:  We investigated roadside alfalfa populations from 2006 to 2009 in three rural municipalities (Hanover, MacDonald, and Springfield) in Southern Manitoba, Canada. We studied the demography of these populations including seedbank, seedling recruitment, and fecundity and examined the impact of road verge mowing on key life stages of these populations. We also compared the growth and reproductive attributes of roadside and cultivated alfalfa populations.\r\nResults:  Alfalfa is reproductively successful in roadside habitats and capable of establishing self-perpetuating populations. A substantial portion of the alfalfa seeds we extracted from seedbank samples were viable but not germinable, suggesting some degree of seedbank persistence in roadside habitats. In the roadside habitat, alfalfa seedlings recruited successfully, however, seedling mortality was high when seedlings were in close proximity to well-established alfalfa plants. Mowing dramatically reduced the reproductive success of roadside alfalfa. Generally, the growth and reproduction of roadside alfalfa was comparable to cultivated alfalfa except for total fecundity.\r\nConclusions:  Considering the long lifespan (&gt;10 years) of alfalfa and the levels of fecundity, seedbank, and seedling survival we observed, long-term persistence of roadside alfalfa populations seems reasonable. In the context of novel trait confinement, our results suggest that feral alfalfa populations required to be managed if there is a desire/need to confine novel traits in alfalfa.', 'en_US'),
(3477, 'Landscape-scale distribution and persistence of genetically modified oilseed rape (Brassica napus) in Manitoba, Canada.', 'Background, aim and scope:  Genetically modified herbicide-tolerant (GMHT) oilseed rape (OSR; Brassica napus L.) was approved for commercial cultivation in Canada in 1995 and currently represents over 95% of the OSR grown in western Canada. After a decade of widespread cultivation, GMHT volunteers represent an increasing management problem in cultivated fields and are ubiquitous in adjacent ruderal habitats, where they contribute to the spread of transgenes. However, few studies have considered escaped GMHT OSR populations in North America, and even fewer have been conducted at large spatial scales (i.e. landscape scales). In particular, the contribution of landscape structure and large-scale anthropogenic dispersal processes to the persistence and spread of escaped GMHT OSR remains poorly understood. We conducted a multi-year survey of the landscape-scale distribution of escaped OSR plants adjacent to roads and cultivated fields. Our objective was to examine the long-term dynamics of escaped OSR at large spatial scales and to assess the relative importance of landscape and localised factors to the persistence and spread of these plants outside of cultivation.\r\nMaterials and methods:  From 2005 to 2007, we surveyed escaped OSR plants along roadsides and field edges at 12 locations in three agricultural landscapes in southern Manitoba where GMHT OSR is widely grown. Data were analysed to examine temporal changes at large spatial scales and to determine factors affecting the distribution of escaped OSR plants in roadside and field edge habitats within agricultural landscapes. Additionally, we assessed the potential for seed dispersal between escaped populations by comparing the relative spatial distribution of roadside and field edge OSR.\r\nResults:  Densities of escaped OSR fluctuated over space and time in both roadside and field edge habitats, though the proportion of GMHT plants was high (93–100%). Escaped OSR was positively affected by agricultural landscape (indicative of cropping intensity) and by the presence of an adjacent field planted to OSR. Within roadside habitats, escaped OSR was also strongly associated with large-scale variables, including road surface (indicative of traffic intensity) and distance to the nearest grain elevator. Conversely, within field edges, OSR density was affected by localised crop management practices such as mowing, soil disturbance and herbicide application. Despite the proximity of roadsides and field edges, there was little evidence of spatial aggregation among escaped OSR populations in these two habitats, especially at very fine spatial scales (i.e. &lt;100 m), suggesting that natural propagule exchange is infrequent.\r\nDiscussion:  Escaped OSR populations were persistent at large spatial and temporal scales, and low density in a given landscape or year was not indicative of overall extinction. As a result of ongoing cultivation and transport of OSR crops, escaped GMHT traits will likely remain predominant in agricultural landscapes. While escaped OSR in field edge habitats generally results from local seeding and management activities occurring at the field-scale, distribution patterns within roadside habitats are determined in large part by seed transport occurring at the landscape scale and at even larger regional scales. Our findings suggest that these large-scale anthropogenic dispersal processes are sufficient to enable persistence despite limited natural seed dispersal. This widespread dispersal is likely to undermine field-scale management practices aimed at eliminating escaped and in-field GMHT OSR populations.\r\nConclusions:  Agricultural transport and landscape-scale cropping patterns are important determinants of the distribution of escaped GM crops. At the regional level, these factors ensure ongoing establishment and spread of escaped GMHT OSR despite limited local seed dispersal. Escaped populations thus play an important role in the spread of transgenes and have substantial implications for the coexistence of GM and non-GM production systems.\r\nRecommendations and perspectives:  Given the large-scale factors driving the spread of escaped transgenes, localised co-existence measures may be impracticable where they are not commensurate with regional dispersal mechanisms. To be effective, strategies aimed at reducing contamination from GM crops should be multi-scale in approach and be developed and implemented at both farm and landscape levels of organisation. Multiple stakeholders should thus be consulted, including both GM and non-GM farmers, as well as seed developers, processors, transporters and suppliers. Decisions to adopt GM crops require thoughtful and inclusive consideration of the risks and responsibilities inherent in this new technology.', 'en_US'),
(3478, 'Fitness aspects of transgenic Aedes fluviatilis mosquitoes expressing a Plasmodium-blocking molecule. ', 'Vector-born diseases cause millions of deaths every year globally. Alternatives for the control of diseases such as malaria and dengue fever are urgently needed and the use of transgenic mosquitoes that block parasite/virus is a sound strategy to be used within control programs. However, prior to use transgenic mosquitoes as control tools, it is important to study their fitness since different biological aspects might influence their ability to disseminate and compete with wild populations. We previously reported the construction of four transgenic Aedes fluviatilis mosquito lines expressing a Plasmodium- blocking molecule (mutated bee venom phospholipase A2–mPLA2). Presently we studied two aspects of their fitness: body size, that has been used as a fitness-related status, and the expression of major enzymes classes involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics, including insecticides. Body size analysis (recorded by geometric wing morphometrics) indicated that both male and female mosquitoes were larger than the non-transgenic counterparts, suggesting that this characteristic might have an impact on their overall fitness. By contrast, no significant difference in the activity of enzymes related to metabolic insecticide resistance was detected in transgenic mosquitoes. The implication on fitness advantage of these features, towards the implementation of this strategy, is further discussed.', 'en_US'),
(3479, 'Histopathology and ultrastructure of midgut of Alabama argillacea (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) fed Bt-cotton.', 'The interaction of Cry toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis in the midgut of some insect larvae determines their efficacies as insecticides, due to the expression and availability of sites of action of the toxin in the midgut. Researches point out cases of resistance to Cry toxin due to alterations in the binding sites in columnar cell membrane. We analyzed the effects of Cry1Ac toxin expressed by Bt-cotton plants on Alabama argillacea midgut morphophysiology clarifying in levels of morphological and ultrastructural. Larvae in the 4th instar of A. argillacea after 20 min from ingesting Bt-cotton leaves expressing 0.183 ng of Cry1Ac exhibited ultrastructural and morphological modifications in the columnar cells with significant changes in the mitochondrial polymorphism, cytoplasmic vacuolization, microvillus and basal labyrinth. Expressive morphological alterations were also observed in the goblet cells indicating that the columnar cells are not the only target of the Cry1Ac toxin. The regenerative cells did not modify their structures and exhibited decrease in regeneration capacity. In conclusion, the ingestion of 0.183 ± 0.077 ng of Cry1Ac was enough to promote alterations in the columnar and goblet cells, besides reducing significantly the number of regenerative cells, which may have contributed to larval death. Nevertheless, further studies are necessary to determine the true cause of death.', 'en_US'),
(3480, 'Growth and fitness components of wild x cultivated Sorghum bicolor (Poaceae) hybrids in Nebraska.', 'Premise of the study: Gene flow from crops to wild relatives has received considerable attention since the advent of genetically modified crops. Numerous researchers have found wild–crop hybrids to be nearly as fit as their wild parents, which suggests that crop genes may persist in wild populations. Components of the ecological fitness of cultivated sorghum, its wild relative, shattercane, and their hybrids have not been studied.\r\nMethods: To assess the potential for gene introgression into shattercane, we crossed cultivated sorghum to a single inbred shattercane line to produce F1 hybrids and measured growth and several components of ecological fitness in relation to both parents in Nebraska, USA.\r\nKey results: Germination of F1 seeds was similar to that of its shattercane parent except at high temperatures, where it was as sensitive as the sorghum parent. The F1 grew taller and produced more biomass than either parent, but the F1 leaf area index was intermediate. Fecundity of the F1 plant was similar to that of shattercane and much greater than that of cultivated sorghum.\r\nConclusions: Considering all data, the ecological fitness of shattercane x cultivated sorghum F1 hybrids may be equivalent to the wild shattercane parent, which suggests that crop genes that are either neutral or beneficial to shattercane would persist in populations within agroecosystems.', 'en_US'),
(3481, 'Complex patterns of hybridization between exotic and native North American poplar species.', 'Premise of the study: Poplars and their hybrids are seen as important candidates for bioenergy initiatives. However, many concerns have been raised about large-scale plantations of new poplar cultivars. The deployment of such plants with novel traits brings the risk of potential spread of novel genome regions (including exotic genes, transgenes, or other heritable modifications) into natural populations of related species. The possibility of introgression is especially high in poplars because reproductive barriers between species are weak. Knowledge of the frequency of hybridization between cultivated trees and natural populations is one important step in the risk-assessment process.\r\nMethods: We studied the rate of spontaneous hybridization from two sexually mature poplar plantations into adjacent natural populations of Populus deltoides and P. balsamifera. The two plantations, both in eastern Canada, contain many different complex hybrid clones with components from exotic species, mostly P. nigra, P. trichocarpa, and P. maximowiczii. We analyzed 12 species-specific single nucleotide polymorphisms from six different genes in 5373 offspring sampled from the natural populations.\r\nResults: Contributions from all three exotics were found in the offspring, confirming low reproductive barriers among poplar species in these sections. The frequency of hybrid offspring varied among pollen donors, recipient populations, and years.\r\nConclusions: The remarkably high rate of hybridization that was found in the smallest natural population sampled suggests that small peripheral populations carry a higher risk of introgression. These results could be used as a starting point for developing regulatory guidelines for the introduction of plants with novel traits.', 'en_US'),
(3482, 'Increased mortality of growth-enhanced transgenic common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) under short-term predation risk.', 'There is strong evidence that genetic capacity for growth evolves toward an optimum rather than an absolute maximum. This implies that fast growth has a cost and that trade-offs occur between growth and other life-history traits. In this study, we conducted a series of predation trials with a paired-contrast design to test the differences in anti-predator ability between growth-enhanced transgenic and non-transgenic common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.). We showed that young transgenic fish suffered higher predation mortality than control carp in both small-bodied and large-bodied size-matched trials, and thus possessed lower anti-predator ability. Our results suggest that a trade-off exists between growth rate and survival such that rapid growth entails a cost in terms of mortality.', 'en_US'),
(3483, 'Pollen interception by linyphiid spiders in a corn agroecosystem: implications for dietary diversification and risk-assessment.', 'Dietary diversification, including consumption of plant tissues such as pollen, can enhance the fecundity of generalist predators, resulting in improved control of pest prey. Supplemental pollen feeding has been observed in many natural enemies, including sheet-web spiders (Araneae: Linyphiidae), which represent a major component of food webs in agroecosystems. Their horizontal, ground-based webs have the potential to intercept pollen grains during anthesis of crop plants, providing the opportunity for consumption of pollen to occur. In laboratory feeding trials, Frontinella communis and Tennesseellum formicum (Araneae: Linyphiidae) readily fed on pollen grains dusted on their webs, with 82 and 92% of spiders consuming pollen within the 210 min trial. These results revealed a strong potential for dietary supplementation with pollen in ground-based sheet-web spiders, indicating that pollen feeding may be an important component of the feeding biology of linyphiids. To measure pollen and prey interception in simulated linyphiid webs, a 20 m × 20 m grid of miniature sticky traps was established within and downwind of a corn agroecosystem. Traps were exposed for 24 h, all intercepted material was transferred to the laboratory for subsequent identification, and replaced with additional traps for 28 consecutive days in July and August 2008, to encompass periods before, during and after anthesis. Over 150,000 corn pollen grains and 5,000 prey items (dominated by Collembola and Hemiptera) were intercepted at simulated web-sites. Dates of peak anthesis resulted in pollen counts as high as 4,000 grains per web-site in the interior of the cornfield. Spatial Analysis by Distance Indices (SADIE) indicated significant temporal and spatial variability in pollen interception within and outside the corn field, but interestingly there was no significant spatial association between pollen and prey. Furthermore, transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis corn expresses insecticidal proteins in pollen, posing an exposure risk to non-target arthropods. Consumption of corn pollen may be a route to transgenic protein exposure in this important taxon of generalist predators.', 'en_US'),
(3484, 'Can -omics inform a food safety assessment?', 'Omic technologies can in principle allow visualization of the all of changes that take place when the genetics, nutrition or environment of an organism is altered. Targeted compositional analysis is today a key component of the food safety assessment paradigm in which known nutrients, anti-nutrients, toxicants, allergens, and other molecules of potential biological importance to humans or animals are quantitatively analyzed. This allows safety assessors to compare the composition and safety of one food with closely related counterparts. Omic technologies measure many analytes—some of which are unidentified—but the analysis often sacrifices one or more of the characteristics of validated analytical methods currently used for food analysis. Databases that would allow the safety assessor to interpret differences are not currently available. There is also no reason to believe that the targeted compositional analysis in use today does not provide the evidence needed to ensure food safety, nor is there any current reason to believe that omics can add value to the safety assessment process. The regulation of transgenic crops is far more rigorous than is justified since they present no new risks compared with traditional breeding, and are more precisely defined and better understood than their non-transgenic equivalent.', 'en_US'),
(3485, 'Gene expression profiling for food safety assessment: examples in potato and maize.', 'Since the mid 1990s, microarray analysis has become one of the few tools that can analyze the entire contents of a cell regarding a specific information type. Especially since the development of whole genome microarrays the technique can be considered truly holistic. Most DNA based microarrays are used for the analysis of the total of messenger RNAs (transcriptome) and provide a snap-shot of what’s going on in a cell population at the time of sampling. Within the last few years also full genome plant microarrays have become available for several crop species. With these it has been shown that several growing conditions can be separated based on their transcriptome pattern, such as location, year of harvest and agricultural input system, but also different cultivars of the same crop species, including genetically modified ones. A database comprising expression levels of the transcriptome in many different circumstances with a history of safe use would be a good comparator for evaluation of new agricultural practices or cultivars, genetically modified or otherwise obtained. New techniques as next generation sequencing may overcome issues on throughput time and cost, standard operation procedures and array design for individual crops.', 'en_US'),
(3486, 'Plant natural variability may affect safety assessment data.', 'Before market introduction, genetic engineered (GE) food products, like any other novel food product, are subjected to extensive assessment of their potential effects on human health. In recent years, a number of profiling technologies have been explored aiming to increase the probability of detecting any unpredictable unintended effect and, consequently improving the efficiency of GE food safety assessment. These techniques still present limitations associated with the interpretation of the observed differences with respect to their biological relevance and toxicological significance. In order to address this issue, in this study, we have performed 2D-gel electrophoresis of five different ears of five different MON810 maize plants and of other five of the non-transgenic near-isogenic line. We have also performed 2D-gel electrophoresis of the pool of the five protein extractions of MON810 and control lines. We have notice that, in this example, the exclusive use of data from 2D-electrophoresed pooled samples, to compare these two lines, would be insufficient for an adequate safety evaluation. We conclude that, when using “omics” technologies, it is extremely important to eliminate all potential differences due to factors not related to the ones under study, and to understand the role of natural plant-to-plant variability in the encountered differences.', 'en_US'),
(3487, 'Natural variability in abundance of prevalent soybean proteins.', 'Soybean is an inexpensive source of protein for humans and animals. Genetic modifications (GMO) to soybean have become inevitable on two fronts, both quality and yield will need to improve to meet increasing global demand. To ensure the safety of the crop for consumers it is important to determine the natural variation in seed protein constituents as well as any unintended changes that may occur in the GMO as a result of genetic modification. Understanding the natural variation of seed proteins in wild and cultivated soybeans that have been used in conventional soybean breeding programs is critical for determining unintended protein expression in GMO soybeans. In recent years, proteomic technologies have been used as an effective analytical tool for examining modifications of protein profiles. We have standardized and applied these technologies to determine and quantify the spectrum of proteins present in soybean seed. We used two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE), matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC–MS) for the separation, quantification, and identification of different classes of soybean seed proteins. We have observed significant variations in different classes of proteins, including storage, allergen and anti-nutritional protein profiles, between non-GMO cultivated and wild soybean varieties. This information is useful for scientists and regulatory agencies to determine whether the unintended expression of proteins found in transgenic soybean is within the range of natural variation.', 'en_US'),
(3488, 'Quantification of toxins in a Cry1Ac+CpTI cotton cultivar and its potential effects on the honey bee Apis mellifera L.', 'Transgenic Cry1Ac + CpTI cotton (CCRI41) is increasingly planted throughout China. However, negative effects of this cultivar on the honey bee Apis mellifera L., the most important pollinator for cultivated ecosystem, remained poorly investigated. The objective of our study was to evaluate the potential side effects of transgenic Cry1Ac + CpTI pollen from cotton on young adult honey bees A. mellifera L. Two points emphasized the significance of our study: (1) A higher expression level of insecticidal protein Cry1Ac in pollen tissues was detected (when compared with previous reports). In particular, Cry1Ac protein was detected at 300 ± 4.52 ng g&amp;#8722;1 [part per billion (ppb)] in pollen collected in July, (2) Effects on chronic mortality and feeding behaviour in honey bees were evaluated using a no-choice dietary feeding protocol with treated pollen, which guarantee the highest exposure level to bees potentially occurring in natural conditions (worst case scenario). Tests were also conducted using imidacloprid-treated pollen at a concentration of 48 ppb as positive control for sublethal effect on feeding behaviour. Our results suggested that Cry1Ac + CpTI pollen carried no lethal risk for honey bees. However, during a 7-day oral exposure to the various treatments (transgenic, imidacloprid-treated and control), honey bee feeding behaviour was disturbed and bees consumed significantly less CCRI41 cotton pollen than in the control group in which bees were exposed to conventional cotton pollen. It may indicate an antifeedant effect of CCRI41 pollen on honey bees and thus bees may be at risk because of large areas are planted with transgenic Bt cotton in China. This is the first report suggesting a potential sublethal effect of CCRI41 cotton pollen on honey bees. The implications of the results are discussed in terms of risk assessment for bees as well as for directions of future work involving risk assessment of CCRI41 cotton.', 'en_US'),
(3489, 'Use of an innovative T-tube maze assay and the proboscis extension response assay to assess sublethal effects of GM products and pesticides on learning capacity of the honey bee Apis mellifera L.', 'Transgenic Cry1Ac+CpTI cotton (CCRI41) is a promising cotton cultivar throughout China but side effects and especially sublethal effects of this transgenic cultivar on beneficial insects remain poorly studied. More specifically potential sublethal effects on behavioural traits of the honey bee Apis mellifera L. have not been formally assessed despite the importance of honey bees for pollination. The goal of our study was to assess potential effects of CCRI41 cotton pollen on visual and olfactory learning by honey bees. After a 7-day oral chronic exposure to honey mixed with either CCRI41 pollen, imidacloprid-treated conventional pollen (used as positive sublethal control) or conventional pollen (control), learning performance was evaluated by the classical proboscis extension reflex (PER) procedure as well as a T-tube maze test. The latter assay was designed as a new device to assess potential side effects of pesticides on visual associative learning of honey bees. These two procedures were complementary because the former focused on olfactory learning while the latter was involved in visual learning based on visual orientation ability. Oral exposure to CCRI41 pollen did not affect learning capacities of honey bees in both the T-tube maze and PER tests. However, exposure to imidacloprid resulted in reduced visual learning capacities in T-tube maze evaluation and decreased olfactory learning performances measured with PER. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of risks of transgenic CCRI41 cotton crops for honey bees.', 'en_US'),
(3490, 'Recombinant protease inhibitors for herbivore pest control: a multitrophic perspective.', 'Protease inhibitors are a promising complement to Bt toxins for the development of insect-resistant transgenic crops, but their limited specificity against proteolytic enzymes and the ubiquity of protease-dependent processes in living organisms raise questions about their eventual non-target effects in agroecosystems. After a brief overview of the main factors driving the impacts of insect-resistant transgenic crops on non-target organisms, the possible effects of protease inhibitors are discussed from a multitrophic perspective, taking into account not only the target herbivore proteases but also the proteases of other organisms found along the trophic chain, including the plant itself. Major progress has been achieved in recent years towards the design of highly potent broad-spectrum inhibitors and the field deployment of protease inhibitor-expressing transgenic plants resistant to major herbivore pests. A thorough assessment of the current literature suggests that, whereas the non-specific inhibitory effects of recombinant protease inhibitors in plant food webs could often be negligible and their ‘unintended’ pleiotropic effects in planta of potential agronomic value, the innocuity of these proteins might always remain an issue to be assessed empirically, on a case-by-case basis.', 'en_US'),
(3491, 'Coexistence costs for genetically modified crops for Switzerland.', 'The ban on the commercial cultivation of genetically modified (GM) wheat and maize in Switzerland is expected to remain in force until 2013. Coexistence regulations in Switzerland and their resulting impacts on profitability will then require examination. In this paper we present time and cost calculations for what we consider to be the most critical of these coexistence measures. Coexistence measures and their associated costs, based upon the present structure of Swiss Agriculture, are calculated according to varying degrees of restriction and or technical feasibility. We find that, in spite of the small-scale Swiss farm structure, the costs for the coexistence measures are minimal at the farm level. The total costs of implementing coexistence measures per hectare of GM crop plantings range from CHF 58 to CHF 160, this corresponds to roughly 1-3% of total product costs, and are negligible.', 'en_US');
INSERT INTO `bibliography_bibliography_i18n` (`id`, `title`, `abstract`, `locale`) VALUES
(3492, 'Soil microbial community responses to Bt transgenic rice residue decomposition in a paddy field.', 'Purpose:  Genetic modifications (GM) of commercial crops offer many benefits. However, microbial-mediated decomposition might be affected by GM crop residues in agricultural ecosystems. The objective of this study was to assess the possible impacts of cry1Ab gene transformation of rice on soil microbial community composition associated with residue decomposition in the paddy field under intensive rice cultivation.\r\nMaterials and methods:  A 276-day field trial was set up as a completely randomized design for two types of rice residues, KMD (Bt) and Xiushui 11 (non-Bt parental variety) in triplicate by conventional intensive rice cropping system. The litterbag method was used in the rice residue decomposition and a total of 120 straw and root litterbags were either placed on the soil surface or buried at 10 cm depth in the field on Dec. 24, 2005. The litterbags were sampled periodically and their soil bacterial and fungal communities were determined by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP). The additive main effects with multiplicative interaction (AMMI) model were performed for the analysis of T-RFLP on binary variables of peak presence (presence/absence). The analysis of variance and linear regressions were performed for analysis of AMMI data.\r\nResults and discussion:  Total AMMI model analysis revealed that microbial community composition in the litterbags was affected by temporal and spatial factors. Compared with the non-Bt rice residue treatment, Bt rice straw had no significant effects on the soil bacterial and fungal community composition during the study period, regardless of the litterbags being placed on the surface or buried in the soil. There were no significant differences in the bacterial community composition profiles in root decomposition between Bt transgenic and non-Bt varieties. However, significant differences in soil fungal community composition between the buried Bt and non-Bt rice roots were observed in soils sampled on days 31, 68, and 137, indicating that Bt roots incorporated into paddy soil may affect soil fungal community during the initial stage of their decomposition.\r\nConclusions:  There were some significant differences in fungal community composition between Bt rice root and non-Bt root treatments at the early stage of root decomposition in the paddy field. It is important that, before Bt rice is released for commercial production, more research should be conducted to evaluate the ecological effects of the Bt rice residues returned to paddy field upon grain harvesting.', 'en_US'),
(3493, 'Application of an atmospheric gene flow model for assessing environmental risks from transgenic corn crops.', 'Gene flow data from experiments under limited environmental conditions (e.g. wind speed and direction, atmospheric stability) have only provided limited information for gene flow risk management.  It is necessary to apply models to predict the gene flow under a complete set of possible environmental conditions to inform farmers, seed companies, government agencies, and researchers about the risks and potential prevention and precaution methods.  In this paper, the previous validated gene flow model developed by the authors was used to predict gene flow from genetically modified (GM) corn crops.  The model was used to simulate potential gene flow from GM corn sources of different sizes from one plant area of 0.1 m2 to an area 3.1×106 m2 under normal weather conditions.  In addition, the model was also used to predict the potential gene flow for different source strengths, atmospheric conditions, buffer heights, buffer field sizes, and pollen settling speeds from 10,000 m2 sources.  The model simulations have provided gene flow information for risk management under the above conditions and have shown that the source sizes, source strengths, buffer heights, buffer sizes, atmospheric conditions, and pollen settling speeds had important effects on gene flow.  While the atmospheric conditions and pollen settling speeds cannot be controlled, choosing appropriate buffer heights and sizes will effectively prevent gene flow.  The lost seed control is crucial to limit gene flow because even a GM corn plant can result in a grand total deposition flux of 646,272 grains/m2, an outcrossing ratio of 0.016, and outcrossed seed of 110 kernels/m2 at 0.8 m from the plant in the non-target field under normal atmospheric conditions.', 'en_US'),
(3494, 'Ghimire MN, Huang FN, Leonard R, Head GP, Yang YL', 'Multiple independent trials were conducted to evaluate the performance of Cry1Ab-susceptible (Cry1Ab-SS), -heterozygous (Cry1Ab-RS), and -resistant (Cry1Ab-RR) genotypes of the sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.), on eight commercial hybrids and six experimental corn lines. The commercial varieties included two non-Bt and six Bt corn hybrids that expressed a single Bt protein (either Cry1Ab or Cry1F) targeting above-ground lepidopteran pests. The six experimental lines consisted of two non-Bt and four Bt corn lines, two expressing just the Cry1Ab protein and two containing the pyramided-genes Cry1A.105 and Cry2Ab2 (event MON 89034). Larval mortality on non-Bt corn leaf tissue ranged from 6 to 45% after 12 d across insect genotypes. The 12 d mortality of Cry1Ab-SS on leaf tissue of commercial Cry1Ab or Cry1F corn was 96–100%, whereas it was 80–96% for Cry1Ab-RS and 68–78% for Cry1Ab-RR. On intact plants, 39–64% of larvae survived on non-Bt corn plants after 21–25 d. Larval survivorship on intact plants of commercial Cry1Ab or Cry1F corn was 0–8.1% for Cry1Ab-SS, 1.3–34% for Cry1Ab-RS, and 19–51% for Cry1Ab-RR. Larvae of Cry1Ab-RR and -RS also caused significant plant injury to most of the commercial Bt corn hybrids, especially to the Cry1Ab corn. Cry1Ab resistance in D. saccharalis was incompletely dominant on commercial Bt corn hybrids. However, both experimental lines with pyramided genes of Cry1A.105 and Cry2Ab2 provided complete control of all three insect genotypes in both leaf tissue and intact plant tests. Results of this study suggest that MON 89034 should offer a means for Bt resistance management in D. saccharalis.', 'en_US'),
(3495, 'Lower mycotoxin levels in Bt maize grain.', 'Mycotoxins produced by Fusarium spp. during plant cultivation induce severe diseases in animal and humans. In 2007 a European Union regulation set maximum concentrations of mycotoxins in maize and derivatives of 4000 ppb for fumonisins B1 and B2, 1750 ppb for deoxynivalenol, and 350 ppb for zearalenone. To assess the safety of French maize food, investigations are currently being carried out by the national Biological Risk Monitoring network. Here, 84 plots were cropped with the Bt maize MON 810 and its isogenic non-Bt counterpart in 2005 and 2006 in Southwestern France. Mycotoxin levels were measured in grain at harvest. Fumonisins B1 and B2, deoxynivalenol, and zearalenone were analysed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The data were analysed statistically using non-parametric tests for mycotoxins and analysis of variance for weather variables. As the climate was homogenous inside the experimental area, the transgenic event introduced into the maize was the only key parameter which differed between Bt and non-Bt maize plots. Our results show that Bt maize decreased concentrations of fumonisins by 90% and zearalenone by 50%, whereas the concentration of deoxynivalenol was slightly increased. Those findings suggest a competition among Fusarium species that produce fumonisins or trichothecenes. According to the European regulation, 93% of the Bt maize crops can be sold, compared with only 45% for non-Bt maize plots. Our results thus show that Bt maize improved food safety by greatly reducing mycotoxin levels in field crops in Southwestern France.', 'en_US'),
(3496, 'Performance of hybrids between transgenic oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and wild Brassica juncea: an evaluation of potential for transgene escape.', 'Understanding the potential for the evolution of herbicide tolerance in weeds following gene flow from transgenic crops is important for their management. The inter-specific hybrids formed between four Brassica juncea populations with different glyphosate-susceptibility and transgenic oilseed rape was studied, emphasizing on the possible population difference. Compared with both parents, the fitness-related components and photosynthetic capacity of hybrids decreased dramatically, but significant differences were observed among different hybrids. All F1 hybrids exhibited highly enhanced but similar herbicide tolerance level regardless of the wild B. juncea parent, indicating that genetically engineered herbicide tolerance may over-dominate phenotype ones by wild-crop hybridization. The analysis of parental loci transmission revealed a higher transfer ratio of male-specific loci detected in F1 hybrids, suggesting that oilseed rape genetic markers can be transferred at relatively high frequencies to the next generation. Therefore, higher transfer ratio of oilseed rape-specific loci, coupled with variation of populations in fitness-related parameters in F1 hybrids, could complicate environmental risk assessment of transgenic oilseed rape, especially in current agroecosystems with increasing application of glyphosate.', 'en_US'),
(3497, 'Evaluation of biotechnology-derived novel proteins for the risk of food-allergic potential: advances in the development of animal models and future challenges.', 'Increasing concern from the public about the safety of genetically modified food has made critical to have suitable methods for recognizing associated potential hazards. Hierarchical approaches to allergenicity determination were proposed, and these include evaluation of the structural and sequence homology and serological identity of novel proteins with existing allergens, measuring the resistance to proteolytic digestion and assessment of sensitizing potential using animal models. Allergic individuals have a predisposed (i.e. atopic) genetic background, and a close resemblance to this setup is therefore desirable in animal models, which is possible by using a strain of an animal species that is prone for allergic disorders. So far, none of the animal model has been validated for the purpose of hazard identification in the context of safety assessment. However, the available knowledge suggests that the judicious use of an appropriate animal model could provide important information about the allergic potential of novel proteins. This paper provides an up-to-date review of the progress made in the field of development of in vivo models in this direction and the further goals that have to be achieved.', 'en_US'),
(3498, 'Adsorption of transgenic insecticidal Cry1Ab protein to SiO2. 1. Forces driving adsorption.', 'Genetically modified Bt crops express insecticidal Cry proteins (Bt toxins) that may enter agricultural soils. A mechanistic understanding of Cry protein adsorption to soils is critical for risk assessment, as this process governs Cry protein fate and bioavailability. We used quartz crystal microbalance and optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy to elucidate the driving forces of the adsorption of monomeric Cry1Ab to negatively charged quartz (SiO2) and positively charged poly-L-lysine (PLL) at pH 5&#8722;8 and constant ionic strength of 50 mM (NaCl). Bovine serum albumin and hen egg white lysozyme were used as reference proteins because of their known adsorption behavior. Electrostatics governed Cry1Ab adsorption; as pH increased above the isoelectric point of Cry1Ab, the initial rate and the extent of adsorption decreased on SiO2 and increased on PLL. Reversible adsorption to SiO2 suggested weak Cry1Ab-SiO2 electrostatic interactions and no irreversible conformational changes of Cry1Ab at the surface. High conformational stability of Cry1Ab was further supported by supply rate-independent extent of adsorption of Cry1Ab to apolar gold. Some evidence is presented that the nonuniform surface charge distribution of Cry1Ab resulted in patch-controlled electrostatic attraction with sorbents that carried the same net charge as Cry1Ab. A more detailed discussion of this mechanism is given in a companion paper.', 'en_US'),
(3499, 'Safety assessment of Cry1C protein from genetically modified rice according to the national standards of PR China for a new food resource.', 'The Cry1C protein produced in Escherichia coli was used for in vitro evaluation and animal studies to support the safety assessment of GM food or feed products containing the Cry1C protein. The Cry1C protein does not have any sequence homology with known allergens or toxins. Although the Cry1C protein was heat stable it was rapidly degraded in vitro with simulated gastric or intestinal fluids. It did not cause adverse effects in mice as administered by gavage at a high level dosage of 5 g (Cry1C protein)/kg body weight. The mutagenicity of this protein was evaluated according to the national standards of People’s Republic of China (PR China) for a new food resource. In mutagenic tests, the Cry1C protein caused <4 micronucleated cells per 1000 cells, <16 sperm abnormalities per 1000 cells and was not associated with any increased mutations in the Ames test. Taken together, these data indicate that the Cry1C protein is not a potential allergen or toxin.', 'en_US'),
(3500, 'Pollen- and seed-mediated transgene flow in commercial cotton seed production fields.', 'Background: Characterizing the spatial patterns of gene flow from transgenic crops is challenging, making it difficult to design containment strategies for markets that regulate the adventitious presence of transgenes. Insecticidal Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton is planted on millions of hectares annually and is a potential source of transgene flow.\r\nMethodology/Principal Findings: Here we monitored 15 non-Bt cotton (Gossypium hirsutum, L.) seed production fields (some transgenic for herbicide resistance, some not) for gene flow of the Bt cotton cry1Ac transgene. We investigated seed-mediated gene flow, which yields adventitious Bt cotton plants, and pollen-mediated gene flow, which generates outcrossed seeds. A spatially-explicit statistical analysis was used to quantify the effects of nearby Bt and non-Bt cotton fields at various spatial scales, along with the effects of pollinator abundance and adventitious Bt plants in fields, on pollen-mediated gene flow. Adventitious Bt cotton plants, resulting from seed bags and planting error, comprised over 15% of plants sampled from the edges of three seed production fields. In contrast, pollen-mediated gene flow affected less than 1% of the seed sampled from field edges. Variation in outcrossing was better explained by the area of Bt cotton fields within 750 m of the seed production fields than by the area of Bt cotton within larger or smaller spatial scales. Variation in outcrossing was also positively associated with the abundance of honey bees.\r\nConclusions/Significance: A comparison of statistical methods showed that our spatially-explicit analysis was more powerful for understanding the effects of surrounding fields than customary models based on distance. Given the low rates of pollen-mediated gene flow observed in this study, we conclude that careful planting and screening of seeds could be more important than field spacing for limiting gene flow.', 'en_US'),
(3501, 'Glyphosate drift promotes changes in fitness and transgene gene flow in canola (Brassica napus) and hybrids. ', 'Background and Aims: With the advent of transgenic crops, genetically modified, herbicide-resistant Brassica napus has become a model system for examining the risks and potential ecological consequences of escape of transgenes from cultivation into wild compatible species. Escaped transgenic feral B. napus and hybrids with compatible weedy species have been identified outside of agriculture and without the apparent selection for herbicide resistance. However, herbicide (glyphosate) exposure can extend beyond crop field boundaries, and a drift-level of herbicide could function as a selective agent contributing to increased persistence of transgenes in the environment.\r\nMethods: The effects of a drift level (0•1 × the field application rate) of glyphosate herbicide and varied levels of plant competition were examined on plant fitness-associated traits and gene flow in a simulated field plot, common garden experiment. Plants included transgenic, glyphosate-resistant B. napus, its weedy ancestor B. rapa, and hybrid and advanced generations derived from them.\r\nKey Results: The results of this experiment demonstrate reductions in reproductive fitness for non-transgenic genotypes and a contrasting increase in plant fitness for transgenic genotypes as a result of glyphosate-drift treatments. Results also suggest that a drift level of glyphosate spray may influence the movement of transgenes among transgenic crops and weeds and alter the processes of hybridization and introgression in non-agronomic habitats by impacting flowering phenology and pollen availability within the community.\r\nConclusions: The results of this study demonstrate the potential for persistence of glyphosate resistance transgenes in weedy plant communities due to the effect of glyphosate spray drift on plant fitness. Additionally, glyphosate drift has the potential to change the gene-flow dynamics between compatible transgenic crops and weeds, simultaneously reducing direct introgression into weedy species while contributing to an increase in the transgenic seed bank.', 'en_US'),
(3502, 'Influences of feeding artificial diet containing different concentrations of Cry1 Ac toxin by early-instar larvae of Spodoptera exigua (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on its larval development and adult reproduction. ', 'To obtain a full-scale assessment of the influences of transgenic Bt crops on the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hübner), larval development and adult reproduction of the S. exigua were examined when early-instar larvae fed on artificial diet containing different concentrations of Cry1Ac toxin for six days and then transferred to non-Cry1Ac toxic diet. The results showed that the corrected mortality of S. exigua significantly increased with increasing of concentration of Cry1Ac toxin and prolonging of feeding time when early-instar larvae fed on artificial diet containing Cry1Ac toxin for six days. As compared to the control fed on non&amp;#57361;Cry1Ac toxic diet, larval body weight was significantly decreased when early-instar larvae fed on the artificial diet containing Cry1Ac toxin. Larval duration, pre-pupal duration, male and female pupal duration were all significantly delayed, but male and female pupal body weight were not significantly different from those of control. Percentage of pupation was significantly declined, but the emergence rates were not significantly different from those of control. Pre-oviposition period of adult was significantly delayed, but oviposition period was not significantly different from that of control except that adults with early-instar larvae fed on the 5 &amp;#956;g/g Cry1Ac toxin diet had a significantly longer oviposition period (1.3 d longer). The highest number of eggs laid per female was observed when the early-instar larvae fed on the artificial diet containing 10 &amp;#956;g/g Cry1Ac toxin, but all the Cry1Ac toxin diet treatments had no significant difference compared with the control. Female longevity was all significantly prolonged, but not male except the treatment of the highest concentration (80 &amp;#956;g/g) of Cry1Ac toxin diet which resulted in a significantly longer longevity (2.4 d longer). These results indicated that the artificial diet containing different concentrations of Cry1Ac toxin have significant inhibition on the growth and development of S. exigua or directly resulted in death in larval stage, but when larvae were transferred to non-Cry1Ac toxic diet, they could recover fast, pupate, emerge and oviposit successfully. Therefore, once the early-instar larvae could survive and complete a generation after eating the plant tissue expressing Cry1Ac protein in the late development of the transgenic Bt crops, this will bring more risk of S. exigua on resistance to Bt crops, so it needs to develop an appropriate management strategy for this pest in agricultural Bt crops ecosystem.', 'en_US'),
(3503, 'Fitness of progenies between transgenic rice and weedy rice under greenhouse conditions.', 'In greenhouse, the F1 and F2 hybrids derived from glufosinate resistant transgenic rice (Y0003 and 99 1) and Malaysian weedy rice or Anhui weedy rice were backcrossed with corresponding weedy rice to obtain backcross generations. And the seed setting rates of the backcross were counted. The proportions of plants carrying the glufosinate resistance gene in F1 or F2 hybrids and the backcross generation were calculated. In order to comprehensively assess the risk of gene flow from glufosinate resistant rice to weedy rice, the fitness of hybrid and backcross generations were observed. The results showed that the hybrid generations were able to backcross with corresponding weedy rice with seed setting rates from 15% to 60%. The seeds from reciprocal hybrid F1 generation showed favorable glufosinate resistance, but F2 and backcross generations showed a normal 3&amp;#8758;1 and 1&amp;#8758;1 Mendelian segregation with glufosinate selection. The fitness of hybrid and backcross generations didn&amp;#8242;t differ obviously from that of their corresponding weedy rice. Most hybrid generations displayed similar fitness with backcross generations, but some hybrid generations were lower than backcross generations in fitness. All above results indicate that hybrids and backcross generations of two weedy rice carrying glufosinate resistance genes of Y0003 and 99 1 could survive under benign conditions without herbicide selection.', 'en_US'),
(3504, 'Frequency of gene flow from herbicide resistant transgenic rice to conventional rice varieties.', 'To observe the frequency of gene flow, a japonica rice 99 1 that contains the bar gene conferring Basta resistance was used as the pollen donor, and four conventional rice varieties as recipients were planted around it. The results showed that the frequency of transgene flow was 0.0193%-0.3960% at 0-2 m zone, but the frequencies were significantly different in different rice varieties.', 'en_US'),
(3505, 'Pollen viability and cross ability of isopentenyl transferase (ipt)-gene transformed broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) and its relatives.', 'Gene flow is an important index for environmental biosafety assessments. Pollens are potential carriers for genetically modified DNA to other plants. For phanerogams, pollen viability and cross-compatibility are key factors for successful outcross hybridization. In this study, broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) transformed with the ipt gene, designated as line 103 was used to investigate its potential outcross by pollen viability test and pollination with non-transgenic broccolis (line 104 and cv. ‘Green King’) and closely 5 related varieties, such as Chinese kales (B. oleracea var. alboglabra) ‘Fu Yue’ (white flower) and ‘Bai Ge Lin’ (yellow flower), cauliflower (B. oleracea var. botrytis) ‘Li Syue’, Pakchoi (B. rapa var. chinensis), and edible rape (B. rapa). These results provide valuable information for isolation and co-cultivation systems. Under field condition, flowering periods of transgenic ipt broccoli and non transgenic recipients were overlapping by 3–28 days in 2007 and 8–44 days in 2008. The pollen viability of F1 hybrids was determined by TTC (triphenyl tetrazolium chloride) method, FDA (fluorescein diacetate assay) and in vitro germination. The FDA showed no significant difference (p&amp;#65310;0.05) in pollen viability among transgenic line 103, non-transgenic and other tested cultivars. However, the differences of pollen viabilities were significant (p&lt;0.05) using TTC and in vitro germination. This result indicated that the cross abilities of transgenic and their hybridized offsprings were still existing. The range of hybridization rates were 86–100%, 1.1–42.5% and 0–9% by hand, insect (bee), and natural pollination, respectively. No hybridization was found from Pakchoi and edible rape as pollen recipients. The results showed that transgenic DNA insertion did not alter potential risk for outcross among broccoli varieties; however, there is possibility of gene transfer between transgenic and non-transgenic broccoli varieties.', 'en_US'),
(3506, 'No refuge for insect pests.', 'The sterile insect technique offers an alternative to the refuge strategy for managing resistance to Bt toxins.', 'en_US'),
(3507, 'Suppressing resistance to Bt cotton with sterile insect releases.', 'Genetically engineered crops that produce insecticidal toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are grown widely for pest control1. However, insect adaptation can reduce the toxins'' efficacy. The predominant strategy for delaying pest resistance to Bt crops requires refuges of non-Bt host plants to provide susceptible insects to mate with resistant insects. Variable farmer compliance is one of the limitations of this approach. Here we report the benefits of an alternative strategy where sterile insects are released to mate with resistant insects and refuges are scarce or absent. Computer simulations show that this approach works in principle against pests with recessive or dominant inheritance of resistance. During a large-scale, four-year field deployment of this strategy in Arizona, resistance of pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) to Bt cotton did not increase. A multitactic eradication program that included the release of sterile moths reduced pink bollworm abundance by &gt;99%, while eliminating insecticide sprays against this key invasive pest.', 'en_US'),
(3508, 'Status of feral oilseed rape in Europe: its minor role as a GM impurity and its potential as a reservoir of transgene persistence.', 'Purpose:  Feral oilseed rape has become widespread in Europe on waysides and waste ground. Its potential as a source of GM impurity in oilseed rape harvests is quantified, for the first time, by a consistent analysis applied over a wide range of study areas in Europe.\r\nMethods:  The maximum contribution of feral oilseed rape to impurities in harvested crops was estimated by combining data on feral abundance and crop yield from five established, demographic studies in agricultural habitats in Denmark, Germany (2), France and the UK, constituting over 1,500 ha of land and 16 site-years of observations. Persistence of feral populations over time was compared by visual and molecular methods.\r\nResults:  Ferals had become established in all regions, forming populations 0.2 to 15 km&amp;#8722;2. The seed they produced was always &lt;0.0001% of the seed on crops of oilseed rape in each region. The contribution of ferals to impurity in crops through accidental harvest of seed and through cross-pollination would be an even smaller percentage. Feral oilseed rape nevertheless showed a widespread capacity to persist in all regions and retain traits from varieties no longer grown.\r\nConclusions:  Feral oilseed rape is not a relevant source of macroscopic impurity at its present density in the landscape but provides opportunity for genetic recombination, stacking of transgenes and the evolution of genotypes that under strong selection pressure could increase and re-occupy fields to constitute an economic weed burden and impurity in future crops.\r\n', 'en_US'),
(3509, 'The influence of fertilizer level and spore density on arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization of transgenic Bt 11 maize (Zea mays) in experimental microcosms.', 'Crop plants genetically modified for the expression of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticidal toxins have broad appeal for reducing insect damage in agricultural systems, yet questions remain about the impact of Bt plants on symbiotic soil organisms. Here, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) colonization of transgenic maize isoline Bt 11 (expressing Cry1Ab) and its non-Bt parental line (Providence) was evaluated under different fertilizer level and spore density scenarios. In a three-way factorial design, Bt 11 and non-Bt maize were inoculated with 0, 40, or 80 spores of Glomus mosseae and treated weekly with ‘No’ (0 g L&amp;#8722;1), ‘Low’ (0.23 g L&amp;#8722;1), or ‘High’ (1.87 g L&amp;#8722;1) levels of a complete fertilizer and grown for 60 days in a greenhouse. While no difference in AMF colonization was detected between the Bt 11 and Providence maize cultivars in the lower spore/higher fertilizer treatments, microcosm experiments demonstrated a significant reduction in AMF colonization in Bt 11 maize roots in the 80 spore treatments when fertilizer was limited. These results confirm previous work indicating an altered relationship between this Bt 11 maize isoline and AMF and demonstrate that the magnitude of this response is strongly dependent on both nutrient supply and AMF spore inoculation level.', 'en_US'),
(3510, 'Physiological response of non-bt and bt cotton to short-term drought stress.', 'Drought stress triggered the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) both in non-Bt and Bt cotton with simultaneous production of antioxidant enzymes. And there was no significant difference between non-Bt and Bt cotton under drought stress. In contrast to this, we observed a significant reduction of Bt toxin proteins under 72 h of drought stress in Bt cotton.', 'en_US'),
(3511, 'Field performance of TC1507 transgenic corn hybrids against Asian corn borer in the Philippines.', 'Two TC1507 transgenic Bt corn hybrids with the cry1F gene, their conventional isogenic hybrids and a conventional local hybrid were planted in five locations in 2006 wet season and seven locations in 2006–2007 dry season, to evaluate their performance against the Asian corn borer (ACB), Ostrinia furnacalis Guenee, as part of the Dow AgroSciences regulatory field trials to gain approval for cultivation of this corn hybrid in the Philippines. The two TC1507 hybrids had 0.00–0.14 tunnels per plant while the conventional isogenic hybrids averaged 1.08–9.51 tunnels per plant. More tunnels were observed on the two non-Bt isogenic hybrids and the conventional local hybrid during the wet season than during the dry season. Damage also varied with location. The TC1507 event was highly effective against ACB and provided significant yield benefits over the conventional corn hybrids, particularly under severe ACB infestation. TC1507 had reduced number of borer tunnels (99.1%), foliar injury (84.2%), total tunnel length per plant (99.9%) and averaged 2.08 mt more per ha yield than the non-Bt isogenic hybrids across the 12 test locations. Implication of TC1507 transgenic Bt corn in ACB resistance management is discussed.', 'en_US'),
(3512, 'Response of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar to transgenic poplar, Populus simonii x P. nigra, expressing fusion protein gene of the spider insecticidal peptide and Bt-toxin cpeptide.', 'The response of the Asian gypsy moth Lymantria dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) to a fusion gene consisting of the spider, Atrax robustus Simon (Araneae: Hexanthelidae) &amp;#969;-ACTXAr1 sequence coding for an &amp;#969;-atracotoxin and a sequence coding for the Bt-toxin C-peptide, expressed in transgenic poplar Populus simonii x P. nigra L. (Malphigiales: Salicaceae) was investigated. Individual performance, feeding selection, midgut proteinase activity and nutrition utilization were monitored. The growth and development of L. dispar were significantly affected by continually feeding on the transgenic poplar, with the larval instars displaying significantly shorter developmental times than those fed on nontransgenic poplar, but pupation was delayed. Mortality was higher in populations fed transgenic poplar leaves, than for larvae fed nontransgenic poplar leaves. The cumulative mortality during all stages of larvae fed transgenic leaves was 92% compared to 16.7% of larvae on nontransgenic leaves. The highest mortality observed was 71.7% in the last larval instar stage. A two-choice test showed that fifth-instar larvae preferred to feed on nontransgenic leaves at a ratio of 1:1.4. Feeding on transgenic leaves had highly significant negative effects on relative growth of larvae, and the efficiency of conversion of ingested and digested food. Activity of major midgut proteinases was measured using substrates TAME and BTEE showed significant increases in tryptase and chymotrypsinlike activity (9.2- and 9.0-fold, respectively) in fifth-instar larvae fed on transgenic leaves over control. The results suggest that transgenic poplar is resistant to L. dispar, and that the mature L. dispar may be weakened by the transgenic plants due to Bt protoxins activated by elevated midgut proteinase activity. The transgenic poplar expressing fusion protein genes of Bt and a spider insecticidal peptide are good candidates for managing the gypsy moth.', 'en_US'),
(3513, 'Safety assessment of nonbrowning potatoes: opening the discussion about the relevance of substantial equivalence on next generation biotech crops.', 'It is expected that the next generation of biotech crops displaying enhanced quality traits with benefits to both farmers and consumers will have a better acceptance than first generation biotech crops and will improve public perception of genetic engineering. This will only be true if they are proven to be as safe as traditionally bred crops. In contrast with the first generation of biotech crops where only a single trait is modified, the next generation of biotech crops will add a new level of complexity inherent to the mechanisms underlying their output traits. In this study, a comprehensive evaluation of the comparative safety approach on a quality-improved biotech crop with metabolic modifications is presented. Three genetically engineered potato lines with silenced polyphenol oxidase (Ppo) transcripts and reduced tuber browning were characterized at both physiological and molecular levels and showed to be equivalent to wild-type (WT) plants when yield-associated traits and photosynthesis were evaluated. Analysis of the primary metabolism revealed several unintended metabolic modifications in the engineered tubers, providing evidence for potential compositional inequivalence between transgenic lines and WT controls. The silencing construct sequence was in silico analysed for potential allergenic cross-reactivity, and no similarities to known allergenic proteins were identified. Moreover, in vivo intake safety evaluation showed no adverse effects in physiological parameters. Taken together, these results provide the first evidence supporting that the safety of next generation biotech crops can be properly assessed following the current evaluation criterion, even if the transgenic and WT crops are not substantially equivalent.', 'en_US'),
(3514, 'Non-target risk assessment of Bt crops -- Cry protein uptake by aphids.', 'One of the main concerns regarding the use of insect-resistant transgenic crops is their potential detrimental effect on non-target organisms that fulfil important ecological functions. The potential effects on desirable non-target organisms are thus assessed as part of the environmental risk assessment prior to the commercial release of any novel transgenic crop. Aphids are abundant herbivores in most crops and are attacked by a range of specialist predators and parasitoids. We here show that aphids do not ingest considerable amounts of insecticidal proteins when feeding on Bt-transgenic crops. We argue that occasional reports of low concentrations of Bt Cry proteins in aphids can be explained by contamination of the samples. Consequently, antagonists that are specifically or predominantly attacking aphids are unlikely to be at risk because of limited exposure. Studies to support the environmental risk assessment should thus focus on species that are more likely to be exposed to the insecticidal compounds.', 'en_US'),
(3515, 'Susceptibility of European and North American populations of the European corn borer to the Cry1F insecticidal protein.', 'Baseline susceptibility to the Cry1F toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis was determined for 11 European Union (EU) and 24 United States (US) populations of European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner). The response to Cry1F exposure was measured as mortality and growth inhibition for each population. The aim of this study was to characterize inter-population variation in the susceptibility of EU and US European corn borer (O. nubilalis) neonates to Cry1F protein and additionally, intra-population variation for the EU European corn borer to help develop effective and sensitive resistance monitoring methods. In this study, neonate European corn borer were exposed to a range of concentration of microbially-produced Cry1F protein applied to the surface of artificial diet. Measures of mortality and growth inhibition of larvae on surface-treated diet relative to untreated control diet were taken after 7 days. A comparison between European and American corn borer populations showed that the range of variation in Cry1F toxin susceptibility assessed by mortality and growth inhibition was similar. Differences in Cry1F susceptibility between European corn borer populations across continents and among the various populations within each geography were apparent although similar variation among replicates for the same population were also observed in two EU populations. It is likely that these small differences reflect natural variation in sensitivity among populations of European corn borer as well as methodological differences and are not influenced by geographic location. The importance of establishing baseline susceptibilities to resistance detection is discussed.', 'en_US'),
(3516, 'Fitness costs of Cry1F resistance in laboratory-selected European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae).', 'The study of fitness costs associated with resistance to toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) is important for understanding resistance evolution and for evaluating resistance management practices that prevent or mitigate resistance. A strain of European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) obtained from field collections throughout the U.S. Corn Belt in 1996, was selected in the laboratory for resistance to Cry1F by exposure to the toxin incorporated into artificial diet. The selected strain developed more than 3000-fold resistance to Cry1F after 35 generations of selection and readily consumed Cry1F expressing maize tissue. Using this resistant strain, a susceptible strain with similar genetic background and reciprocal crosses between them, we estimated fitness costs and their dominance by measuring fitness components and population parameters determined by fertility life tables. Comparison of life-history traits and population growth rates of genotypes homozygous and heterozygous for resistance relative to susceptible genotypes indicated existence of weak and recessive fitness costs associated with resistance. The significance of these results in relation to current resistance management practices is discussed.', 'en_US'),
(3517, 'Effects of transgenic Bt cotton on overwintering characteristics and survival of Helicoverpa armigera.', 'The effects of transgenic Bt cotton on the overwintering generation of the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), are unknown. We hypothesized that a Bt cotton diet may adversely affect fitness of this generation and examined fresh weight, lipids, glycogens, low-molecular-weight sugars and SCPs (supercooling points) of pupae, as well as survival of larvae, diapausing pupae and adult emergence in comparison with controls. Field and laboratory experiments showed that larvae fed on Bt cotton had a decreased pupation rate, and fewer entered diapause and emerged as adults compared with larvae fed non-Bt cotton. Furthermore, larvae fed Bt cotton had reduced pupal weight, glycogen content and trehalose levels both in diapausing and in non-diapausing pupae, and only diapausing pupae had an increased SCP compared to controls. The SCPs of diapausing pupae reared on Bt cotton were significantly higher than those reared on non-Bt cotton. The trehalose levels of diapausing pupae reared on Bt cotton were significantly lower than those of larvae reared on non-Bt cotton. Thus, these results suggest that a Bt cotton diet weakens the preparedness of cotton bollworm for overwintering and reduces survival of the overwintering generation, which will in turn reduce the density of the first generation in the following year. Effects of transgenic Bt cotton on the overwintering generation of cotton bollworm appear to have significantly contributed to the suppression of cotton bollworm observed throughout northern China in the past decade.', 'en_US'),
(3518, 'Damage and survivorship of fall armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on transgenic field corn expressing Bacillus thuringiensis Cry proteins.', 'Field corn, Zea mays L., plants expressing Cry1Ab and Cry1F insecticidal crystal (Cry) proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Berliner are planted on considerable acreage across the Southern region of the United States. The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), is an economically important pest during the mid-to-late season on non-Bt and some commercial Bt corn hybrids. The objective of this study was to quantify foliar injury and survivorship of fall armyworm on transgenic corn lines expressing Cry1Ab or Cry1F Bt proteins. Corn lines/hybrids expressing Cry1Ab, Cry1F, and a conventional non-Bt cultivar were evaluated against artificial infestations of fall armyworm in field trials. Larvae (second instars) of fall armyworm were placed on corn plants (V8-V10 stages). Leaf injury ratings were recorded 14 d after infestation. Hybrids expressing Cry1F had significantly lower feeding injury ratings than non-Bt corn plants. Development and survivorship of fall armyworm on Bt corn lines/hybrids were also evaluated in no-choice laboratory assays by offering freshly harvested corn leaf tissue to third instars. Transgenic corn hybrids expressing Cry1Ab or Cry1F significantly reduced growth, development, and survivorship of fall armyworm compared to those offered non-Bt corn tissue. However, 25–76% of third instars offered Bt corn leaf tissues successfully pupated and emerged as adults. These results suggest Cry1Ab has limited effects on fall armyworm; whereas Cry1F demonstrated significant reductions in foliar injury and lower survivorship compared to that on non-Bt corn tissues. Although fall armyworm is not considered a primary target for insect resistance management by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, these levels of survivorship could impact selection pressures across the farmscape, especially when considering that transgenic Bt cotton cultivars express similar Cry (Cry1Ac or Cry1F) proteins.', 'en_US'),
(3519, 'Degradation dynamics of Cry1Ab insecticidal protein within transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis corn root debris and rhizosphere soil in field. ', 'OBJECTIVE:  The field degradation dynamics of Cry1Ab insecticidal protein in transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis corn in the root debris and rhizosphere soil of corn of events MON810 and Bt11 at harvest stage were investigated and compared.\r\nMETHOD:  The levels of Cry1Ab protein expression in root debris and rhizosphere soil of the two transgenic Bt corns of events MON810 and Bt11were quantified by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent essay(ELISA).\r\nRESULT:  It was showed that the Cry1Ab toxin in Bt corn root debris and rhizosphere soil were gradually degraded.The content of Cry1Ab insecticidal protein in corn root debris of MON810 was higher than that of Bt11,the degradation speed was slower compared with that of Bt11.The Cry1Ab insecticidal protein in root debris could not degrade completely in 8 months after harvest.No Cry1Ab insecticidal protein was detected in root debris of Bt11 in 7 months after harvest.Degradation of Cry1Ab insecticidal protein in rhizosphere soil of event MON810 was slower than that of event Bt11,no Cry1Ab insecticidal protein was detected in the rhizosphere soil of events MON810 and Bt11 in 8 months and 7 months after harvest,respectively.\r\nCONCLUSION:  The Cry1Ab insecticidal protein could not degrade completely,and some residues still remain in root debris and rhizosphere soil of events MON810 and Bt11 in the emerging stage of the spring crops in following year in field where the MON810 and Bt11 were planted.', 'en_US'),
(3520, 'Plants with genetically modified events combined by conventional breeding: an assessment of the need for additional regulatory data.', 'Crop varieties with multiple GM events combined by conventional breeding have become important in global agriculture. The regulatory requirements in different countries for such products vary considerably, placing an additional burden on regulatory agencies in countries where the submission of additional data is required and delaying the introduction of innovative products to meet agricultural needs. The process of conventional plant breeding has predictably provided safe food and feed products both historically and in the modern era of plant breeding. Thus, previously approved GM events that have been combined by conventional plant breeding and contain GM traits that are not likely to interact in a manner affecting safety should be considered to be as safe as their conventional counterparts. Such combined GM event crop varieties should require little, if any, additional regulatory data to meet regulatory requirements.', 'en_US'),
(3521, 'The first approved transgenic rice in China. ', 'The approval for commercializing the pest resistant transgenic rice in 2009 is a landmark decision in the history of China. A comprehensive overview on the approved rice strains in relevance to their development, molecular characterization, agronomic benefits, and biosafety assessment is discussed within this review.', 'en_US'),
(3522, 'A global overview of biotech (GM) crops: adoption, impact and future prospects.', 'In the early 1990s, some were skeptical that genetically modified (GM) crops, now referred to as biotech crops, could deliver improved products and make an impact at the farm level. There was even more skepticism that developing countries would adopt biotech crops. The adoption of and commercialization of biotech crops in 2008 is reviewed. The impact of biotech crops are summarized including their contribution to: global food, feed and fiber security; a safer environment; a more sustainable agriculture; and the alleviation of poverty, and hunger in the developing countries of the world. Future prospects are discussed. Notably, Egypt planted Bt maize for the first time in 2008 thereby becoming the first country in the Arab world to commercialize biotech crops.', 'en_US'),
(3523, 'Reducing uncertainty in regulatory decision-making for transgenic crops: more ecological research or clearer environmental risk assessment?', 'Ecological research and environmental risk assessment are similar in that they address interesting problems by formulating and testing hypotheses. They differ in the types of problems that are interesting, the characteristics of good hypotheses to solve those problems, and the methods for rigorous testing of hypotheses. It is important to recognize the differences between environmental risk assessment and basic ecological research because confusing them can lead to ineffective risk assessment and missed opportunities to advance ecological theory. Uncertainty in regulatory decision-making about transgenic crops may be reduced more effectively by clarifying the purpose and structure of environmental risk assessments than by further research on the ecology of the crops.', 'en_US'),
(3524, 'Engineering the plant genome: prospects of selection systems using nonantibiotic marker genes.', 'In the past 2-3 decades, great progress has been achieved in the field of plant genetic manipulation. This progress is based on fine-tuning of gene transfer methods, selection of transformed cells, and regulation of transgene expression. Transgenic plant production requires selectable marker genes that enable the selection of transformed cells, tissue and plants. The most used are those that exhibit resistance to antibiotics or herbicides. Although this type of selection is routinely practiced, there are perceived risks in the deployment of transgenic plants containing these markers. A number of strategies have emerged on the development of alternate selection systems referred to as positive selection and marker-free systems. Transgenes that permit plant cells to utilize new carbon sources are being employed in transformation research. Current research on marker-free transgenics is growing rapidly and its application is being tested in different plant species.', 'en_US');
INSERT INTO `bibliography_bibliography_i18n` (`id`, `title`, `abstract`, `locale`) VALUES
(3525, 'GM crops in Africa: challenges in Egypt.', 'In Africa, six million children die from malnutrition before their fifth birthday per year (World Bank stats). More than 800 million people go to bed hungry, 300 million of them are children.\r\n&quot;Simply because my people are hungry, that is no justification to give them poison&quot; Small words that were outspoken by President Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia, who refused to accept milled grains from the United States during the worst food shortage crises that ever faced Africa 2002. Amazingly; African leaders of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique refused to accept food aid, because it was &quot;contaminated&quot; with genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Moreover, they claimed that it made food &quot;hazardous to human health&quot;. Eventually, African countries gave in and accepted milled GM cereals, but Zambia was only spared from the catastrophe when they received certifiably non-GM aid from Europe.', 'en_US'),
(3526, 'Rapeseed species and environmental concerns related to loss of seeds of genetically modified oilseed rape in Japan. ', 'Feral rapeseed in Japan consists of Brassica rapa, B. juncea, and B. napus, mostly produced by escape from crops. Brassica rapa and B. juncea were introduced from abroad long ago as leaf and root vegetables and as an oil crop, and breeders have developed various cultivars. Brassica napus was introduced in the late 1800s, mainly as an oil crop. Rapeseed production in Japan is low, and most demand is met by imports from Canada (94.4% of the 2009 trade volume). Recently, spontaneous B. napus, including genetically modified (GM) herbicide-resistant individuals, has been detected along Japanese roads, probably originating from seeds lost during transportation of imports. As GM oilseed production increases abroad, the probability of escape of GM oilseed rape in Japan will increase, raising environmental biosafety concerns related to the impact of feral rapeseed on heirloom brassicaceous crops. In this paper, we review the history of rapeseed introduction in Japan and future concerns.', 'en_US'),
(3527, 'Gene flow from transgenic common beans expressing the bar gene.', 'Gene flow is a common phenomenon even in self-pollinated plant species. With the advent of genetically modified plants this subject has become of the utmost importance due to the need for controlling the spread of transgenes. This study was conducted to determine the occurrence and intensity of outcrossing in transgenic common beans. In order to evaluate the outcross rates, four experiments were conducted in Santo Antonio de Goiás (GO, Brazil) and one in Londrina (PR, Brazil), using transgenic cultivars resistant to the herbicide glufosinate ammonium and their conventional counterparts as recipients of the transgene. Experiments with cv. Olathe Pinto and the transgenic line Olathe M1/4 were conducted in a completely randomized design with ten replications for three years in one location, whereas the experiments with cv. Pérola and the transgenic line Pérola M1/4 were conducted at two locations for one year, with the transgenic cultivar surrounded on all sides by the conventional counterpart. The outcross occurred at a negligible rate of 0.00741% in cv. Pérola, while none was observed (0.0%) in cv. Olathe Pinto. The frequency of gene flow was cultivar dependent and most of the observed outcross was within 2.5 m from the edge of the pollen source.', 'en_US'),
(3528, 'Emergence of minor pests becoming major pests in GE cotton in China: what are the reasons? What are the alternatives practices to this change of status? ', 'A recent study in China by Lu et al.  shows that populations of an occasional cotton pest, mirid bugs (Heteroptera: Miridae), increased following the introduction of genetically engineered (GE) cotton plants. The GE cotton produces a delta-endotoxin from the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to control the cotton bollworm. Before the introduction of Bt cotton in China, mirid bugs were usually controlled by broad-spectrum pesticide sprays targeted against the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera H.', 'en_US'),
(3529, 'Characteristics of resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis toxin Cry2Ab in a strain of Helicoverpa punctigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) isolated from a field population.', 'In 1996, the Australian cotton industry adopted Ingard that expresses the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin gene cry1Ac and was planted at a cap of 30%. In 2004-2005, Bollgard II, which expresses cry1Ac and cry2Ab, replaced Ingard in Australia, and subsequently has made up &gt;80% of the area planted to cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. The Australian target species Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and Helicoverpa punctigera (Wallengren) are innately moderately tolerant to Bt toxins, but the absence of a history of insecticide resistance indicates that the latter species is less likely to develop resistance to Bt cotton. From 2002-2003 to 2006-2007, F2 screens were deployed to detect resistance to Cry1Ac or Cry2Ab in natural populations of H. punctigera. Alleles that conferred an advantage against Cry1Ac were not detected, but those that conferred resistance to Cry2Ab were present at a frequency of 0.0018 (n = 2,192 alleles). Importantly, the first isolation of Cry2Ab resistance in H. punctigera occurred before significant opportunities to develop resistance in response to Bollgard II. We established a colony (designated Hp4-13) consisting of homozygous resistant individuals and examined their characteristics through comparison with individuals from a Bt-susceptible laboratory colony. Through specific crosses and bioassays, we established that the resistance present in Hp4-13 is due to a single autosomal gene. The resistance is fully recessive. Homozygotes are able to survive a dose of Cry2Ab toxin that is 15 times the reported concentration in field grown Bollgard II in Australia (500 &amp;#956;g/ml) and are fully susceptible to Cry1Ac and to the Bt product DiPel. These characteristics are the same as those described for the first Cry2Ab resistant strain of H. armigera isolated from a field population in Australia.', 'en_US'),
(3530, 'Vip3Aa tolerance response of Helicoverpa armigera populations from a Cry1Ac cotton planting region.', 'Transgenic cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., that expresses the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry1Ac toxin, holds great promise in controlling target insect pests. Evolution of resistance by target pests is the primary threat to the continued efficacy of Bt cotton. To thwart pest resistance evolution, a transgenic cotton culitvar that produces two different Bt toxins, cry1Ac and vip3A genes, was proposed as a successor of cry1Ac cotton. This article reports on levels of Vip3Aa tolerance in Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) populations from the Cry1Ac cotton planting region in China based on bioassays of the F1 generation of isofemale lines. In total, 80 isofemale families of H. armigera from Xiajin county of Shandong Province (an intensive Bt cotton planting area) and 93 families from Anci county of Hebei Province (a multiple-crop system including corn [Zea mays L.], soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), and Bt cotton) were screened with a discriminating concentration of both Cry1Ac- and Vip3A-containing diets in 2009. From data on the relative average development rates and percentage of larval weight inhibition of F1 full-sib families tested simultaneously on Cry1Ac and Vip3Aa, results indicate that responses to Cry1Ac and Vip3Aa were not genetically correlated in field population of H. armigera. This indicates that the threat of cross-resistance between Cry1Ac and Vip3A is low in field populations of H. armigera. Thus, the introduction of Vip3Aa/Cry1Ac-producing lines could delay resistance evolution in H. armigera in Bt cotton planting area of China.', 'en_US'),
(3531, 'Mortality of western corn rootworm larvae on MIR604 transgenic maize roots: field survivorship has no significant impact on survivorship of F1 progeny on MIR604.', 'Mortality of western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, larvae due to MIR604 transgenic corn, Zea mays L., expressing the modified Cry3A (mCry3A) protein relative to survivorship on corn with the same genetic background without the gene (isoline corn) was evaluated at three Missouri sites in both 2005 and 2006. We made these comparisons by using wild-type western corn rootworm at three different egg densities (6,000, 3,000, and 1,500 eggs per m) so that the role of density-dependent mortality would be known. The mortality due to the mCry3A protein was 94.88% when averaged across all environments and both years. Fifty percent emergence of beetles was delayed &amp;#8781;5.5 d. Beetles were kept alive and their progeny evaluated on MIR604 and isoline corn in the greenhouse to determine whether survivorship on MIR604 in the field for one generation increased survivorship on MIR604 in the greenhouse in the subsequent generation. There was no significant difference in survivorship on MIR604 in greenhouse assays between larvae whose parents survived isoline and larvae whose parents survived MIR604 in the field the previous generation, indicating that many susceptible beetles survived MIR604 in the field the previous season along with any potentially resistant beetles. The data are discussed in terms of rootworm insect resistance management.', 'en_US'),
(3532, 'Recommendations for the design of laboratory studies on non-target arthropods for risk assessment of genetically engineered plants.', 'This paper provides recommendations on experimental design for early-tier laboratory studies used in risk assessments to evaluate potential adverse impacts of arthropod-resistant genetically engineered (GE) plants on non-target arthropods (NTAs). While we rely heavily on the currently used proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) in this discussion, the concepts apply to other arthropod-active proteins. A risk may exist if the newly acquired trait of the GE plant has adverse effects on NTAs when they are exposed to the arthropod-active protein. Typically, the risk assessment follows a tiered approach that starts with laboratory studies under worst-case exposure conditions; such studies have a high ability to detect adverse effects on non-target species. Clear guidance on how such data are produced in laboratory studies assists the product developers and risk assessors. The studies should be reproducible and test clearly defined risk hypotheses. These properties contribute to the robustness of, and confidence in, environmental risk assessments for GE plants. Data from NTA studies, collected during the analysis phase of an environmental risk assessment, are critical to the outcome of the assessment and ultimately the decision taken by regulatory authorities on the release of a GE plant. Confidence in the results of early-tier laboratory studies is a precondition for the acceptance of data across regulatory jurisdictions and should encourage agencies to share useful information and thus avoid redundant testing.', 'en_US'),
(3533, 'Assays of the production of harmful substances by genetically modified oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) plants in accordance with regulations for evaluating the impact on biodiversity in Japan.', 'Environmental risk assessment of transgenic crops is implemented under the Cartagena Protocol domestic law in accordance with guidelines for implementing the assessment established by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and the Ministry of Environment (MOE) in Japan. Environmental risk assessments of transgenic crops are implemented based on the concept of ‘substantial equivalence’ to conventional crops. A unique requirement in Japan to monitor the production of harmful substances, or allelochemicals, is unparalleled in other countries. The potential for allelochemicals to be secreted from the roots of transgenic crops to affect other plants or soil microflora or for substances in the plant body to affect other plants after dying out must be evaluated. We evaluated the allelopathic potential of seven transgenic oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) lines that express glufosinate tolerance in terms of substantial equivalence to conventional oilseed rape lines, and established evaluation methods. Our results indicate no potential production of allelochemicals for any of the seven transgenic oilseed rape lines compared with conventional oilseed rape lines.', 'en_US'),
(3534, 'Pollen-mediated transgene flow in maize grown in the Huang-huai-hai region in China.', 'In order to study pollen-mediated gene flow in transgenic maize (Zea mays L.) in the Huang-huai-hai region of China, field trials were conducted in Jinan, Shandong Province in 2006 and 2007. The frequencies of gene flow from the donor plots, planted with transgenic maize as a pollen source, to the receptor plots, planted with non-transgenic maize, under different temporal or spatial separations were evaluated. The results showed that the frequency of pollen-mediated gene flow of the als gene from transgenic maize to non-transgenic maize decreased significantly with increasing distance. No gene flow was detected at 300 m. At a distance of 30 m, delaying the planting date of the transgenic maize by 1 week decreased the frequency of gene flow by 70%. A delay of 2 weeks decreased the gene flow frequency by more than 90%, while no gene flow was seen when the sowing date was delayed by 3 weeks. The results suggest that an appropriate isolation distance of 300 m or a temporal separation of 3 weeks could prevent gene flow from transgenic maize to non-transgenic maize in the Huang-huai-hai region.', 'en_US'),
(3535, 'Effects of Cry1Ac protein on growth and development, reproduction and flight potential of the oriental army worm, Mythimna separata (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).', 'To obtain a full scale assessment of the influences of transgenic Bt crops on the oriental armyworm, Mythimna separata (Walker), larval growth and development, adult reproduction, and flight potential of M. separata were examined when newly hatched larvae continuously fed on artificial diet containing different concentrations of Cry1Ac toxin. The results showed that the mean head capsule width, and body length of the larvae fed with diets containing 0 (CK), 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 96 &amp;#956;g/g of Cry1Ac toxin for 6 d were significantly decreased as the concentration of toxin increased. Similarly, body weight, mortality, and the developmental period of the larvae treated for 18 d were negatively and significantly affected as the Cry1Ac dosage increased. The larvae fed with diets containing more than 12 &amp;#956;g/g of Cry1Ac toxin could not pupate, while the larvae fed with diets containing 0, 3 and 6 &amp;#956;g/g of Cry1Ac toxin could pupate and emerge normally. Furthermore, the pupal duration was extended, and the pupation rate decreased significantly as Cry1Ac concentration increased from 0 (CK) to 3, and 6 &amp;#956;g/g. Reproductive potential of the moths resulting from the larvae fed with diets containing 0, 3, and 6 &amp;#956;g/g of Cry1Ac toxin was also significantly different. Preoviposition period of adults was significantly prolonged, and the number of eggs laid per female was significantly decreased as the dosage of Cry1Ac toxin increased. Flight potential (including flight duration, distance, and velocity) of the 1-day-old moths was significantly decreased as the dosage of Cry1Ac toxin increased by tethered-flight test. All these results showed that the Cry1Ac had a significant impact on growth and development, reproduction and flight potential of M. separata, and this will help to improve the evaluation of ecological safety of Bt-crops.', 'en_US'),
(3536, 'Multi-generation effects of Bt rice on Anagrus nilaparvatae, a parasitoid of the nontarget pest Nilapavarta lugens. ', 'Little is known about the potential cumulative long-term effects of transgenic crops on nontarget organisms. In the present laboratory study, the potential cumulative effects of transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) rice on parasitoids in successive generations were observed for an egg parasitoid, Anagrus nilaparvatae parasitizing eggs of Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) feeding on Bt rice. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test confirmed that Cry1Ab insecticidal protein could be detected in newly eclosed parasitoid adults. However, no significant effect on the fecundity of Anagrus nilaparvatae Pang et Wang (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) was observed between Bt and non-Bt rice. Developmental times of both genders of A. nilaparvatae parasitizing host eggs laid in Bt (KMD1 and KMD2) rice lines were significantly prolonged from first generation to second generation, but not always prolonged from third generation to 11th generation as compared with the control rice line. Furthermore, the sex ratio of A. nilaparvatae progeny from the first generation to 11th generation in three rice lines was not significantly different. In general, our results suggested that the effect of Bt rice on this parasitoid could be negligible.', 'en_US'),
(3537, 'Conventional and seed-based insect management strategies similarly influence nontarget coleopteran communities in maize.', 'Seed-based pest management tools, such as transgenes and seed treatments, are emerging as viable alternatives to conventional insecticide applications in numerous crops, and often occur as coupled technologies. Seed-based technologies have been readily adopted in maize, for which ecological studies are needed to examine effects to farmland biodiversity. We compared the response of nontarget coleopteran communities in Cry1Ab/c sweet corn and Cry3Bb field corn to conventional pyrethroid applications and a control. Of particular interest was the Cry3Bb field corn, which was coupled with a neonicotinoid seed treatment and was not rotated across years. A functionally diverse subset of the coleopteran community, consisting of three families (Carabidae, Chrysomelidae, and Nitidulidae) and 9,525 specimens, was identified to species. We compared coleopteran diversity and dynamics using rarefaction and ordination techniques. There were no differences in species richness among treatments; however, higher activity densities were more common in the control. In the nonrotated field corn, principal response curves showed a consistent pattern of treatment communities deviating from the control communities over time, whereas crop rotation in the sweet corn negated treatment effects. Treatment effects could not be detected when beetles were grouped based on functional roles. Results indicate that neonicotinoid seed-based treatments may have effects on some nontarget coleopterans, but these effects are similar to conventional pyrethroid applications.', 'en_US'),
(3538, 'Safety assessment of EPA-rich triglyceride oil produced from yeast: genotoxicity and 28-day oral toxicity in rats. ', 'The 28-day repeat-dose oral and genetic toxicity of eicosapentaenoic acid triglyceride oil (EPA oil) produced from genetically modified Yarrowia lipolytica yeast were assessed. Groups of rats received 0 (olive oil), 940, 1880, or 2820 mg EPA oil/kg/day, or fish oil (sardine/anchovy source) by oral gavage. Lower total serum cholesterol was seen in all EPA and fish oil groups. Liver weights were increased in the medium and high-dose EPA (male only), and fish oil groups but were considered non-adverse physiologically adaptive responses. Increased thyroid follicular cell hypertrophy was observed in male high-dose EPA and fish oil groups, and was considered to be an adaptive response to high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids. No adverse test substance-related effects were observed on body weight, nutritional, or other clinical or anatomic pathology parameters. The oil was not mutagenic in the in vitro Ames or mouse lymphoma assay, and was not clastogenic in the in vivo mouse micronucleus test. In conclusion, exposure for 28 days to EPA oil derived from yeast did not produce adverse effects at doses up to 2820 mg/kg/day and was not genotoxic. The safety profile of the EPA oil in these tests was comparable to a commercial fish oil.', 'en_US'),
(3539, 'Uptake and clearance of dietary DNA in the intestine of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) fed conventional or genetically modified soybeans.', 'The aim of this study was to examine the presence or absence of dietary transgenic (Roundup Ready® soybean – RRS®) and soybean DNA (sRubisco) in the intestinal tract of Atlantic salmon fed either genetically modified (GM) or conventional (non-GM) soybeans. Uptake of dietary DNA was evaluated in the post gastric intestine (pyloric ceca – PC, mid intestine – MI and distal intestine – DI) after continuous feeding (6 months), feed restriction and re-feeding using qPCR and in situ hybridization. No transgenic DNA fragments were detected in any of the intestinal samples using event specific primers. Soybean DNA was detected in all segments of the intestinal tissue (PC, MI and DI) and visualized in the cell vacuolar system of the DI in the apex area of the intestinal fold. Dietary DNA was gradually cleared from the intestinal tissues when feed was restricted and could not be detected after 5 days. Re-feeding resulted in dietary plant DNA uptake after 2 h. The results show that the salmon intestine is able to take up dietary plant DNA shortly after feed intake and that one of the factors affecting uptake and clearance of nucleic acids in the various intestinal segments are the feeding status of the fish.', 'en_US'),
(3540, 'Experimental studies on pollen-mediated gene flow in Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench using male-sterile bait plants.', 'Information on the potential of pollen mediated gene flow (PMGF) in sorghum is required for ensuring varietal purity and to mitigate risk transgenic gene flow. Replicated trials were conducted in Kenya using a local landrace, ‘Ochuti’ as pollen donor surrounded by male-sterile pollen baits. Frequency of PMGF decreased with the increase of distance from pollen sources and was significantly influenced by wind direction and speed. Anther dehiscence correlated with increase in vapour pressure deficit in the morning. A negative exponential regression model with logarithmic transformation of PMGF and square-root transformation of distance from source field best fitted the data. Up to 50% of female florets on a male sterile (MS) plant were pollinated at 1 m from pollen source and declined to 14% at 10 m. The maximum distance of PMGF using the PMGF model, based on a threshold of one seed per MS plant, was 203 m when data above the 95th percentile is considered. However, in the presence of self-produced pollen of male-fertile target plants, the possibility of long-distance cross-pollination may be very low.', 'en_US'),
(3541, 'Developmental and photosynthetic regulation of delta-endotoxin reveals that engineered sugarcane conferring resistance to ''dead heart'' contains no toxins in cane juice.', 'The phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxylase is regulated at the levels of transcription and post-translation in C4 plants in light and abundantly accumulates in leaf mesophyll cells. We report here developmental and photosynthetic regulation of stably accumulated Bacillus thuringiensis &amp;#948;-endotoxin under the control of PEP-C promoter in transgenic sugarcane. In young leaves of plants, the transprotein is accumulated to 39% of the levels in mature leaves (135 ng mg&amp;#8722;1), and is induced with the cell development, from base to tip. Nevertheless, these levels are decreased up to 99.98% in non-photosynthetic cells as cane matures, from top to bottom, suggesting the photosynthesis regulation of &amp;#948;-endotoxin in cane cells. Further, transgenic plants are highly resistant to ‘dead heart’. In these studies, Scirpophaga nivela larvae causing ‘dead heart’ were killed within one hour of release to the transgenic plants. Therefore, this report may be regarded as the first report that provides a better strategy for developing transgenic sugarcane lines with absolute protection against invading larvae and no toxin residues in cane juice.', 'en_US'),
(3542, 'An economic evaluation of impact of soil quality on Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton productivity.', 'The study was conducted with the aim to determine the impact of soil quality on the Bt cotton productivity. A sample of 150 farmers was selected by using multi-stage sampling technique from three districts i.e. Rahim Yar Khan, Multan and Mianwali. A Cobb Douglas production function was employed to assess the effect of various agronomic and demographic variables on the Bt cotton productivity. Results of the analysis indicated that land preparation cost, seed cost, fertilizer cost, labour cost and dummy variable of soil quality were significant and positively contributing towards higher Bt cotton yield. While the spray cost and irrigation cost variable were found positive but non-significant. Findings of the study suggested that focusing on maintaining and improving the quality of soils is necessary to obtain higher crop yields. All this needs attention of agricultural extension department to provide information about advance techniques to farmers for improving soil quality.', 'en_US'),
(3543, 'Insect-resistant biotech crops and their impacts on beneficial arthropods.', 'With a projected population of 10 billion by 2050, an immediate priority for agriculture is to achieve increased crop yields in a sustainable and cost-effective way. The concept of using a transgenic approach was realized in the mid-1990s with the commercial introduction of genetically modified (GM) crops. By 2010, the global value of the seed alone was US $11.2 billion, with commercial biotech maize, soya bean grain and cotton valued at approximately US $150 billion. In recent years, it has become evident that insect-resistant crops expressing &amp;#948;-endotoxin genes from Bacillus thuringiensis have made a significant beneficial impact on global agriculture, not least in terms of pest reduction and improved quality. However, because of the potential for pest populations to evolve resistance, and owing to lack of effective control of homopteran pests, alternative strategies are being developed. Some of these are based on Bacillus spp. or other insect pathogens, while others are based on the use of plant- and animal-derived genes. However, if such approaches are to play a useful role in crop protection, it is desirable that they do not have a negative impact on beneficial organisms at higher trophic levels thus affecting the functioning of the agro-ecosystem. This widely held concern over the ecological impacts of GM crops has led to the extensive examination of the potential effects of a range of transgene proteins on non-target and beneficial insects. The findings to date with respect to both commercial and experimental GM crops expressing anti-insect genes are discussed here, with particular emphasis on insect predators and parasitoids.', 'en_US'),
(3544, 'Pollen-mediated gene flow in flax (Linum usitatissimum L.): can genetically engineered and organic flax coexist?', 'Coexistence allows growers and consumers the choice of producing or purchasing conventional or organic crops with known standards for adventitious presence of genetically engineered (GE) seed. Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is multipurpose oilseed crop in which product diversity and utility could be enhanced for industrial, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical markets through genetic engineering. If GE flax were released commercially, pollen-mediated gene flow will determine in part whether GE flax could coexist without compromising other markets. As a part of pre-commercialization risk assessment, we quantified pollen-mediated gene flow between two cultivars of flax. Field experiments were conducted at four locations during 2006 and 2007 in western Canada using a concentric donor (20 × 20&amp;#8201;m) receptor (120 × 120&amp;#8201;m) design. Gene flow was detected through the xenia effect of dominant alleles of high &amp;#945;-linolenic acid (ALA; 18:3cis&amp;#916;9,12,15) to the low ALA trait. Seeds were harvested from the pollen recipient plots up to a distance of 50&amp;#8201;m in eight directions from the pollen donor. High ALA seeds were identified using a thiobarbituric acid test and served as a marker for gene flow. Binomial distribution and power analysis were used to predict the minimum number of seeds statistically required to detect the frequency of gene flow at specific &amp;#945; (confidence interval) and power (1&amp;#8722;&amp;#946;) values. As a result of the low frequency of gene flow, approximately 4 million seeds were screened to derive accurate quantification. Frequency of gene flow was highest near the source: averaging 0.0185 at 0.1&amp;#8201;m but declined rapidly with distance, 0.0013 and 0.00003 at 3 and 35&amp;#8201;m, respectively. Gene flow was reduced to 50% (O50) and 90% (O90) between 0.85 to 2.64&amp;#8201;m, and 5.68 to 17.56&amp;#8201;m, respectively. No gene flow was detected at any site or year &gt;35&amp;#8201;m distance from the pollen source, suggesting that frequency of gene flow was less than or equal to0.00003 (P=0.95). Although it is not possible to eliminate all adventitious presence caused by pollen-mediated gene flow, through harvest blending and the use of buffer zones between GE and conventional flax fields, it could be minimized. Managing other sources of adventitious presence including seed mixing and volunteer populations may be more problematic.', 'en_US'),
(3545, 'Willingness to pay for GMO labeling policies: the case of Korea.', 'With the increasing interest in food safety, genetically modified organisms (GMO) have been a topic of intense public debate. To provide a basis for rational debate and develop an appropriate GMO labeling policy, the Korean government is interested in consumer attitudes and responses to GMO labeling policies. In this light, by employing a survey approach that is called “contingent valuation,” the present study attempted to measure the public''s willingness to pay (WTP) that are more stringent than the prevailing policies in Korea. Furthermore, in order to enhance statistical efficiency in WTP estimation and reduce the response effect in the context of WTP elicitation, this study employed a one-and-one-half bound dichotomous choice format. The estimate of the annual mean WTP for GMO labeling policies is 3,756 Korean won (USD 4.04) per household. This quantitative information can be utilized in developing policies related to genetically modified foods.', 'en_US'),
(3546, 'Backcrossing provides an avenue for gene introgression from wheat to jointed goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica) in the U.S. Great Plains.', 'Jointed goatgrass is an exotic species introduced into the western United States from Eurasia. The weed is an agricultural pest infesting winter wheat fields and causing economic loss. Common ancestry between the two species enables interspecific hybridization, thus providing a mechanism for gene flow to occur. This can facilitate the accumulation of novel genes, which could increase the wild species'' competitiveness with wheat and its ability to invade novel habitats. Interest in the development of transgenic wheat cultivars has increased the concern for interspecific gene flow. Gene introgression requires recurrent backcrossing to the weedy species after the initial hybridization event. Field experiments were conducted at two locations in Colorado in 2007–2008 and 2008–2009, with jointed goatgrass acting as the sole source of viable pollen for fertilization of transplanted hybrid plants. Backcrossing rates were determined by conducting germination studies on spikes collected from a total of 206 hybrid plants. Pollination by jointed goatgrass led to the production of 463 BC1 plants from seed produced on these 206 hybrid plants. Ninety-five percent confidence intervals estimate the rate of backcrossing at 0.028 to 0.306% and 0.077 to 0.604%, with medians of 0.062 and 0.152%, respectively, at the two locations. The results demonstrate that backcrossing to jointed goatgrass can occur, despite low rates of hybrid fertility. Subsequent backcrossing would make it likely that a wheat gene conferring a selective advantage will introgress into the weedy population. For the U.S. Great Plains, it is possible that transgenic wheat cultivars will be released in the future and determining proper management of these cultivars is necessary to minimize hybridization and advantageous gene introgression into weedy relatives.', 'en_US'),
(3547, 'Analysis of soil dwelling rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) in cultivated maize fields containing the Bt toxins, Cry34/35Ab1 and Cry1FCry34/35Ab1.', 'In this study, the potential exposure of non-targeted adult rove beetles and their larvae to Bt toxins (Cry34Ab1, Cry35Ab1, Cry1F (59122 and 1507×59122) designed to target western corn rootworm and European corn borer has been determined. The overall assemblage was not significantly affected by the production of stacked proteins.', 'en_US'),
(3548, 'Lethal and sub-lethal effects of transgenic rice containing cry1Ac and CpTI genes on the Pink Stem Borer, Sesamia inferens (Walker).', 'Lethal and sub-lethal effects of transgenic rice containing cry1Ac and CpTI genes on the pink stem borer, Sesamia inferens, were studied to collect information for ecological risk assessment on insect-resistance of transgenic rice. In vitro insect-feeding bioassays were conducted to evaluate the lethal and sub-lethal effects of transgenic rice lines (II YouKF6 and KF6) containing cry1Ac+CpTI genes on S. inferens at four different growth stages, viz., seedling, tillering and elongation, booting, and milk and maturing. Transgenic rice at seedling stage showed significantly high lethal effect on S. inferens with the shortest lethal duration for 50 and 100% individuals and the highest corrected mortalities after feeding on transgenic lines at this stage for 3 and 6 d. Followed by tillering and elongation stage, 50 and 100% S. inferens were dead after feeding on transgenic lines at this stage for 4 and 10 d, respectively. Moreover, corrected mortalities for 6 d feeding on transgenic lines at this stage were significantly higher than that at booting, and milk and maturing stages. Lethal effect of KF6 on S. inferens decreased significantly at booting stage. Lethal duration for 50% S. inferens significantly extended and its corrected mortalities for 6 d feeding also declined remarkably. However, lethal effect of II YouKF6 on S. inferens did not decrease significantly at this stage. Transgenic rice at booting, and milk and maturing stages did not show significant lethal effect to S. inferens and it showed the longest lethal duration for 50% individuals and the lowest corrected mortalities for 3 and 6 d feeding. A few larvae of S. inferens could survive, pupate and emerge on these two transgenic lines at booting, and milk and maturing stages. Sub-lethal effect of two transgenic lines on S. inferens also differed significantly between different developmental stages. Continuously feeding on transgenic rice lines at seedling, and tillering and elongation stages delayed the development of larvae and pupae and decreased pupation rate, but no effect was observed on eclosion rate. Larval development was significantly inhibited after feeding on transgenic rice at booting stage, but no obvious effect was observed in pupal stage, pupation and eclosion rate. There were no significant differences for larval and pupal development, pupation, and eclosion rates between feeding on transgenic and control rice lines at milk and maturing stage. Larval and pupal weights significantly declined, but no influence was observed on fecundity when S. inferens infested on transgenic rice at any stage. These showed that there were significant differences in lethal and sub-lethal effects of transgenic rice on S. inferens among developmental stages, and the effects gradually decreased with the increase of growth stages of rice plant.', 'en_US'),
(3549, 'Glyphosate tank mixtures controlling Commelina benghalensis, Tridax procumbens and Cenchrus echinatus in Soybean Roundup Ready(R).', 'Although the use of glyphosate tank mixtures for managing weed species of difficult control is prohibited by the Brazilian legislation, it has been a common practice among farmers. This work aimed to evaluate the efficiency and selectivity of herbicide tank mixtures using glyphosate to control Commelina benghalensis L., Tridax procumbens L. and Cenchrus echinatus L. in soybean crop RR®. A field experiment was conducted in the Municipality of Maracai, São Paulo State, between November, 2006 and March 2007, using the genotype CD-214RR® in a complete randomized block design with 21 treatments and four replications. The treatments consisted of the following applications: glyphosate (180; 360; 540 and 720 g ha-1); glyphosate in sequence (180/360; 360/360 and 540/360 g ha-1); glyphosate + chlorimuron-ethyl 360+10; 540+10 and 360+5/ 360+5 g ha-1); glyphosate + lactofen (360+120; 540+120 and 360+60/ 360+60 g ha-1); glyphosate + cloransulam-methyl (360+30; 540+30 and 360+16,9/ 360+12,9 g ha-1); glyphosate + carfentrazone (360+4 g ha-1); glyphosate + imazethapyr (360+50 g ha-1); glyphosate + imazethapyr (177.8+30 g ha-1) and controls with and without weeding. Despite the similarity in grain yield between treatments with glyphosate alone and sequentially at doses 540, 720 and 540 / 360 g ha-1, the tank mixtures with chlorimuron-ethyl, cloransulam-methyl, lactofen and imazethapyr favored control of weed species tolerant to glyphosate such as C. benghalensis and T. procumbens.', 'en_US'),
(3550, 'Expression of the viral antigen VP60 in transgenic potatoes and its effect on the nutritional composition of tubers.', 'Recombinant plant-derived pharmaceuticals have been investigated for the last two decades and some products will soon be brought to market. Since veterinary pharmaceuticals seem to be the front-runners of plant-derived vaccines, we selected one model subunit vaccine, the structural capsid protein VP60 against rabbit haemorrhagic disease, and analyzed the expression of three different sequences representing the vp60 open reading frame in potato plants. The generation of antigenic VP60 molecules in the leaf and tuber tissue of potato was tremendously enhanced by replacing virus-derived sequences with plant-optimized codons. In order to identify potentially undesirable alterations in the composition of these genetically modified food components, we studied their nutrient composition and nutritional value in comparison to two parental conventional breeding varieties (Albatros and Desiree). The largest differences in nutrient composition were found between the two conventional breeds and between conventional Desiree and its near-isogenic genetically modified potato plant, indicating that genetic modification as well as conventional breeding can influence nutrient composition. Nevertheless, most parameters of nutritional value seemed to be more affected by conventional breeding than by genetic modification.', 'en_US'),
(3551, 'Current state of genetically modified plant impact on target and non-target fungi.', 'For two decades, genetic engineering has made it possible to develop crops and trees designed for yield improvement and simplified culture management. This, combined with field deployment of monocultures over large areas, can result in environmental stress and unwanted potential side effects. The commercial production of genetically modified (GM) crops and the recent development of GM trees raise concerns about their potential impact on the environment, in general, and on the biodiversity of non-target organisms, in particular. Fungi are spread worldwide and play key roles in ecosystems. They have been closely associated with plants since they emerged from the oceans. This review critically examines research monitoring the potential effects of GM crops and GM trees on target and non-target fungi. Parsing public databases for peer-reviewed publications about GM plant impacts on fungi yielded 149 studies, a relatively modest number considering the diversity of crops and ecosystems studied. Analysis of these publications showed that the effects of GM plants expressing herbicide and insect tolerance on fungi are understudied while they dominate the GM area worldwide. Experiments monitoring the impact of GM crops and GM trees with enhanced antifungal activity towards target fungi showed, for the most part, significant decreases in disease severity caused by fungal pathogens. Significant changes, expressed as an increase or decrease in fungal development, abundance, and diversity of non-target fungi, were observed in 18 out of 60 studies and all of them involved GM plants expressing traits that were unexpected to affect fungi. The remaining 42 studies did not identify a significant impact on fungal populations. Therefore, in spite of the fact that GM plants have been commercialized since 1996, no clear generalized trend can be identified and it appears that a case-by-case approach is the safest.', 'en_US'),
(3552, 'Seeds of change: corn seed mixtures for resistance management and integrated pest management.', 'The use of mixtures of transgenic insecticidal seed and nontransgenic seed to provide an in-field refuge for susceptible insects in insect-resistance-management (IRM) plans has been considered for at least two decades. However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has only recently authorized the practice. This commentary explores issues that regulators, industry, and other stakeholders should consider as the use of biotechnology increases and seed mixtures are implemented as a major tactic for IRM. We discuss how block refuges and seed mixtures in transgenic insecticidal corn, Zea mays L., production will influence integrated pest management (IPM) and the evolution of pest resistance. We conclude that seed mixtures will make pest monitoring more difficult and that seed mixtures may make IRM riskier because of larval behavior and greater adoption of insecticidal corn. Conversely, block refuges present a different suite of risks because of adult pest behavior and the lower compliance with IRM rules expected from farmers. It is likely that secondary pests not targeted by the insecticidal corn as well as natural enemies will respond differently to block refuges and seed mixtures.', 'en_US'),
(3553, 'Sublethal effects of Cry 1F Bt corn and clothianidin on black cutworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larval development.', 'Black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is an occasional pest of maize (corn), Zea mays L., that may cause severe stand losses and injury to corn seedlings. The efficacy of the neonicotinoid seed treatment clothianidin at two commercially available rates and their interaction with a transgenic corn hybrid (Bt corn), trait expressing the Bacillus thuringiensis variety aizawai insecticidal toxin Cry 1Fa2, against black cutworm larvae was investigated. Clothianidin at a rate of 25 mg kernel&#8722;1 on Bt corn increased larval mortality and reduced larval weight gains additively. In contrast, weights of larvae fed non-Bt corn seedlings treated with clothianidin at a rate of 25 mg kernel&#8722;1 increased significantly, suggesting either compensatory overconsumption, hormesis, or hormoligosis. Both Bt corn alone and clothianidin at a rate of 125 mg kernel&#8722;1 applied to non-Bt corn seedlings caused increased mortality and reduced larval weight gains. In two field trials, plots planted with Bt corn hybrids consistently had the highest plant populations and yields, regardless of whether they were treated with clothianidin at the lower commercial rate of 25 mg kernel&#8722;1 The use of Bt corn alone or in combination with the low rate of clothianidin (25 mg kernel&#8722;1) seems suitable as a means of suppressing black cutworm in no-tillage cornfields, although rescue treatments may still be necessary under severe infestations. Clothianidin alone at the low rate of 25 mg kernel&#8722;1 is not recommended for black cutworm control until further studies of its effects on larval physiology and field performance have been completed.', 'en_US'),
(3554, 'Effect of pyramiding Bt and CpTI genes on resistance of cotton to Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) under laboratory and field conditions.', 'Transgenic cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) varieties, adapted to China, have been bred that express two genes for resistance to insects. the Cry1Ac gene from Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) (Bt), and a trypsin inhibitor gene from cowpea (CpTI). Effectiveness of the double gene modification in conferring resistance to cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), was studied in laboratory and field experiments. In each experiment, performance of Bt+CpTI cotton was compared with Bt cotton and to a conventional nontransgenic variety. Larval survival was lower on both types of transgenic variety, compared with the conventional cotton. Survival of first-, second-, and third-stage larvae was lower on Bt+CpTI cotton than on Bt cotton. Plant structures differed in level of resistance, and these differences were similar on Bt and Bt+CpTI cotton. Likewise, seasonal trends in level of resistance in different plant structures were similar in Bt and Bt+CpTI cotton. Both types of transgenic cotton interfered with development of sixth-stage larvae to adults, and no offspring was produced by H. armigera that fed on Bt or Bt+CpTI cotton from the sixth stage onward. First-, second-, and third-stage larvae spent significantly less time feeding on transgenic cotton than on conventional cotton, and the reduction in feeding time was significantly greater on Bt+CpTI cotton than on Bt cotton. Food conversion efficiency was lower on transgenic varieties than on conventional cotton, but there was no significant difference between Bt and Bt+CpTI cotton. In 3-yr field experimentation, bollworm densities were greatly suppressed on transgenic as compared with conventional cotton, but no significant differences between Bt and Bt+CpTI cotton were found. Overall, the results from laboratory work indicate that introduction of the CpTI gene in Bt cotton raises some components of resistance in cotton against H. armigera, but enhanced control of H. armigera under field conditions, due to expression of the CpTI gene, was not demonstrated.', 'en_US'),
(3555, 'Genetic elimination of dengue vector mosquitoes.', 'An approach based on mosquitoes carrying a conditional dominant lethal gene (release of insects carrying a dominant lethal, RIDL) is being developed to control the transmission of dengue viruses by vector population suppression. A transgenic strain, designated OX3604C, of the major dengue vector, Aedes aegypti, was engineered to have a repressible female-specific flightless phenotype. This strain circumvents the need for radiation-induced sterilization, allows genetic sexing resulting in male-only releases, and permits the release of eggs instead of adult mosquitoes. OX3604C males introduced weekly into large laboratory cages containing stable target mosquito populations at initial ratios of 8.5–10&#8758;1 OX3604C&#8758;target eliminated the populations within 10–20 weeks. These data support the further testing of this strain in contained or confined field trials to evaluate mating competitiveness and environmental and other effects. Successful completion of the field trials should facilitate incorporation of this approach into area-wide dengue control or elimination efforts as a component of an integrated vector management strategy.', 'en_US'),
(3556, 'Economic benefits of genetically-modified herbicide-tolerant canola for producers.', 'Genetically-modified herbicide-tolerant (GMHT) canola was introduced in Western Canada in 1995. In 2007, a producer survey elicited answers to 80 questions regarding their experiences, including production practices, tillage and herbicide use, control of volunteer canola, and weed-control practices. The survey revealed that the new technology generated between $1.063 billion CAD and $1.192 billion annual net direct and indirect benefits for producers from 2005-2007; this is partly attributed to lower input costs and partly attributed to better weed control. One major concern in the early years following introduction was the potential for HT traits to outcross with weedy relatives or for GMHT canola to become a pervasive and uncontrollable volunteer in non-canola crops, either of which would offset some producer gains. The survey largely discounts that concern. More than 94% of respondents reported that weed control was the same or had improved, less than one-quarter expressed any concern about herbicide resistance in weed populations, 62% reported no difference in controlling for volunteer GM canola than for regular canola, and only 8% indicated that they viewed volunteer GM canola to be one of the top five weeds they need to control.', 'en_US');
INSERT INTO `bibliography_bibliography_i18n` (`id`, `title`, `abstract`, `locale`) VALUES
(3557, 'From microbial sprays to insect-resistant transgenic plants: history of the biospesticide Bacillus thuringiensis. A review.', 'Bacillus thuringiensis, known as Bt, is a spore-forming bacterium that occurs naturally in soil and that produces highly specific insecticidal proteins called Cry proteins. These proteins are stomach poisons that specifically affect insects. Today, Bt preparations are considered as the most effective, specific and environmentally-friendly bioinsecticides; they have been used as biological pesticides in agriculture, forestry and in human health for the elimination of vectors of diseases for more than 60 years and their implementation far exceeds other microbial agents such as fungi, protozoa or viruses. This review on the use of this entomopathogenic bacterium in crop protection is not intended to be a compilation of the results of all the investigations made in this field. Instead, it is an attempt to provide an overview of the major trends and developments of Bt for the control of agricultural insect pests and to describe the main approaches that have been used to improve this natural bioinsecticide. Bt-based insecticides are considered safe for mammals and birds, and are safer for non-target insects than conventional insecticides; they have become the most widely used microbial insecticides. However, Bt products have several limitations, such as a narrow activity spectrum, instability in rain and sunlight, and inefficiency against pest feeding on internal tissues of the plants. The first step towards improving Bt has involved the isolation of new strains with higher and broader insecticidal activity against targeted insect pests and the cloning of cry genes encoding new insecticidal crystal proteins. A second strategy was to increase the persistence of its toxins in the field by encapsulation in recombinant asporogenic Bt strains or other heterologous recombinant microbial hosts; this protected the toxins against UV degradation and had the advantage that the transgenic microorganisms released into the environment were non-viable. Bt has also become a key source of genes for transgenic expression to provide pest resistance in plants and in so-called genetically modified plants. The engineering of plants to express Bt cry genes has been especially helpful against pests that attack parts of the plant that are usually not well protected by conventional insecticide application. The potential effects on human health and the environment of the large-scale use of these Bt crops are also in the scope of this review.', 'en_US'),
(3558, 'Use of murine models to detect the allergenicity of genetically modified Lactococcus lactis NZ9000/pNZPNK.', 'By introducing aprN into Lactococcus lactis NZ9000, the genetically modified L. lactis NZ9000/pNZPNK successfully expressed the nattokinase. The safety assessment of this novel strain was based on allergenicity of pepsin digestion stability and murine model serologic identity. Subjecting to the GM strain and host to pepsin digestion, the soluble fractions and cell debris were fast degraded completely. Feeding with ovalbumin resulted in significantly higher production of IgG1 and IgE as compared to that of L. lactis NZ9000/pNZPNK or L. lactis NZ9000. Further, the serum IgG2a level increased dose-dependently at week 2 and induced immune reaction toward Th1 pathway. Secretion of cytokines IL-4 and IL-10 fed with lactococci was significantly lower than that of the OVA group. L. lactis NZ9000/pNZPNK did not increase the proliferation of type 2 helper T cells in spleen or induce allergenicity in BALB/c mice. On the basis of the results, the new GM lactic acid bacterium is regarded as safe to use.', 'en_US'),
(3559, 'Nutritional equivalency evaluation of transgenic maize grain from event DP-O9814O-6 and transgenic soybeans containing event DP-356O43-5: laying hen performance and egg quality measures.', 'The objective of this study was to compare the nutritional performance of laying hens fed maize grain from event DP-Ø9814Ø-6 (98140; gat4621 and zm-hra genes) and processed soybean meal from soybeans containing event DP-356Ø43-5 (356043; gat4601 and gm-hra genes), individually or in combination, with the performance of hens fed diets containing nontransgenic maize and soybean meal. Healthy pullets (n = 216) placed in cages (3 hens/cage) were randomly assigned to 9 dietary treatments (8 cages/treatment): nontransgenic controls 1, 2, and 3 (comparable genetic background controls for 98140, 356043, and 98140 + 356043, respectively); reference 1, reference 2, and reference 3 (commercially available nontransgenic maize-soybean meal sources); and 98140 (test 1), 356043 (test 2), and 98140 + 356043 (test 3). The experiment was divided into three 4-wk phases (24 to 28 wk, 28 to 32 wk, and 32 to 36 wk of age), during which time hens were fed mash diets. Performance (BW, feed intake, and egg production) and egg quality data were collected. Data were analyzed using a mixed model ANOVA; differences between the control and respective test group means were considered significant at P &lt; 0.05. Data generated from the reference groups were used only in the estimation of experimental variability and in generating the tolerance interval. Body weight and BW gain, egg production, and production efficiency for hens fed the test diets were similar to the respective values for hens fed the corresponding control diets. Haugh unit measures and egg component weights were similar between the respective test and control groups, and no differences were observed in quality grades or crack measures. All observed values of the control and test groups were within the calculated tolerance intervals. This research indicates that the performance and egg quality of hens fed diets containing 98140 maize grain, 356043 soybean meal, or a combination of the 2 was comparable with that of hens fed diets formulated with nontransgenic maize grain or soybean meal control diets with comparable genetic backgrounds.', 'en_US'),
(3560, 'Genetically modified plants as fish feed ingredients.', 'Genetically modified (GM) plants were first grown commercially more than 20 years ago, but their use is still controversial in some parts of the world. Many GM plant varieties are produced in large quantities globally and are approved for use in fish feeds both in Norway and the European Union. European consumers, however, are skeptical to fish produced by means of GM feed ingredients. Concerns have been raised regarding the safety of GM plants, including potential toxicity and (or) allergenicity of the novel protein, potential unintended effects, and risk of horizontal gene transfer to other species. This review will present the current state of knowledge regarding GM plants as fish feed ingredients, focusing on fish performance and health as well as the fate of the GM DNA fragments in the fish, identifying limitations of the current work and areas where further research is needed.', 'en_US'),
(3561, 'Far-reaching deleterious impacts of regulations on research and environmental studies of recombinant DNA-modified perennial biofuel crops in the United States.', 'Regulatory restrictions have increased in recent years on organisms produced using recombinant DNA and asexual gene transfer, a process commonly called genetic engineering or genetic modification. Regulatory agencies have raised special concerns and required additional scrutiny for perennial grasses and woody plants of interest for biofuels; these plants have incomplete domestication, invasive capabilities, and the ability to mate with wild or feral relatives. Regulations on these plants require extremely stringent containment through all phases of research and development, regardless of the source of the gene, the novelty of the trait, or the plants'' anticipated economic or environmental benefits. We discuss the extent to which these requirements conflict with the realities of practical crop breeding, and prevent meaningful agronomic and environmental studies, thus hampering—and in most cases, precluding—the use of recombinant DNA breeding methods for perennial crop improvement. We propose regulatory reforms to better balance benefit and risk and remove unnecessary barriers to agronomic evaluations and environmental studies.', 'en_US'),
(3562, 'Societal choice for climate change futures: trees, biotechnology, and clean development.', 'The rate and magnitude of predicted climate change require that we urgently mitigate emissions or sequester carbon on a substantial scale in order to avoid runaway climate change. Geo- and bioengineering solutions are increasingly proposed as viable and practical strategies for tackling global warming. Biotechnology companies are already developing transgenic “super carbon-absorbing” trees, which are sold as a cost-effective and relatively low-risk means of sequestering carbon. The question posed in this article is, Do super carbon trees provide real benefits or are they merely a fanciful illusion? It remains unclear whether growing these trees makes sense in terms of the carbon cost of production and the actual storage of carbon. In particular, it is widely acknowledged that “carbon-eating” trees fail to sequester as much carbon as they oxidize and return to the atmosphere; moreover, there are concerns about the biodiversity impacts of large-scale monoculture plantations. The potential social and ecological risks and opportunities presented by such controversial solutions warrant a societal dialogue.', 'en_US'),
(3563, 'Genetically engineered salmon pose environmental risks that must be considered.', 'As the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers whether to approve the first genetically engineered animal to enter the American food supply (Williams 2010), we face the worrying prospect that approval will come without consideration of its full suite of potential environmental and ecological impacts.\r\nIf the veterinarian-led FDA advisory group concludes that the new fish poses no substantial environmental risks (as it appears likely they will; Pollack 2010), the application can be approved without a full environmental impact statement.\r\nThe proposal is for a modified Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) containing genetic material from Chinook salmon and ocean pout, allowing it to produce growth hormone when it normally would not. The new fish grows to marketable size roughly twice as fast as its wild counterparts.\r\nFDA approval of this application could pave the way for greater future production of this and other genetically engineered food animals. The consequences of future production, in farms and ocean pens and potentially in less-well-regulated environments and countries, absolutely must be considered.\r\nEscape by these salmon into marine ecosystems would pose a wide range of environmental and ecological threats beyond those of conventional salmon (Naylor et al. 2005) grown in farms (Krkosek et al. 2007) and ocean pens (Vester and Timme 2010). Larger fish at a given age or season may out-compete wild salmon, potentially reducing individual or population growth rates. Predator-prey dynamics could be disrupted both through lethal and nonlethal means. The larger-at-age engineered salmon are likely to be more effective predators. Importantly, even in the absence of lethal effects, the mere presence of larger fish predators has been shown to alter prey behavior, causing trophic cascades in marine systems that can dramatically alter seafloor structure. Such ecosystem alterations could potentially have unanticipated repercussions throughout the food web.\r\nGiven the wide range of potential environmental and ecological ramifications of engineered salmon escaping into natural ecosystems, the FDA must consult ecologists with the knowledge and tools to accurately assess the risks posed by commercialization of these fish. Critically, a full environmental impact statement must be conducted before this decision is made in order to set a precedent for other genetically engineered species in one of the world''s largest seafood markets.', 'en_US'),
(3564, 'Variation in the spatio-temporal expression of insecticidal genes in cotton.', 'The most significant breakthrough in plant biotechnology is the development of the techniques to transform genes from unrelated sources into commercially important crop plants to develop resistance against targeted insect pests. The spatio-temporal expression of insecticidal genes in transgenic cotton varies with plant age, plant parts and environmental conditions. The understanding of this temporal and spatial variation in efficacy and the resulting mechanisms is essential for cotton protection and production. This review summarizes variations in the efficacy of introduced insecticidal genes in cotton crop. The factors contributing to the variability of endotoxins have also been highlighted. The reduction in Bt protein biosynthesis in late-season cotton tissues could be attributed to the overexpression of the Bt gene at earlier stages, which leads to gene regulation at post-transcription levels and consequently results in gene silencing at a later stage. Methylation of the promoter may also play a role in the declined expression of endotoxin proteins. In genetically modified crops several environmental factors have been reported to affect the expression of transgenes. Among environmental factors nitrogen metabolism, inhibition of synthesis, degradation, remobilization and high temperature are attributable to the quantitative reduction in Bt proteins. Applying plant growth regulators or protein enhancers such as ChaperoneTM may improve Bt cotton efficacy through enhancing the synthesis of proteins. Also some agronomic practices such as nitrogen fertilization and timely irrigation favour the endotoxin expression. Thus, variations in the efficacy of insecticidal genes in transgenic cotton and the involved mechanisms need to be understood fully so as to plan rational resistance management strategies to retard the rate of resistance development and to control target pests effectively by enhancing the endotoxin expression through genetic or agronomic management.', 'en_US'),
(3565, 'Field simulation of transgenic seed admixture dispersion in maize with a blue kernel color marker.', 'Seed purity in maize (Zea mays L.) has been almost neglected in coexistence studies. In this study, the impact of initial seed admixture was assessed in 20 fields (17 integrated pest management [IPM] and three organics) in the Swiss Midlands in 2007 and 2008 and a seed admixture threshold was proposed. The blue-kernelled French hybrid Adonis was used as a color-marker admixture. In 2009, its pollen production was assessed relative to those of two commercial hybrids (LG 32.12 and DKC 2960) that released 41 and 62%, respectively, less pollen than Adonis. Adonis was added to commercial yellow hybrid seeds at a proportion of 1:99. On average, the seed admixture at harvest was 2.8 times greater than the seed admixture at sowing. The greater pollen production of Adonis relative to yellow hybrids explained the increase in the harvest seed admixture via pollen flow. The lesser average kernel number per plant of Adonis (316 kernels plant&amp;#8722;1; 451 kernels plant&amp;#8722;1 for commercial hybrids) buffered the effect of pollen flow. Correcting for these differences provided simulation results compatible with the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium for a trait with 1% frequency. When compared among the 20 field situations, (i) flower synchrony between admixture and commercial subpopulation and (ii) vertical distance between tassels of Adonis and ears of the commercial hybrid contributed most to field differences. To guarantee the 0.9% threshold imposed by the European Union for non-genetically-modified product, the seed admixture threshold should range between 0.2 and 0.5%.', 'en_US'),
(3566, 'Transgenic soya beans: economic implications for EU livestock sector.', 'World oilseed trade consists of many closely substitutable commodities, with canola and cottonseed as possible alternatives to soya beans for many purposes. Transgenic events in all three crops have been widely adopted, particularly in North and South America, for compelling economic or agronomic reasons. Despite the close attention from organizations concerned about the potential consequences of transgenic crop adoption, there appears to be no substantiated evidence of transgenic DNA in meat or milk products when such crops are fed to livestock. The global area of these transgenic crops continues to increase. No transgenic canola, cotton or soya bean crops are permitted for commercial cultivation in Europe, and although transgenic feed resources are permitted for import, importers risk shipments being denied entry if the traces of an unauthorized transgenic crop are detected. These tight controls can mean that livestock farmers in the EU are disadvantaged due to restricted access to cheaper feed or higher feed costs, and they are thus losing a degree of competitive advantage. This paper reviews the extent to which transgenic soya beans have become the ‘conventional’ method of cultivation elsewhere, and notes implications this has for livestock nutrition, traceability and economics within the EU. The paper concludes with discussion regarding the implications for the EU of delayed acceptance of newly available transgenic traits.', 'en_US'),
(3567, 'Assessing the risk posed to free-living soil nematodes by a genetically modified maize expressing the insecticidal Cry3Bb1 protein.', 'Before pest-resistant genetically modified maize can be grown commercially, the risks for soil-beneficial, non-target organisms must be determined. Here, a tiered approach was used to assess the risk to free-living soil nematodes posed by maize genetically modified to express the insecticidal Cry3Bb1 protein (event Mon88017), which confers resistance towards western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera; Coleoptera). The toxicity of purified Cry3Bb1 for the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans was determined using a bioassay and gene expression analysis. In addition, a soil toxicity test was used to assess the effects on C. elegans of rhizosphere soil obtained from plots of an experimental field grown with Mon88017, the near-isogenic cultivar, or either of two conventional cultivars. Finally, the indigenous nematode communities from the experimental field site with Mon88017 and from the control cultivars were analyzed. The results showed a dose-dependent inhibitory effect of Cry3Bb1 on the growth and reproduction of C. elegans, with EC50 values of 22.3 mg l&amp;#8722;1 and 7.9 mg l&amp;#8722;1, respectively. Moreover, Cry-protein-specific defense genes were found to be up-regulated in the presence of either Cry1Ab or Cry3Bb1. However, C. elegans was not affected by rhizosphere soils from Mon88017 compared to the control plots, due to the very low Cry3Bb1 concentrations, as indicated by quantitative analyses (&lt; 1 ng g&amp;#8722;1 soil). Nematode abundance and diversity were essentially the same between the various maize cultivars. At the last sampling date, nematode genus composition in Bt-maize plots differed significantly from that in two of the three non-Bt cultivars, including the near-isogenic maize, but the shift in genus composition did not influence the composition of functional guilds within the nematode communities. In conclusion, the risk to free-living soil nematodes posed by Mon88017 cultivation can be regarded as low, as long as Cry3Bb1 concentrations in soil remain four orders of magnitude below the toxicity threshold.', 'en_US'),
(3568, 'Research progress and safety evaluation of phytase transgenic maize.', '', 'en_US'),
(3569, 'Effects of Bt rice on the number and hatch rate of planthopper eggs and their attack by natural enemies in paddy fields. ', 'In order to assess the effects of transgenic rice on non-target pests and their natural enemies after release, a field study was conducted over 2 years to determine the effects of transgenic Bt rice on population dynamics, hatchability and mortality of planthoppers eggs and their attack (predation and parasitism) by natural enemies at the Experimental Farm of Zhejiang University and the Experimental Farm of China National Rice Research Institute in 2008 and 2009. The results showed that the trends of population dynamics and hatchability of planthopper eggs and their predation and parasitism rate were almost the same on the three different rice lines (Kemingdao1, Kemingdao2 and Xiushui11) at two experimental farms in 2 years. Moreover, the peak of number of planthopper eggs on all the three rice lines lasted about two weeks in paddy fields. However, no uniform trend of the mortality of planthopper eggs was found on the three rice lines at two experimental farms in 2 years. Furthermore, no significant difference was found on population dynamics, hatchability and mortality of planthoppers eggs and attacks (predation and parasitism) by natural enemies among the three rice lines in general (P&gt;0.05). We so conclude that Bt rice does not significantly affect the eggs of planthoppers in paddy fields.', 'en_US'),
(3570, 'Adsorption of transgenic insecticidal Cry1Ab protein to silica particles. Effects on transport and bioactivity.', 'Bt crops are genetically modified to be resistant against insect pests by expressing insecticidal Cry proteins. The processes governing the fate and bioavailability of the expressed transgenic Cry proteins in soils are poorly understood. We studied adsorption of Cry1Ab to negatively charged silica (SiO2) particles, a major soil constituent and a model for negatively charged mineral surfaces, at pH 5 to 10 and ionic strengths I = 10 mM to 250 mM, both in solution depletion and saturated column transport experiments. Cry1Ab-SiO2 interactions were dominated by patch-controlled electrostatic attraction (PCEA), as evident from increasing Cry1Ab attraction to SiO2 with decreasing I at pH at which both Cry1Ab and SiO2 were net negatively charged. Experimental and modeling evidence is provided that the surface heterogeneity of SiO2 particles modulated PCEA, leading to a fraction of adsorption sites with slow Cry1Ab desorption kinetics. Desorption rates from these sites increased upon increasing the solution pH. In toxicity bioassays, we demonstrated that Cry1Ab retained insecticidal activity when adsorbed to SiO2, suggesting high protein conformational stability during adsorption–desorption cycles. Models predicting Cry1A protein adsorption in soils therefore need to account for combined effects of the nonuniform protein surface charge distribution and of sorbent surface heterogeneity.', 'en_US'),
(3571, 'A perspective on genetically modified food crops.', 'Genetic modification is the alteration of genetic material that would not occur naturally. It can be used as a tool to improve the quality of foods. Through genetic modification foods can be produced in larger quantities by increasing its resistance to pests and adverse weather conditions. Their protein and vitamin content may also be increased thus making them more nutritious. There are also claims of potential risks such as possible allergic reactions to modified proteins. To date, no international consensus has been reached for evaluation of the safety of genetically modified plants for consumption. Over the last decade, the safety of genetically modified crops in animal feed or foods for human consumption has been routinely tested in some countries. Protein- and DNA-based methods have been developed for detection of genetically modified organisms. Worldwide legislation now faces questions on the use and labeling requirements of genetically modified crops and their derivatives. Still, there are concerns about the safety of genetically modified crops. Also, genetically modified crops could contain toxic substances or larger amounts of heavy metals and the crops might not be substantially equivalent in genome, proteome, and metabolome to unmodified crops. An additional concern is that contrary to expectations, genetically modified crops may be less nutritious; for example, they might contain lower amounts of essential phytoestrogens, needed to protect against heart disease and cancer. This review will focus on perspectives of the genetically modified food crops.', 'en_US'),
(3572, 'Feeding of fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, on Bt transgenic cotton and its isoline.', 'Studies on insect food intake and utilization are important for determining the degree of insect/plant association and host species’ resistance, and also for helping design pest management programs by providing estimates of potential economic losses, techniques for mass breeding of insects, and identifying physiological differences between species. We studied the feeding and development of fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), on transgenic (Bt) and non-transgenic (non-Bt) cotton. The larvae of S. frugiperda fed on Bt cotton had a longer development period (23.0 days) than those fed on non-Bt cotton (20.2 days). Survivorship of S. frugiperda larvae fed on Bt cotton (74.1%) was lower than that of larvae fed on non-Bt cotton (96.7%). Pupal weight of larvae fed on Bt cotton (0.042 g) was lower than that of larvae fed on non-Bt cotton (0.061 g). The cotton cultivar significantly affected food intake, feces production, metabolization, and food assimilation by S. frugiperda larvae. However, it did not affect their weight gain. Intake of Bt-cotton leaf (0.53 g dry weight) per S. frugiperda larva was lower than the intake of non-Bt-cotton leaf (0.61 g dry weight). Larvae fed on Bt-cotton leaves produced less feces (0.25 g dry weight) than those fed on non-Bt-cotton leaves (0.37 g dry weight). Weight gain per S. frugiperda larva fed on Bt-cotton leaves (0.058 g dry weight) was similar to the weight gain for larvae fed on non-Bt-cotton leaves (0.056 g dry weight). The cotton cultivar significantly affected the relative growth, consumption, and metabolic rates, as well as other nutritional indices: the figures were lower for larvae fed on Bt-cotton leaves than for larvae fed on non-transgenic cotton leaves.', 'en_US'),
(3573, 'Genetically engineered bacteria: an emerging tool for environmental remediation and future research perspectives. ', 'This minireview explores the environmental bioremediation mediated by genetically engineered (GE) bacteria and it also highlights the limitations and challenges associated with the release of engineered bacteria in field conditions. Application of GE bacteria based remediation of various heavy metal pollutants is in the forefront due to eco-friendly and lesser health hazards compared to physico-chemical based strategies, which are less eco-friendly and hazardous to human health. A combination of microbiological and ecological knowledge, biochemical mechanisms and field engineering designs would be an essential element for successful in situ bioremediation of heavy metal contaminated sites using engineered bacteria. Critical research questions pertaining to the development and implementation of GE bacteria for enhanced bioremediation have been identified and poised for possible future research. Genetic engineering of indigenous microflora, well adapted to local environmental conditions, may offer more efficient bioremediation of contaminated sites and making the bioremediation more viable and eco-friendly technology. However, many challenges are to be addressed concerning the release of genetically engineered bacteria in field conditions. There are possible risks associated with the use of GE bacteria in field condition, with particular emphasis on ways in which molecular genetics could contribute to the risk mitigation. Both environmental as well as public health concerns need to be addressed by the molecular biologists. Although bioremediation of heavy metals by using the genetically engineered bacteria has been extensively reviewed in the past also, but the bio-safety assessment and factors of genetic pollution have been never the less ignored.', 'en_US'),
(3574, 'Aphid-parasitoid community structure on genetically modified wheat.', 'Since the introduction of genetically modified (GM) plants, one of the main concerns has been their potential effect on non-target insects. Many studies have looked at GM plant effects on single non-target herbivore species or on simple herbivore–natural enemy food chains. Agro-ecosystems, however, are characterized by numerous insect species which are involved in complex interactions, forming food webs. In this study, we looked at transgenic disease-resistant wheat (Triticum aestivum) and its effect on aphid–parasitoid food webs. We hypothesized that the GM of the wheat lines directly or indirectly affect aphids and that these effects cascade up to change the structure of the associated food webs. Over 2 years, we studied different experimental wheat lines under semi-field conditions. We constructed quantitative food webs to compare their properties on GM lines with the properties on corresponding non-transgenic controls. We found significant effects of the different wheat lines on insect community structure up to the fourth trophic level. However, the observed effects were inconsistent between study years and the variation between wheat varieties was as big as between GM plants and their controls. This suggests that the impact of our powdery mildew-resistant GM wheat plants on food web structure may be negligible and potential ecological effects on non-target insects limited.', 'en_US'),
(3575, 'Spatial scale of insect-mediated pollen dispersal in oilseed rape in an open agricultural landscape.', '1.  Interest in pollen-borne gene dispersal has grown with the cultivation of genetically modified plants. To date, both experimental data and models of oilseed rape (OSR) Brassica napus pollen movement at the landscape scale do not clearly differentiate between wind- and insect-mediated dispersal. Estimations of insect-mediated gene dispersal would be valuable for managing potential escapes of transgenes.\r\n2.  To quantify the intensity and spatial scale of pollen dispersal by insect pollinators in an agricultural landscape, bait points made of flowering male-sterile OSR that attract OSR pollinators were located at six distances (10–1100 m) from the closest OSR fields and feral populations. Flower-visiting insects were caught by net on these male-sterile flowers and were rubbed onto the stigmas of male-sterile OSR plants grown in a pollen-proof greenhouse to do a manual pollination of their flowers. In this way we were able to assess the insects’ OSR pollen load and seed production at each of the six distances.\r\n3.  A large diversity of insects carried OSR pollen and contributed to seed production, but not pollen beetles Meligethes aeneus. Logistic regression analyses of the seed-set success from the manual pollination demonstrated that seed set significantly increased with the proximity of OSR fields, the size of the pollinating insect, and the main daily temperature. Seed set was not affected by the pollinating insect’s order or genus. Seed set, both observed and predicted by the model, was above zero for flowers pollinated with large bees caught at &gt;1100 m from the nearest OSR field.\r\n4.  Synthesis and applications.&amp;#8194;Our study provides clear evidence that a large variety of insect species can transfer viable pollen between OSR plants over considerable distances. However, only 39•4% of the insects caught on male-sterile flowers carried OSR pollen. Our results provide valuable data to improve models of pollen dispersal for entomophilous crops at the landscape scale. These models are essential to help land-managers reduce pollen-borne gene dispersal from genetically modified plants to wild and cultivated relatives.\r\n', 'en_US'),
(3576, 'Genetically modified crops: global and Indian perspective.', 'The necessity of a Gene Revolution in the background of declining performance of Green Revolution has drawn a lot of attention in recent times. This article reviews the progress of genetic modification in plant varieties at the global level as well as in India with various benefits available from GM crop and the potential risks associated with it towards mankind and environment. It brings in the issue of biosafety regulations in different countries, diverse consumer perceptions about GM crops across nations, Intellectual Property Rights and the role of WTO. The article also documents the journey of GM crop, mainly Bt cotton in India with briefly touching upon the existing regulatory process, labelling policy and public concern towards Bt Brinjal. The discussion brings out the fact that agricultural biotechnology is expected to play a pivotal role in future in ensuring food security through higher productivity, reducing pesticide use and soil erosion, enhancing nutrition and at the same time preserving the environment for the future generation. However, strict scientific regulations and monitoring are absolutely necessary for its safe and fruitful use by mankind.', 'en_US'),
(3577, 'Genetically modified organisms in agriculture: can regulations work?', 'Genetically modified (GM) crops have been recognised to be economically beneficial to subsistence farmers and have been projected as essential tools for addressing challenges in hunger, environmental sustainability and international development. Yet the uncertainty of their effects on human health and the undesirable ecological consequences of these organisms have raised concerns on the rapid pace of their production. Regulating the release of these organisms is a critical environmental issue. The Cartagena protocol on bio-safety, the principle legal arrangement for the regulation of these organisms, has ratifications from only 157 countries and has proven to be a weak regulator. Countries like India and Brazil have seen the proliferation of unapproved stealth GM varieties which make regulation even more difficult. In this paper, we explore the debate surrounding the introduction of GM organisms and analyse the effectiveness of existing legal regimes to regulate their use.', 'en_US'),
(3578, 'Commercialization of perennial GE crops: looming challenges for regulatory frameworks.', 'Overall, the deregulation of genetically engineered (GE) crops for commercial cultivation in North America has been a success story. In several cases, however, GE crops have sparked concerns and disagreements among the stakeholders and there are incidences of court lawsuits, including a recent one on glyphosate resistant (GR) alfalfa (Medicago sativa, L.). While GE crops can provide operational benefits to farmers, challenges are looming from commercialization of perennial GE crops. The unique ecology and biology of these crops and GE alfalfa in particular can facilitate adventitious presence (AP) of GE traits and it makes more visible that economic risks for conventional growers and food/feed producers have not been adequately addressed by the GE regulatory system in the United States (US). Asynchronous market approvals and the existence of a number of GE sensitive export markets create uncertainties among the exporters. Policy development in these fields may be helpful for ensuring a broader acceptance and market success of GE agriculture in general. The analysis is focusing on the US, although many diagnosed problems are also relevant to other jurisdictions—in particular if no co-existence policy is in place.', 'en_US'),
(3579, 'Sugarcane (Saccharum x officinarum): a reference study for the regulation of genetically modified cultivars in Brazil.', 'Global interest in sugarcane has increased significantly in recent years due to its economic impact on sustainable energy production. Sugarcane breeding and better agronomic practices have contributed to a huge increase in sugarcane yield in the last 30 years. Additional increases in sugarcane yield are expected to result from the use of biotechnology tools in the near future. Genetically modified (GM) sugarcane that incorporates genes to increase resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses could play a major role in achieving this goal. However, to bring GM sugarcane to the market, it is necessary to follow a regulatory process that will evaluate the environmental and health impacts of this crop. The regulatory review process is usually accomplished through a comparison of the biology and composition of the GM cultivar and a non-GM counterpart. This review intends to provide information on non-GM sugarcane biology, genetics, breeding, agronomic management, processing, products and byproducts, as well as the current technologies used to develop GM sugarcane, with the aim of assisting regulators in the decision-making process regarding the commercial release of GM sugarcane cultivars.', 'en_US'),
(3580, 'Bioinformatics and the allergy assessment of agricultural biotechnology products: industry practices and recommendations.', 'Bioinformatic tools are being increasingly utilized to evaluate the degree of similarity between a novel protein and known allergens within the context of a larger allergy safety assessment process. Importantly, bioinformatics is not a predictive analysis that can determine if a novel protein will ‘‘become” an allergen, but rather a tool to assess whether the protein is a known allergen or is potentially cross-reactive with an existing allergen. Bioinformatic tools are key components of the 2009 CodexAlimentarius Commission’s weight-of-evidence approach, which encompasses a variety of experimental approaches for an overall assessment of the allergenic potential of a novel protein. Bioinformatic search comparisons between novel protein sequences, as well as potential novel fusion sequences derived from the genome and transgene, and known allergens are required by all regulatory agencies that assess the safety of genetically modified (GM) products. The objective of this paper is to identify opportunities for consensus in the methods of applying bioinformatics and to outline differences that impact a consistent and reliable allergy safety assessment. The bioinformatic comparison process has some critical features, which are outlined in this paper. One of them is a curated, publicly available and well-managed database with known allergenic sequences. In this paper, the best practices, scientific value, and food safety implications of bioinformatic analyses, as they are applied to GM food crops are discussed. Recommendations for conducting bioinformatic analysis on novel food proteins for potential cross-reactivity to known allergens are also put forth.', 'en_US'),
(3581, 'Laboratory and field evaluation of the transgenic Populus alba x Populus glandulosa expressing double coleopteran-resistance genes.', 'Expression of the two coleopteran-resistant proteins (Bt-Cry3A and oryzacystatin I) was detected in the leaves of field-grown transgenic poplar (BOGA-5) in two or three subsequent years. The BOGA-5 contained &amp;#8764;10&amp;#8201;&amp;#956;g g&amp;#8722;1 of Cry3A over the individual years with no detection in the control, and protein extracts from BOGA-5 displayed a higher reduction in papain activity (&amp;#8764;42%) compared with &amp;#8764;21% in the control. Laboratory feeding experiments showed that the total mortality of the target pest Plagiodera versicolora (Coleoptera, Chrysomelida) larvae fed with BOGA-5 leaves was 76.7%, significantly higher than that of the control (P&amp;#8201;&lt;&amp;#8201;0.05). However, no significant differences were detected in the mortality, exuviation index, pupation rate or adult eclosion rate of the non-target Clostera anachoreta (Lepidoptera, Notodontidae) fed with leaves from transgenic and non-transgenic poplars. Field investigation indicated that the transgenic poplar retained coleopteran insect resistance in the field, suggesting the potential use of the double gene transgenic poplar for pest management in commercial poplar plantations.', 'en_US'),
(3582, 'The role of the concept of ''history of safe use'' in the safety assessment of novel foods and novel food ingredients. Opinion of the Senate Commission on Food Safety (SKLM) of the German Research Foundation (DFG).', 'The Council of the European Union has proposed a revision on the EU regulation on novel foods and novel food ingredients concerning safety assessment of traditional foods from non-EU countries and their introduction onto the EU market. The proposal stipulates that such foods may be placed on the EU market if their history of safe use in the country of origin is appropriately documented. The present statement of the SKLM gives an overview on current discussions on practical implementation of the “history of safe use” concept as well as examples of its application. The SKLM, in principle, agrees with these concepts, underscores, however, in connection with convincing evidence for a “history of safe use” the need for a range of additional information to achieve a comprehensive risk assessment. In the opinion of the SKLM such information must comprise compositional data as well as experience on adverse effects. A list of questions considered essential is presented. The following opinion was adopted on December 23rd 2010.', 'en_US'),
(3583, 'Compositional safety of event DAS-40278-9 (AAD-1) herbicide-tolerant maize.', 'Event DAS-40278-9 maize expresses the aryloxyalkanoate dioxygenase-1 enzyme, which was originally identified in the soil bacterium Sphingobium herbicidovorans. This enzyme degrades 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and aryloxyphenoxypropionate herbicides (e.g., haloxyfop, cyhalofop, quizalofop, etc.); therefore, plants that contain this enzyme are tolerant to these herbicides.  We employed the substantial equivalence approach to investigate the compositional safety of event DAS-40278-9 maize.  A total of 82 different compositional analyses were conducted to evaluate the equivalence of event DAS-40278-9 and conventional maize.  Analyte levels within the transgenic entries were either within literature ranges for non-transgenic maize or statistically indistinguishable from the non-transgenic near-isogenic hybrid, thus indicating substantial equivalence between event DAS-40278-9 and its conventional counterpart.  These results agree with dozens of published studies for other transgenic events where input traits were found to have a negligible effect on crop composition compared with traditional breeding methods.', 'en_US'),
(3584, 'Novel Vip3A Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize approaches high-dose efficacy against Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) under field conditions: implications for resistance management.', 'Sweet corn, Zea mays L., transformed to express a novel vegetative insecticidal protein, Vip3A (event MIR162, Syngenta Seeds, Inc..), produced by the bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), was evaluated over four field seasons in Maryland and two field seasons in Minnesota for efficacy against the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie).  Hybrids expressing the Vip3A protein and pyramided in hybrids also expressing the Cry1Ab Bt protein (event Bt11, ATTRIBUTE®, Syngenta Seeds, Inc.) were compared to hybrids expressing only Cry1Ab or to genetically similar non-Bt hybrids each year. In addition to H. zea efficacy, results for Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) and Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) are presented. Over all years and locations, the non-Bt hybrids, without insecticide protection, averaged between 43 and 100% ears infested with a range of 0.24 to 1.74 H. zea larvae per ear. By comparison, in the pyramided Vip3A x Cry1Ab hybrids, no larvae were found and only minimal kernel damage (likely due to other insect pests) was recorded. Hybrids expressing only Cry1Ab incurred a moderate level of H. zea feeding damage, with surviving larvae mostly limited to the first or second instar as a result of previously documented growth inhibition from Cry1Ab. These results suggest that the Vip3A protein, pyramided with Cry1Ab, appears to provide the first “high-dose” under field conditions and will be valuable for ongoing resistance management.', 'en_US'),
(3585, 'Transgene introgression in crop relatives: molecular evidence and mitigation strategies.', 'Incorporation of crop genes into wild and weedy relative populations (i.e. introgression) has long been of interest to ecologists and weed scientists. Potential negative outcomes that result from crop transgene introgression (e.g. extinction of native wild relative populations; invasive spread by wild or weedy hosts) have not been documented, and few examples of transgene introgression exist. However, molecular evidence of introgression from non-transgenic crops to their relatives continues to emerge, even for crops deemed low-risk candidates for transgene introgression. We posit that transgene introgression monitoring and mitigation strategies are warranted in cases in which transgenes are predicted to confer selective advantages and disadvantages to recipient hosts. The utility and consequences of such strategies are examined, and future directions provided.', 'en_US'),
(3586, 'A mechanistic model to predict transgenic seed contamination in bee-pollinated crops validated in an apple orchard.', 'The adventitious presence of transgene containing seed in conventional crops is an issue of considerable interest; a model to predict levels will aid regulators and help to address concerns of farmers and consumers. While outcrossing levels have been described in crops such as rape that are wind-pollinated, or both wind- and insect-pollinated, much less is known about pollen dispersal in exclusively insect-pollinated crops. In this paper, we develop a mechanistic model for pollen movement that is based on a description of bee movement through space. Our model is a system of diffusion-based partial differential equations that we use to predict percent transgenic seed at arbitrary distances from a transgenic source under different planting scenarios. We present a two-pronged study, in which the mathematical modelling work is informed by experimental work. The latter was carried out in an apple orchard with a row of 200 transgenic source trees carrying the GUS marker gene. Fruit from neighbouring conventional trees was gathered at distances ranging from 3.5 m to 183 m, and the seeds were extracted and germinated. Percent transgenic seed at each location was determined by testing the seedlings for the presence of the GUS marker gene. We use the experimental data to validate and parameterize the model, and then run model simulations to determine expected percent transgenic seed in various linear landscapes. We find that the percent transgenic seed in neighbouring conventional trees and orchards is a function of the size of each orchard block and the distance between them. The model explicitly shows the effect of overlapping transgenic and nontransgenic pollen distributions in setting seed distributions, and also shows the value of buffer rows in reducing outcrossing levels in neighbouring crops. The model parameters can be adjusted to suit particular crops and locations, and may be useful for determining plausible distributions on transgenic seed plantings needed to allow for an adventitious presence of, for example, 0.9%.', 'en_US'),
(3587, 'A meta analysis on farm-level costs and benefits of GM crops.', 'This paper reviews the evidence on the socio-economic impacts of GM crops and analyzes whether there are patterns across space and time. To this end, we investigate the effect of GM crops on farm-level costs and benefits using global data from more than one decade of field trials and surveys. More specifically, we analyze the effects of GM-crops on crop yields, seed costs, pesticide costs, and management and labor costs and finally gross margins. Based on collected data from studies on Bt cotton and Bt maize, statistical analyses are conducted to estimate the effect of GM crop adoption on these parameters. Our results show that, compared to conventional crops, GM crops can lead to yield increases and can lead to reductions in the costs of pesticide application, whereas seed costs are usually substantially higher. Thus, the results presented here do support the contention that the adoption of GM crops leads on average to a higher economic performance, which is also underlined by the high adoption rates for GM crops in a number of countries. However, the kind and magnitude of benefits from GM crops are very heterogeneous between countries and regions, particularly due to differences in pest pressure and pest management practices. Countries with poor pest management practices benefited most from a reduction in yield losses, whereas other countries benefited from cost reductions. However, our study also reveals limitations for meta-analyses on farm-level costs and benefits of GM crops. In particular, published data are skewed towards some countries and the employed individual studies rely on different assumptions, purposes and methodologies (e.g., surveys and field trials). Furthermore, a summary of several (often) short-term individual studies may not necessarily capture long-term effects of GM crop adoption.', 'en_US');
INSERT INTO `bibliography_bibliography_i18n` (`id`, `title`, `abstract`, `locale`) VALUES
(3588, 'Comparing conventional and biotechnology-based pest management.', 'Pest management has changed dramatically during the past 15 years by the introduction of transgenes into crops for the purpose of pest management. Transgenes for herbicide resistance or for production of one or more Bt toxins are the predominant pest management traits currently available. These two traits have been rapidly adopted where available because of their superior efficacy and simplification of pest management for the farmer. Furthermore, they have substantially reduced the use of environmentally and toxicologically suspect pesticides while reducing the carbon footprint of pest management as reduced tillage became more common, along with fewer trips across the field to spray pesticides. The most successful of these products have been glyphosate-resistant crops, which cover approximately 85% of all land occupied by transgenic crops. Over-reliance on glyphosate with continual use of these crops has resulted in the evolution of highly problematic glyphosate-resistant weeds. This situation has resulted in some farmers using weed management methods similar to those used with conventional crops. Evolution of resistance has not been a significant problem with Bt crops, perhaps because of a mandated resistance management strategy. Transgenic crops with multiple genes for resistance to different herbicides and resistance to additional insects will be available in the next few years. These products will offer opportunities for the kind of pest management diversity that is more sustainable than that provided by the first generation of transgenic crops.', 'en_US'),
(3589, 'Agricultural impacts of glyphosate-resistant soybean cultivation in South America.', 'In the 2009/2010 growing season, Brazil was the second largest world soybean producer, followed by Argentina. Glyphosate-resistant soybeans (GRS) are being cultivated in most of the soybean area in South America. Overall, the GRS system is beneficial to the environment when compared to conventional soybean. GRS resulted in a significant shift toward no-tillage practices in Brazil and Argentina, but weed resistance may reduce this trend. Probably the highest agricultural risk in adopting GRS in Brazil and South America is related to weed resistance due to use of glyphosate. Weed species in GRS fields have shifted in Brazil to those that can more successfully withstand glyphosate or to those that avoid the time of its application. Five weed species, in order of importance, Conyza bonariensis (L.) Cronquist, Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronquist, Lolium multiflorum Lam., Digitaria insularis (L.) Mez ex Ekman, and Euphorbia heterophylla L., have evolved resistance to glyphosate in GRS in Brazil. Conyza spp. are the most difficult to control. A glyphosate-resistant biotype of Sorghum halepense L. has evolved in GRS in Argentina and one of D. insularis in Paraguay. The following actions are proposed to minimize weed resistance problem: (a) rotation of GRS with conventional soybeans in order to rotate herbicide modes of action; (b) avoidance of lower than recommended glyphosate rates; (c) keeping soil covered with a crop or legume at intercrop intervals; (d) keeping machinery free of weed seeds; and (d) use of a preplant nonselective herbicide plus residuals to eliminate early weed interference with the crop and to minimize escapes from later applications of glyphosate due to natural resistance of older weeds and/or incomplete glyphosate coverage.', 'en_US'),
(3590, 'Herbicide-resistant crops: utilities and limitations for herbicide-resistant weed management.', 'Since 1996, genetically modified herbicide-resistant (HR) crops, particularly glyphosate-resistant (GR) crops, have transformed the tactics that corn, soybean, and cotton growers use to manage weeds. The use of GR crops continues to grow, but weeds are adapting to the common practice of using only glyphosate to control weeds. Growers using only a single mode of action to manage weeds need to change to a more diverse array of herbicidal, mechanical, and cultural practices to maintain the effectiveness of glyphosate. Unfortunately, the introduction of GR crops and the high initial efficacy of glyphosate often lead to a decline in the use of other herbicide options and less investment by industry to discover new herbicide active ingredients. With some exceptions, most growers can still manage their weed problems with currently available selective and HR crop-enabled herbicides. However, current crop management systems are in jeopardy given the pace at which weed populations are evolving glyphosate resistance. New HR crop technologies will expand the utility of currently available herbicides and enable new interim solutions for growers to manage HR weeds, but will not replace the long-term need to diversify weed management tactics and discover herbicides with new modes of action. This paper reviews the strengths and weaknesses of anticipated weed management options and the best management practices that growers need to implement in HR crops to maximize the long-term benefits of current technologies and reduce weed shifts to difficult-to-control and HR weeds.', 'en_US'),
(3591, 'Relevance of traditional integrated pest management (IPM) strategies for commercial corn producers in a transgenic agroecosystem: a bygone era?', 'The use of transgenic Bt maize hybrids continues to increase significantly across the Corn Belt of the United States. In 2009, 59% of all maize planted in Illinois was characterized as a “stacked” gene variety. This is a 40% increase since 2006. Stacked hybrids typically express one Cry protein for corn rootworm control and one Cry protein for control of several lepidopteran pests; they also feature herbicide tolerance (to either glyphosate or glufosinate). Slightly more than 50 years has passed since Vernon Stern and his University of California entomology colleagues published (1959) their seminal paper on the integrated control concept, laying the foundation for modern pest management (IPM) programs. To assess the relevance of traditional IPM concepts within a transgenic agroecosystem, commercial maize producers were surveyed at a series of meetings in 2009 and 2010 regarding their perceptions on their use of Bt hybrids and resistance management. Special attention was devoted to two insect pests of corn, the European corn borer and the western corn rootworm. A high percentage of producers who participated in these meetings planted Bt hybrids in 2008 and 2009, 97 and 96.7%, respectively. Refuge compliance in 2008 and 2009, as mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was 82 and 75.7%, respectively, for those producers surveyed. A large majority of producers (79 and 73.3% in 2009 and 2010, respectively) revealed that they would, or had, used a Bt hybrid for corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) or European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis Hubner) control even when anticipated densities were low. Currently, the EPA is evaluating the long-term use of seed blends (Bt and non-Bt) as a resistance management strategy. In 2010, a large percentage of producers, 80.4%, indicated they would be willing to use this approach. The current lack of integration of management tactics for insect pests of maize in the U.S. Corn Belt, due primarily to the escalating use of transgenic Bt hybrids, may eventually result in resistance evolution and/or other unforeseen consequences.', 'en_US'),
(3592, 'U.S. EPA regulation of plant-incorporated protectants: assessment of impacts of gene flow from pest-resistant plants.', 'The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency licenses pesticide-expressing plants under the authority of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Transgenes and their pesticidal products represent pesticides under FIFRA and are referred to as plant-incorporated protectants (PIPs). When sexually compatible wild relatives (SCWR) are sympatric with PIP crops, there is a need to assess the potential for adverse effects to man and the environment resulting from transgene introgression in accord with FIFRA requirements. Genetic compatibility, introgression, weediness of SCWR × PIP hybrids, seed dispersal, and dormancy, among other parameters, as well as effects on other species (herbivores and beneficial insects), all need to be considered as part of the risk assessment for experimental use under Section 5 or registration under Section 3 of FIFRA. EPA is currently developing data requirements and guidance toward addressing potential gene flow impacts from PIPs.', 'en_US'),
(3593, 'Evaluation of compositional equivalence for multitrait biotechnology crops.', 'Compositional analysis is an important tool in the evaluation of the safety and nutritional status of biotechnology-derived crops. As part of the comparative assessment of a biotechnology-derived crop, its composition is evaluated by quantitative measurement of the levels of key nutrients, antinutrients, and secondary metabolites and compared to that of conventional crops. To evaluate the effect of combining multiple biotech traits through conventional breeding, the forage and grain compositions of the double combinations MON 810 × NK603, MON 863 × MON 810, and MON 863 × NK603 and the triple combination MON 863 × NK603 × MON 810 were compared to their respective near-isogenic, conventional control hybrids. Overall, a total of 241 statistical comparisons between the multitrait biotechnology crop and its corresponding conventional controls were conducted. Of these comparisons 192 (79.7%) were not statistically significantly different (p &gt; 0.05), and all 49 of the differences were within the 99% tolerance interval for commercial hybrids grown in the same field or related field trials. These data on combined trait biotechnology-derived products demonstrated that the forage and grain were compositionally equivalent to their conventional comparators, indicating the absence of any influence of combining insect protection and herbicide tolerance traits by conventional breeding on compositional variation.', 'en_US'),
(3594, 'Derivation and interpretation of hazard quotients to assess ecological risks from the cultivation of insect-resistant transgenic crops.', 'Cost-effective and rigorous risk assessments for chemicals may be based on hazard quotients (HQs): the ratio of a measure of exposure to a substance and a measure of the effect of that substance. HQs have been used for many years in ecological risk assessments for the use of synthetic pesticides in agriculture, and methods for calculating pesticide HQs have been adapted for use with transgenic crops. This paper describes how laboratory methods for assessing the ecotoxicological effects of synthetic pesticides have been modified for the measurement of effects of insecticidal proteins, and how these effect measures are combined with exposure estimates to derive HQs for assessing the ecological risks from the cultivation of insect-resistant transgenic crops. The potential for ecological modeling to inform the design of laboratory effects tests for insecticidal proteins is also discussed.', 'en_US'),
(3595, 'Innate factors causing differences in gene flow frequency from transgenic rice to different weedy rice biotypes.', 'BACKGROUND: The compatibility and outcrossing rates between transgenic rice and weedy rice biotypes have been studied in some previous cases. However, few studies have addressed the reasons for these differences. The present study compared the compatibility and outcrossing rates between transgenic rice and selected weedy rice biotypes using manual and natural crossing experiments to elucidate the key innate factors causing the different outcrossing rates.\r\nRESULTS: Hybrid seed sets from manual crossing between transgenic rice and weedy rice varied from 31.8 to 82.7%, which correlated directly with genetic compatibility. Moreover, the significant differences in the quantity of germinated donor pollens and pollen tubes entering the weedy rice ovule directly contributed to the different seed sets. The natural outcrossing rates varied from 0 to 6.66‰. The duration of flowering overlap was the key factor influencing natural outcrossing. Plant and panicle height also affected outcrossing success.\r\nCONCLUSION: From this study, it is concluded that the likelihood of gene flow between transgenic rice and weedy rice biotypes is primarily determined by floral synchronisation and secondarily influenced by genetic compatibility and some morphological characteristics.', 'en_US'),
(3596, 'Comparative assessment of the field-susceptibility of Sesamia nonagrioides to the Cry1Ab toxin in areas with different adoption rates of Bt maize and in Bt-free areas.', 'A three year (2003–2005) field study compared the susceptibility to the Cry1Ab toxin, expressed in Bt maize, of Mediterranean corn borer (MCB) Sesamia nonagrioides populations collected from areas with different adoption rates of Bt maize in Spain with Bt-free areas in Greece. Spain is the only European country where the cultivar Compa CB derived from the event Bt176 was commercially grown, from 1998 to 2005. The large decrease of the titer of the toxin in this cultivar at later growth stages represented the worst-case scenario for resistance development of MCB, since larvae of the second and third generations were exposed to sublethal concentrations of Cry1Ab toxin. Our data revealed that the variation in susceptibility to Cry1Ab for the MCB Spanish field populations analyzed in the three years was very low, with LC50 values fluctuating between 12 and 30 ng Cry1Ab/cm2, regardless of the region of origin, the type of maize (Bt or non-Bt) and the year. Furthermore, no significant differences were found when comparisons were made with a laboratory population (LC50 values: 18–26 ng Cry1Ab/cm2) or with field populations from Greece (Bt-free areas), which displayed LC50 values ranging between 22 and 27 ng Cry1Ab/cm2. Standardizing bioassay protocols proved to be essential for obtaining comparable results. These findings suggest that resistant MCB populations did not evolve in those Spanish maize areas where Compa CB was largely cultivated for eight years, contradicting the expected rapid development of resistance under these unfavourable conditions. Additionally, our results can be used as baseline indices in post-market resistance monitoring programs if Bt maize is introduced in Greece. Further studies should continue, since the insights gained from a resistance monitoring program may help to enhance the durability of Bt maize.', 'en_US'),
(3597, 'Food chain integrity: a holistic approach to food traceability, safety, quality and authenticity.', 'Contains:  History of genetically modified organisms (GMOs); The European regulatory framework for GMOs; Current challenges for traceability in supply chains containing and ‘free from’ GMOs; Conclusions; References.', 'en_US'),
(3598, 'The relevance of sampling for the control of genetically modified organisms in the agri-food chain. ', 'Contains:  Introduction; Overview of international norms and legislative provisions; Strategies for cost-effective sampling in different scenarios of food and feed chain; Sample preparation strategies; Estimation of sampling uncertainty; Statistical programs / software; Conclusions; References.', 'en_US'),
(3599, 'The chloroplast transformation toolbox: selectable markers and marker removal.', 'Plastid transformation is widely used in basic research and for biotechnological applications. Initially developed in Chlamydomonas and tobacco, it is now feasible in a broad range of species. Selection of transgenic lines where all copies of the polyploid plastid genome are transformed requires efficient markers. A number of traits have been used for selection such as photoautotrophy, resistance to antibiotics and tolerance to herbicides or to other metabolic inhibitors. Restoration of photosynthesis is an effective primary selection method in Chlamydomonas but can only serve as a screening tool in flowering plants. The most successful and widely used markers are derived from bacterial genes that inactivate antibiotics, such as aadA that confers resistance to spectinomycin and streptomycin. For many applications, the presence of a selectable marker that confers antibiotic resistance is not desirable. Efficient marker removal methods are a major attraction of the plastid engineering tool kit. They exploit the homologous recombination and segregation pathways acting on chloroplast genomes and are based on direct repeats, transient co-integration or co-transformation and segregation of trait and marker genes. Foreign site-specific recombinases and their target sites provide an alternative and effective method for removing marker genes from plastids.', 'en_US'),
(3600, 'Feeding behavior of neonate Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) on Cry1Ab Bt corn: implications for resistance management.', 'The European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is an economically important insect pest of corn, Zea mays L., in the United States and Canada. The development of genetically modified corn expressing genes derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) that encodes insecticidal crystalline (Cry) proteins has proven to be effective in controlling this insect. To assess the feeding behavior of neonate O. nubilalis on Bt corn, we examined differences in feeding behavior, based on presence of plant material in the gut, between Cry1Ab Bt corn and non-Bt near isoline corn for four intervals over a 48-h period. Feeding experiments revealed that there was significantly less feeding on Bt corn compared with non-Bt near isoline corn. The behavior of neonates on the plant corresponded with the differences in feeding on the two corn lines. The findings also showed that &gt;50% of the larvae initially left the plant before there was evidence in the gut of feeding regardless of whether the source was Bt or non-Bt corn. A higher quantity of plant material was found in the gut of larvae recovered from leaves of non-Bt compared with Bt corn. At the end of 48 h among the larvae that had left the plant, a greater proportion from Bt corn had plant material in the gut than did those from non-Bt corn.', 'en_US'),
(3601, 'Modification of hormonal balance in larvae of the corn borer Sesamia nonagrioides (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) due to sublethal Bacillus thuringiensis protein ingestion.', 'Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn, Zea mays L., is highly efficient against the corn borer Sesamia nonagrioides (Lefèbvre) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) when the larvae feed only on the transgenic plants. However, when they feed on Bt leaves during only part of their development, thus ingesting sublethal amounts of Bt toxins, some larvae survive. A previous study reported a prolonged development and precocious diapause induction in larvae fed on a diet with sublethal amounts of Cry1Ab protein. To determine whether these effects were accompanied by a modification of the hormonal balance, S. nonagrioides larvae were fed on sublethal amounts of Bt protein provided in Bt leaves or in the diet. The larvae that survived had higher levels of juvenile hormone (JH), whereas their level of ecdysteroids did not increase sufficiently to allow pupation, leading to a longer larval development and more larval molts. This response may be considered a defense mechanism that allows some larvae to survive toxin ingestion; it is similar to the response to insecticidal toxins or viruses observed in other larvae. Changes in the hormone levels in diapausing larvae were undetectable, probably because these changes were masked by the higher level of JH in the hemolymph of diapausing larvae and because of lack of ecdysteroid titer increase, a phenomenon that is usually observed a few days before pupation in nondiapausing larvae. These results should be taken into account in the establishment of non-Bt refuges to prevent development of Bt-resistance in S. nonagrioides populations.', 'en_US'),
(3602, 'Selection for Cry3Bb1 resistance in a genetically diverse population of nondiapausing western corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).', 'Five short-diapause laboratory lines of western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), were selected for resistance to MON863, a variety of corn genetically modiÞed with the Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) transgene that expresses the Cry3Bb1  -endotoxin. Three of the selected lines were developed by incremental increase in the duration of exposure to MON863 over 11 generations (moderate selected lines). Two selected lines were developed from a control group by constant exposure to MON863 for at least 14 d posthatch over seven generations (intense selected lines). At the end of the experiment, survivorship, as measured by adult emergence, was  4 times higher in each of the selected lines reared on MON863 compared with control lines. Estimates of realized heritabilities (h2) were 0.16 and 0.15 for the moderate and intense selected lines, respectively, and are consistent with h2 estimates reported previously from a variety of pest insects. These lines provide data necessary for evaluating the potential for Bt resistance within diabroticite beetles and will be useful for developing improved insect resistance management strategies.', 'en_US'),
(3603, 'Selection for resistance to mCry3A-expressing transgenic corn in western corn rootworm.', 'To investigate the development of resistance to mCry3A, a laboratory colony of the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, was established from field survivors of mCry3A-expressing (MIR604) corn, Zea mays L. Feral adults emerging from MIR604 (selected) and isoline (control) field plots were collected and returned to the laboratory. Progeny of each colony was reared one generation on isoline corn and then crossed reciprocally with a nondiapausing colony. The resulting nondiapausing progeny were then reared on greenhouse corn in accordance with the wild type parent''s origin (on MIR604 or isoline corn). After four, seven, and 10 total generations of selection, the resistance ratio of the selected colony was 0.5, 4.3, and 15.4 in terms of lethal concentration (LC)50 values in toxicity assays, with the latter two LC50 values being significant. After seven generations of selection in total, selected and control colonies were screened on MIR604 and isoline corn under field conditions. There was a significant colony × corn pedigree interaction in terms of plant damage. There was no significant difference in damage between MIR604 and isoline corn, whereas this difference was significant for the control colony. After 14 generations of selection, a seedling bioassay was performed. Again, there was a significant colony × corn pedigree interaction, this time in terms of the number of larvae recovered. There was no significant difference in the number of larvae recovered from MIR604 and isoline corn for the selected colony, whereas this difference was significant for the control colony, although larval size was greater on isoline corn for both colonies. Resistance has developed in western corn rootworm laboratory colonies to all Bt proteins currently registered for corn rootworm management, which emphasizes the importance of adhering to resistance management plans for maintaining product efficacy.', 'en_US'),
(3604, 'Effects of genetically modified starch metabolism in potato plants on photosynthate fluxes into the rhizosphere and on microbial degraders of root exudates.', 'A high percentage of photosynthetically assimilated carbon is released into soil via root exudates, which are acknowledged as the most important factor for the development of microbial rhizosphere communities. As quality and quantity of root exudates are dependent on plant genotype, the genetic engineering of plants might also influence carbon partitioning within the plant and thus microbial rhizosphere community structure. In this study, the carbon allocation patterns within the plant-rhizosphere system of a genetically modified amylopectin-accumulating potato line (Solanum tuberosum L.) were linked to microbial degraders of root exudates under greenhouse conditions, using 13C-CO2 pulse-chase labelling in combination with phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis. In addition, GM plants were compared with the parental cultivar as well as a second potato cultivar obtained by classical breeding. Rhizosphere samples were obtained during young leaf developmental and flowering stages. 13C allocation in aboveground plant biomass, water-extractable organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon and PLFA as well as the microbial community structure in the rhizosphere varied significantly between the natural potato cultivars. However, no differences between the GM line and its parental cultivar were observed. Besides the considerable impact of plant cultivar, the plant developmental stage affected carbon partitioning via the plant into the rhizosphere and, subsequently, microbial communities involved in the transformation of root exudates.', 'en_US'),
(3605, 'Laboratory toxicity studies demonstrate no adverse effects of Cry1Ab and Cry3Bb1 to larvae of Adalia bipunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae): the importance of study design.', 'Scientific studies are frequently used to support policy decisions related to transgenic crops. Schmidt et al., Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 56:221–228 (2009) recently reported that Cry1Ab and Cry3Bb were toxic to larvae of Adalia bipunctata in direct feeding studies. This study was quoted, among others, to justify the ban of Bt maize (MON 810) in Germany. The study has subsequently been criticized because of methodological shortcomings that make it questionable whether the observed effects were due to direct toxicity of the two Cry proteins. We therefore conducted tritrophic studies assessing whether an effect of the two proteins on A. bipunctata could be detected under more realistic routes of exposure. Spider mites that had fed on Bt maize (events MON810 and MON88017) were used as carriers to expose young A. bipunctata larvae to high doses of biologically active Cry1Ab and Cry3Bb1. Ingestion of the two Cry proteins by A. bipunctata did not affect larval mortality, weight, or development time. These results were confirmed in a subsequent experiment in which A. bipunctata were directly fed with a sucrose solution containing dissolved purified proteins at concentrations approximately 10 times higher than measured in Bt maize-fed spider mites. Hence, our study does not provide any evidence that larvae of A. bipunctata are sensitive to Cry1Ab and Cry3Bb1 or that Bt maize expressing these proteins would adversely affect this predator. The results suggest that the apparent harmful effects of Cry1Ab and Cry3Bb1 reported by Schmidt et al., Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 56:221–228 (2009) were artifacts of poor study design and procedures. It is thus important that decision-makers evaluate the quality of individual scientific studies and do not view all as equally rigorous and relevant.', 'en_US'),
(3606, 'Expression of Bt-Cry3A in transgenic Populus alba x P. glandulosa and its effects on target and non-target pests and the arthropod community.', 'During the growing seasons of 2006–2008, feeding tests and field studies were conducted in Beijing, China, to investigate the effects of transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) poplar (BGA-5) expressing the Cry3A protein (0.0264–0.0326% of the total soluble protein) on target and non-target pests and the arthropod community. The effects of BGA-5 on the target pest Plagiodera versicolora (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) and a non-target pest Clostera anachoreta (Lepidoptera, Notodontidae), were assessed under laboratory conditions. Total mortality of P. versicolora larvae fed with BGA-5 leaves was significantly higher than that of the control (P &lt; 0.05). The exuviation index of P. versicolora larvae fed with BGA-5 tended to be higher than that of CK, but it was not significantly different. The pupation rate and eclosion rate of the survived larvae fed with BGA-5 were lower than that of CK, but it was also not significantly different. Additionally, no significant differences were detected in the mortality, exuviations index, pupation rate, or eclosion rate of C. anachoreta fed with leaves of transgenic and non-transgenic poplars. Furthermore, the arthropod communities in the Bt poplar and CK field stands were similar, as indicated by four diversity indices (Berge-Parker index, Shannon-Wiener indices, evenness index, and Simpson’s inverted index) and the Bray-Curtis index. Therefore, the Bt-Cry3A poplar decreased damage by the target pest (P. versicolora), had no effects on a non-target pest (C. anachoreta), and generally did not have any significant negative effect on the poplar arthropod community.', 'en_US'),
(3607, 'Standing genetic variation and compensatory evolution in transgenic organisms: a growth-enhanced salmon simulation.', 'Genetically modified strains usually are generated within defined genetic backgrounds to minimize variation for the engineered characteristic in order to facilitate basic research investigations or for commercial application. However, interactions between transgenes and genetic background have been documented in both model and commercial agricultural species, indicating that allelic variation at transgene-modifying loci are not uncommon in genomes. Engineered organisms that have the potential to allow entry of transgenes into natural populations may cause changes to ecosystems via the interaction of their specific phenotypes with ecosystem components and services. A transgene introgressing through natural populations is likely to encounter a range of natural genetic variation (among individuals or sub-populations) that could result in changes in phenotype, concomitant with effects on fitness and ecosystem consequences that differ from that seen in the progenitor transgenic strain. In the present study, using a growth hormone transgenic salmon example, we have modeled selection of modifier loci (single and multiple) in the presence of a transgene and have found that accounting for genetic background can significantly affect the persistence of transgenes in populations, potentially reducing or reversing a “Trojan gene” effect. Influences from altered life history characteristics (e.g., developmental timing, age of maturation) and compensatory demographic/ecosystem controls (e.g., density dependence) also were found to have a strong influence on transgene effects. Further, with the presence of a transgene in a population, genetic backgrounds were found to shift in non-transgenic individuals as well, an effect expected to direct phenotypes away from naturally selected optima. The present model has revealed the importance of understanding effects of selection for background genetics on the evolution of phenotypes in populations harbouring transgenes.', 'en_US'),
(3608, 'Non-target organism effects tests on Vip3A and their application to the ecological risk assessment for cultivation of MIR162 maize.', 'Transgenic crops producing insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) provide economic, environmental and health benefits by maintaining or increasing crop yields with fewer applications of insecticide. To sustain these benefits, it is important to delay the evolution of insect resistance to the proteins, and to ensure that the proteins do not harm non-target organisms, particularly those that may control secondary pests that would otherwise flourish because of reduced insecticide applications. Vip3A is a Bt vegetative insecticidal protein that is active against lepidopterous pests. It has a different mode of action from other proteins for control of Lepidoptera in current Bt crops, and when combined with these proteins, it should help to delay the evolution of pest resistance to Bt crops. This paper presents data on the effects of Vip3A on non-target organisms, and an ecological risk assessment of MIR162 maize, which expresses Vip3Aa20. Laboratory studies indicate few adverse effects of Vip3A to non-target organisms: 11 of 12 species tested showed no adverse effects when exposed to high concentrations of Vip3A relative to estimated exposures resulting from cultivation of MIR162 maize. Daphnia magna exposed to Vip3Aa20 were unaffected in terms of survival or fecundity, but grew slightly more slowly than unexposed controls. The data indicate that cultivation of MIR162 maize poses negligible risk to non-target organisms, and that crops producing Vip3A are unlikely to adversely affect biological control organisms such that benefits from reduced insecticide applications are lost.', 'en_US'),
(3609, 'Enhanced yield performance of Bt rice under target-insect attacks: implications for field insect management.', 'The rapid development of transgenic biotechnology has greatly promoted the breeding of genetically engineered (GE) rice in China, and many GE rice lines are in the pipeline for commercialization. To understand field performances of GE rice, key agronomic traits of two insect-resistant Bt rice lines that have been granted biosafety certificates for commercial production in China were evaluated together with their nontransgenic counterparts under environmental conditions with significant differences in insect pressure. Results from the experiments showed enhanced field performances of the Bt GE rice lines compared with the non-GE counterparts for yield-related traits such as number of panicles and filled seeds per plant, under environmental conditions with no insecticide application. No detectable underlying cost of the Bt transgene was observed in the two insect-resistant GE rice lines, particularly in the GE hybrid rice line. Results further indicated significantly greater yield performances of the two insect-resistant GE rice lines under environmental conditions with non-target insect control compared with no insect control. It is concluded from this study that insect-resistant Bt GE rice, particularly the hybrid line, has great potential to maintain its high yield when ambient insect pressure is high. In addition, proper application of insecticides to control non-target insects will guarantee optimal performance of insect-resistant Bt GE rice.', 'en_US'),
(3610, 'Does Cry1Ac Bt-toxin impair development of worker larvae of Africanized honey bee? ', 'The western honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) is a widespread pollinator species. The present study aimed to test if Africanized honey bee larvae are negatively affected by the ingestion of diet contaminated with the Bacillus thunringiensis toxin Cry1Ac, which is expressed in GM cotton plants. The toxin activity was confirmed in bioassays with the velvetbean caterpillar (Anticarsia gemmatalis), a soybean pest species susceptible to Cry1Ac. The honey bee larvae were subjected to ingestion of either pure larval diet (control), diluted larval diet (diluted control) or larval diet diluted in a Cry1Ac solution at a concentration compatible with the maximum possible field exposure. Although diluted diet slightly increased larval mortality, Cry1Ac ingestion did not affect survival, developmental time, and neither adult body mass nor size, indicating that GM plants are unlikely to significantly impair the development of honey bee larvae. The larval-rearing system reported here was suitable to assess the lethal and sub-lethal effects of GM expressed toxins against honey bee larvae.', 'en_US'),
(3611, 'Evaluating the non-rice host plant species of Sesamia inferens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) as natural refuges: resistance management of Bt rice. ', 'Although rice (Oryza sativa L.) lines that express Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins have shown great potential for managing the major Lepidoptera pests of rice in southern China, including Sesamia inferens, their long-term use is dependent on managing resistance development to Bt toxins in pest populations. The maintenance of “natural“ refuges, non-Bt expressing plants that are hosts for a target pest, has been proposed as a means to minimize the evolution of resistance to Bt toxins in transgenic plants. In the current study, field surveys and greenhouse experiments were conducted to identify host plants of S. inferens that could serve as “natural“ refuges in rice growing areas of southern China. A field survey showed that 34 plant species in four families can be alternative host plants of S. inferens. Based on injury level under field conditions, rice (Oryza sativa L.); water oat (Zizania latifolia Griseb.); corn (Zea mays L.); tidalmarsh flatsedge (Cyperus serotinus Rottb.); and narrow-leaved cat-tail (Typha angustifolia Linn.) were identified as the primary host plant species of S. inferens. Greenhouse experiments further demonstrated that water oat, corn, and narrow-leaved cat-tail could support the survival and development of S. inferens. Interestingly, greenhouse experiments showed that S. inferens preferred to lay eggs on tidalmarsh flatsedge compared with the other three nonrice host species, although no pupae were found in the plants examined in field surveys. Few larvae were found to survive on tidalmarsh flatsedge in greenhouse bioassays, suggesting that tidalmarsh flatsedge could serve as a “dead-end“ trap crop for S. inferens, but is not a candidate to serve as natural refuge to maintain susceptible S. inferens. Overall, these results suggest that water-oat, corn, and narrow-leaved cat-tail might serve as “natural refuge“ for S. inferens in rice planting area of southern China when Bt rice varieties are planted.', 'en_US'),
(3612, 'Safety risks of cryptic reading frames and gene disruption due to crop transgenesis: what are the odds? ', 'As part of the regulatory safety assessment for transgenic crops, the DNA of the genetic insert and insert/flanking-region junctions are searched for random reading frames that could encode unsafe proteins. In addition, the endogenous flanking regions are examined to determine if the insert disrupts endogenous genes or regulatory elements. We discuss the likelihood of these events in the context of traditional breeding and in the context of the probability that cryptic reading frames might encode unsafe proteins. We conclude that there is a lack of theoretical and empirical evidence to suggest that these safety risks are significant or different compared with those of traditional crop breeding.', 'en_US'),
(3613, 'Impact of GM crops on biodiversity.', 'The potential impact of GM crops on biodiversity has been a topic of interest both in general as well as specifically in the context of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Agricultural biodiversity has been defined at levels from genes to ecosystems that are involved or impacted by agricultural production (www.cbd.int/agro/whatis.shtml). After fifteen years of commercial cultivation, a substantial body of literature now exists addressing the potential impacts of GM crops on the environment. This review takes a biodiversity lens to this literature, considering the impacts at three levels: the crop, farm and landscape scales. Within that framework, this review covers potential impacts of the introduction of genetically engineered crops on: crop diversity, biodiversity of wild relatives, non-target soil organisms, weeds, land use, non-target above-ground organisms, and area-wide pest suppression.', 'en_US'),
(3614, 'Global impact of biotech crops: environmental effects 1996-2009.', 'This paper updates the assessment of the impact commercialised agricultural biotechnology is having on global agriculture from an environmental perspective. It focuses on the impact of changes in pesticide use and greenhouse gas emissions arising from the use of biotech crops. The technology has reduced pesticide spraying by 393 million kg (-8.7%) and, as a result, decreased the environmental impact associated with herbicide and insecticide use on these crops (as measured by the indicator the Environmental Impact Quotient (EIQ)) by17.1 %. The technology has also significantly reduced the release of greenhouse gas emissions from this cropping area, which, in 2009, was equivalent to removing 7.8 million cars from the roads.', 'en_US'),
(3615, 'The trends and future of biotechnology crops for insect pest control.', 'Biotech crops, including those that are genetically modified (GM) with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) endotoxins for insect resistance, have been cultivated commercially and adopted in steadily increasing numbers of countries over the past 14 years. This review discusses the current status of insect resistant transgenic crops and the often raised concern that its resilience is limited and that its efficacy will be compromised by insect resistance. We consider this trait as it is currently deployed in fields across the world as well as potential candidates that are at various stages of development along the pathway between the laboratory and deregulation. Future trends and prospects for biotechnological applications to mediate crop protection against insects are also considered. These include strategies employing stacked genes, modified Bt toxins, vegetative insecticidal proteins, lectins, endogenous resistance mechanisms as well as novel approaches. In addition, the benefits and risks associated with the adoption of GM insect resistant crops, especially for developing countries and resource-poor smallholder farmers are also discussed.', 'en_US'),
(3616, 'Experiences with the biosafety regulatory system in Kenya during the introduction, testing and development of Bt maize.', 'The introduction of genetically modified (GM) crops in Kenya is governed by a biotechnology policy, a biosafety law, and a biotechnology awareness strategy to enable research and development of GM crops. In addition, Kenya has the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) that regulates plant biosafety through technical institutions including the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services (KEPHIS). Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize for stem borer pest control was imported and tested under this regulatory system. The Insect Resistant Maize for Africa (IRMA) project aimed at developing and deploying transgenic Bt maize for stem borer control in Kenya. The IRMA project developed and implemented an internal biosafety strategy. To comply with and implement the biosafety regulations, IRMA set-up biosafety facilities to develop, maintain and test the Bt maize. These included a biosafety level 2 laboratory, a biosafety level 2 greenhouse containment and a confined field trial site, which also provided valuable models to national and international interests. IRMA also developed protocols for the use and disposal of transgenic plant materials, and also generated data for guidance on post-harvest monitoring at Bt-maize trial sites. IRMA also trained Kenyan administrators, scientists, technicians and regulators on conducting and handling GM trials. Training included informal courses, seminars, scientists’ visits to established institutes, and support to research for degree related training. The project, therefore, provided major inputs in the development and advancement of biotechnology framework in Kenya. This paper reports on the achievements realized, challenges encountered by IRMA, and lessons learnt in research and development of GM crops in Kenya.', 'en_US'),
(3617, 'Evaluation of stem borer resistance management strategies for Bt maize in Kenya based on alternative host refugia.', 'Stem borers are the major insect pests of maize in Kenya. The use of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) technology is an effective way of controlling lepidopteran pests.  However, the likelihood of development of resistance to the Bt toxins by the target stem borer species is a concern. Forages, sorghum and maize varieties were evaluated for stem borer preference and survivorship in the laboratory and field in four locations in Kenya to identify suitable species and varieties for refugia.  The economics of using the different kinds of refugia was also investigated. Vegetation surveys were conducted in 15 districts of Kenya to quantify the area covered by natural refugia. The field and laboratory trials indicated highest egg production, survivorship and more exit holes in all sorghum and maize varieties and some forages. Sorghum, non-Bt Maize, and improved Napier grass varieties Kakamega 1 and Kakamega 2) should be promoted as refugia species in Kenya. Some species and cultivars were identified as cost-effective, flexible, easily adoptable and compatible with farmers’ common production practices. Refugia cultivar with multiple uses is expected to give higher pay-offs than one with single use. However, for successful management of a refugia strategy, strict stewardship is required from appropriate government or community institutions.', 'en_US'),
(3618, 'Farmers, consumers and gatekeepers and their attitudes towards biotechnology. ', 'In 1999, a project to develop insect resistance maize for Africa was launched. Social scientists from this team used participatory rural appraisals, consumer studies, a baseline and gatekeeper survey to study the awareness and attitudes towards biotechnology among farmers, consumers and gatekeepers. Farmers’ awareness of biotechnology was very low (12.7%). Awareness on genetically modified (GM) crops among consumers was also found to be low, although it was higher among urban consumers (38%) than among rural ones (31%).  Radio was the main source of information. A large majority of consumers agreed to statements expressing the benefits of biotechnology such as increasing productivity. However, they had environmental and health concerns. Half of the urban consumers expressed concerns about the environment, in particular, loss of biodiversity. In contrast, awareness about GM was found to be high for the gatekeepers (87% for millers, and 79% for supermarkets). A majority of gatekeepers in the food industry were concerned that GM food could cause allergic reactions or antibiotic-resistant diseases. Almost all consumers were willing to purchase GM maize meal at the same price. Of those in the industry, more than two thirds, were hesitant to use them preferring to make the decision on a case-by-case basis.', 'en_US'),
(3619, 'The fitness for purpose of randomised experimental designs for analysis of genetically modified ingredients. ', 'Randomised experimental designs are considered statistically advantageous for many scientific applications, as they reduce the effect of problematic parameters such as sample position. The effect of randomisation was assessed using real-time PCR experiments for the determination of genetically modified material. Replicate microtitre plates using a randomised design were compared with replicate microtitre plates that contained the same samples allocated in a systematic fashion to experimental position within the plate. Results indicated that randomisation would help reduce between-plate variability and would give advantages in intra-laboratory studies. However, these benefits may be less effective for inter-laboratory studies as the between-laboratory variability often far exceeds the between-plate variability.', 'en_US'),
(3620, 'Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner: isolation to application: a review.', 'Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a ubiquitous soil bacterium that produces an array of insecticidal crystal proteins with varied specificities. Recently a lot of effort is being made to collect, characterize, utilize novel and more potent strains of Bt. The crystal proteins (Cry proteins) produced by Bt are important in agricultural, horticultural and public health pest management. In addition to the above recently identified non-insecticidal Cry toxins are being used in cancer research. There is continuing debate among researchers on the species status for Bt and its ecology. The various toxins particularly Cry toxins are important in eco friendly pest management in organic farming and exported oriented crops also. Many cry genes have been engineered into wide variety of crop plants and microbes, offering efficient and effective pest management strategy. Increased efforts to isolate novel strains of Bt from wide variety habitats have yielded valuable strains with new genes. Intensive use of various Bt formulations and high level of expression of various cry genes in Bt transgenic plants have resulted in resistance development in various pest species. But with the judicious use of gene pyramiding and refugia, continued successful pest management is ensured.', 'en_US'),
(3621, 'Bt cotton hybrids in India -- a review.', 'Cotton ‘White Gold’ is an important commercial crop. The major threat to cotton production is its higher susceptibility to pests especially bollworms. Globally, the maximum amount of pesticides was consumed by cotton alone. But nowadays, chemical pesticides miserably failed to check the menace of bollworms in cotton system. Bollworms have developed resistance to most of the potent pesticides. To combat this problem, transgenic Bt cotton has been developed which evokes inbuilt resistance in host and offers protection against bollworms. Application of insecticides in Bt cotton should be based on scouting and thresholds. Bt end toxin, the insecticidal crystal cry protein efficiency differs on various factors like varieties, season, crop age, environment and management practices like amount of nitrogenous fertilizers applied etc. Bt cotton was found to be safer to human and animal kind.', 'en_US');
INSERT INTO `bibliography_bibliography_i18n` (`id`, `title`, `abstract`, `locale`) VALUES
(3622, 'Interaction between host plant resistance and biological activity of Bacillus thuringiensis in managing the pod borer Helicoverpa armigera in chickpea.', 'The legume pod borer Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) has developed high levels of resistance to conventional insecticides, and therefore, efforts are being made to develop transgenic chickpea expressing toxin genes from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) for controlling this pest. However, there is an apprehension that acid exudates in chickpea might interfere with the biological activity of Bt. Therefore, we studied the biological activity of Bt (BiolepR) on four chickpea genotypes with different levels of resistance to H. armigera under field conditions, and by incorporating lyophilized leaf and pod tissue into the artificial diet with and without Bt. The pH of the acid exudates varied from 2.1 to 2.9, and malic and oxalic acids were the major components of the acid exudates in different chickpea genotypes. There was no survival of H. armigera larvae in chickpea plants sprayed with 0.1, 0.2 and 0.5% Bt. There was a significant reduction in larval survival, larval and pupal weights and fecundity, and prolongation of larval and pupal periods in chickpea plots sprayed with Bt (0.05%) as compared to the unsprayed plots. Biological activity of Bt was lower on artificial diets with leaf or pod powder of chickpea genotypes, which might be because of a low intake of Bt toxins due to the antifeedant effects of acid exudates in the chickpea or reduction in biological activity of Bt due to the interaction of biochemical constituents in chickpea with the Bt toxins. Larval survival, larval and pupal weights, pupation and adult emergence were significantly lower on diets with leaf or pod powder of the H. armigera-resistant genotypes than on the susceptible check. Chickpea genotypes with resistance to H. armigera acted in concert with Bt to cause adverse effects on the survival and development of this insect. The results suggested that development of transgenic chickpeas expressing toxin genes form Bt will be quite effective for controlling of the pod borer, H. armigera.', 'en_US'),
(3623, 'Bioinformatic prediction of marker protein allergenicity in transgenic crops.', 'Allergenicity prediction of transgenic expressed protein in crops is important. According to FAO/WHO recommendations, potential food allergenicity in GUS, NptII, and OPH was assessed in the databases of SDAP, Farrp, and NCBI, which were established for allergens prediction. Results of Blast or Fasta alignment online with full sequence or 80 aa window indicated that there was no allergenicity for sequence of GUS, NptII, and OPH. However, in OPH one 6 aa segment matched the sequence of profilin in soybeans, wheat or rubber tree, and another 6 aa segment matched the sequence of allergen-related protein in German cockroach. In GUS, one 6 aa segment matched the allergen “Aed a2” in salivary glands of Aedes aegypti. In NptII, one 6 aa segment matched the hemoglobin of Chironomus thummi. These identical segments did not show antigenicity, so it may be false positive for the matches.', 'en_US'),
(3624, 'Intellectual property rights related to the genetically modified glyphosate tolerant soybeans in Brazil. ', 'The present work analyzes the different modalities of protection of the intellectual creations in the biotechnology agricultural field. Regarding the Brazilian legislations related to the theme (the Industrial Property Law - no. 9. 279/96 and the Plant Variety Protection Law - no. 9. 456/97), and based in the international treaties signed by Brazil, the present work points to the inclusions of each of them, as well as to their interfaces using as reference the case study of glyphosate tolerant genetically modified soybean. For this case study, Monsanto''s pipelines patents were searched and used to analyze the limits of patent protection in respect to others related to the Intellectual Property (IP) laws. Thus, it was possible to elucidate the complex scenario of the Intellectual Property of the glyphosate tolerant soybeans, since for the farmer it is hard to correlate the royalties payment with the IP enterprise''s rights.', 'en_US'),
(3625, 'The impact of the EU regulatory constraint of transgenic crops on farm income. ', 'World population and the need for nutritious food continue to grow. For 14 years farmers from a range of countries across the globe have been accessing transgenic technologies either to reduce crop production costs, increase yield and/or to exploit a range of rotational benefits. In 2009 134 Mha of transgenic crops was grown. The arable area of the EU 27 is approximately 102 Mha; however, only about 0.1 Mha of transgenic crops, mainly maize in Spain, is grown in the EU. This is in part due to limited approvals before the establishment of a moratorium on the cultivation of transgenic crops. In this paper we estimate the revenue foregone by EU farmers, based on the potential hectarages of IR and HT transgenic crops that have been economically successful elsewhere if they were to be grown in areas of the EU where farmers could expect an overall financial benefit. This benefit would accrue primarily from reduced input costs. We estimate that if the areas of transgenic maize, cotton, soya, oil seed rape and sugar beet were to be grown where there is agronomic need or benefit then farmer margins would increase by between €443 and €929 M/year. It is noted that this margin of revenue foregone is likely to increase if the current level of approval and growth remains low, as new transgenic events come to market and are rapidly taken up by farmers in other parts of the world.', 'en_US'),
(3626, 'Do genetically modified crops affect animal reproduction? A review of the ongoing debate.', 'In the past few years, genetically modified (GM) crops aimed at producing food/feed that became part of the regular agriculture in many areas of the world. However, we are uncertain whether GM food and feed can exert potential adverse effects on humans or animals. Of importance, the reproductive toxicology of GM crops has been studied using a number of methods, and by feeding GM crops to a number species of animals to ensure the safety assessment of GM food and feed. It appears that there are no adverse effects of GM crops on many species of animals in acute and short-term feeding studies, but serious debates of effects of long-term and multigenerational feeding studies remain. The aims of this review are to focus on the latest (last 3 to 4 years) findings and debates on reproduction of male and female animals after feeding daily diets containing the GM crops, and to present the possible mechanism(s) to explain their influences.', 'en_US'),
(3627, 'Success of the high-dose/refuge resistance management strategy after 15 years of Bt crop use in North America.', 'Transgenic maize and cotton expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins were first commercialized in 1996. By 2009, Bt crops were planted on ca. 47.6 Mha in 22 countries worldwide, with the USA and Canada accounting for 54% of this area. Resistance (virulence) development in target insect pests is a major threat to the sustainable use of Bt crops. Four major target pests of Bt crops in the USA and Canada – European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella Dyar (both Lepidoptera: Crambidae), tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens Fabricius (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), and pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) – remain susceptible to Bt toxins after 15 years of intensive use of Bt maize and Bt cotton. The success in sustaining susceptibility in these major pests is associated with successful implementation of the ‘high-dose/refuge’ insecticide resistance management (IRM) strategy: (i) Bt crop cultivars express a ‘high dose’, (ii) initial frequency of resistance alleles is very low, and (iii) a refuge is maintained nearby in the environment. Field resistance (including control failure) to a Bt crop has been clearly documented in three situations: fall armyworm [Spodoptera frugiperda JE Smith] in Puerto Rico, African stem borer [Busseola fusca Fuller (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)] in South Africa, and P. gossypiella in India. Factors associated with these cases of field resistance include: failure to use high-dose Bt cultivars and lack of sufficient refuge. These observations support the claim that implementation of the ‘high-dose/refuge’ IRM strategy has been successful in substantially delaying field resistance to Bt crops.', 'en_US'),
(3628, 'Fall armyworm responses to genetically modified maize expressing the toxin Cry 1A(b).', 'The objective of this work was to evaluate biological parameters of maize fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) fed with Bt maize hybrids expressing the Cry 1A(b) toxin, and with its isogenic non-Bt hybrids. The experiments were carried out in the laboratory of Embrapa Milho e Sorgo, Sete Lagoas, MG, Brazil. The parameters evaluated were: survival of larvae after 48 hours, survival of larval and preimaginal phases, larvae biomass at 14 days of age, pupae biomass, larval development period, and feeding non&#8209;preference of first instar larvae. Larvae of S. frugiperda show less resistance in the first 48 hours of feeding and during the entire larval phase in most Bt maize hybrids, in comparison to non-Bt maize. The biomass of larvae and pupae developed in Bt maize was always smaller, and the larval and preimaginal period were longer. There was interaction between the Cry 1A(b) toxin and the genetic base of the transgenic hybrids regarding survival and larval biomass. Newly hatched S. frugiperda larvae show preference for feeding on non-Bt maize.', 'en_US'),
(3629, 'The science and regulation of food from genetically engineered animals.', 'Humans and animals have been consuming genetically engineered (GE) food from plants for decades, but the recent approval of GE salmon intended as human food has resulted in debate and some controversy. Many still have concerns about the environmental impact and food safety issues of such an approval. More research is needed as policymakers struggle with laws ranging from the approval of GE procedures to the labeling of such food in the markets. This Commentary looks at how GE animals are currently regulated and what type of data is needed to demonstrate the safety of GE organisms. The authors also look at the opportunities for public participation in the regulatory process and the implications for the future of this technology.', 'en_US'),
(3630, 'Transfer of Bt corn byproducts from terrestrial to stream ecosystems. ', 'The review deals with the pathways of Bt corn (Zea mays L.) byproduct entry to the environment. Bt plants are genetically modified plants containing the genes of a gram-positive aerobic spore-forming bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis encoding &amp;#948;-endotoxins. Special attention was given to decomposition of corn detritus in fresh water and migration of Bt toxins to stream ecosystems. The results of field and laboratory experiments on the effect of Bt corn byproducts on stream detritophages are summarized.', 'en_US'),
(3631, 'Endophytic fungi associated with transgenic and non-transgenic cotton.', 'Transgenic Bt cotton expresses the Cry1Ac protein from Bacillus thuringiensis, which could influence the plant\\''s capability to host endophytic fungi. The diversity of endophytic fungi in leaves, stems and roots from transgenic (Bt) and its isoline (non-Bt) cotton was evaluated during different plant developmental stages to investigate possible non-target effects of genetically modified cotton on endophytic fungal communities. A total of 17 genera of endophytic fungi were isolated. The most frequently isolated species were Phomopsis archeri from leaves and stems and Phoma destructiva from roots. While the Bt modification had no effect on endophytes, the cotton tissue and the plant developmental stage significantly influenced the diversity and composition of the fungal community. These results represent the first evaluation of the composition of endophytic fungi associated with transgenic cotton plants', 'en_US'),
(3632, 'Chimeric delta-endotoxins of Bacillus thuringiensis with increased activity against Helicoverpa armigera. ', 'We selected 50 crystal (Cry) toxins specific to lepidopteran insects. Phylogenetic relationships of whole toxins as well as individual domains revealed that Cry1Jb and Cry1Ac are distantly placed but related to reduced cross-resistance in Helicoverpa armigera. Multiple alignments of Cry1Jb and Cry1Ac amino acid sequences showed significant differences in the composition and length of the loops of domains II and III. This was further confirmed by the superpositioning of 3D structures. cry1Jb and cry1Ac genes cloned in expression vectors were overexpressed in Escherichia coli Castellani &amp; Chalmers, and proteins were harvested. Insect bioassays revealed that the wild-type Cry1Jb and Cry1Ac proteins showed differential specificity to H. armigera (Hu¨ bner), Spodoptera litura (Fab.) and Earias vittella F. Chimeric genes were constructed by exchanging the domains between cry1Jb and cry1Ac and overexpressed in BL21(DE3). Substitution of domain III of Cry1Jb with that of Cry1Ac enhanced its activity against H. armigera 7.8-fold. Bioassay of the parental and chimeric toxins against S. litura revealed noactivity even at thediscriminativedose of 100mg/ml, but a significantdifference in growth was observed. The present results, along with previous domain swapping experiments, suggest that protein engineering not only reveals the mechanismbywhich endotoxins work, but also generates novel toxins with enhanced toxicity/broader specificity.', 'en_US'),
(3633, 'Socio-economic impact of Bt cotton -- a case study of Karnataka.', 'The performance Bt technology and its impact on farming community have been assessed in northern Karnataka based mainly on primary data processed using production functions, decomposition analysis and logit model. On an average, per farm area under Bt cotton was 2.21 ha, accounting for 66 per cent of the total landholding. With a yield of 24 q/ha, Bt cotton has registered 31 per cent higher yield and 151 per cent higher net return over non-Bt, the net additional benefit being 18429/ha. The non-Bt cotton farmers use chemical fertilizers, organic manures and bullock labour excessively which result in a lower net returns. Technology has been found the major contributor to the total productivity difference between Bt and non-Bt cottons. Seed cost, yield of Bt cotton and cost of plant protection have been found to greatly influence the probability of adoption of Bt cotton. Non-availability of quality seeds and in required quantity have been identified as the most important factors constraining Bt technology adoption. The impact of Bt cotton, as perceived by the farmers, has been in terms of enhanced yield; reduced pest and disease incidence; increased income, employment, education and standard of living; and reduced health risk. To foster adoption, availability of quality and quantity of Bt cotton seed to farmers needs greater attention of development agencies, while researchers’ attention is called for incorporating resistance/tolerance to Spodoptera and pink bollworms.', 'en_US'),
(3634, 'Potential benefits of Bt Brinjal in India -- an economic assessment. ', 'The potential economic benefits of Bt brinjal hybrids in terms of yield gain, reduction in insecticide-use, and increase in net returns per hectare have been reported in this study. Results have shown that adoption of Bt brinjal hybrids would provide yield gain of 37 per cent and reduction in total insecticide-use of about 42 per cent over non-Bt hybrids. Other benefits like increase in additional brinjal production (30 thousand tonnes), savings from insecticides (47 crore) against Fruit and Shoot Borer (FSB), increase in net returns (11029/ha), and reduction in price of brinjal output (3%), etc. would be at 15 per cent adoption level. With increased adoption level of 60 per cent of Bt brinjal hybrids would provide, additional production of 119 thousand tonnes, savings from insecticides against FSB Rs 187 crore, increase in net returns 44117/ha and likely reduction in brinjal price by 15 per cent. Simulation of gains adopting Bt brinjal hybrids has shown that country may gain aggregate direct economic benefits between 577 crore and 2387 crore annually at 15 per cent and 60 per cent adoption levels of bt brinjal hybrids, respectively. The major gains will accrue to consumers (66% of total) and rest would go to the farmers. In brief, Bt brinjal offers a large scope to increase income of farmers, reduce its cost to consumers, improve food safety and reduce health hazards and environmental pollution. The results of study may be helpful in policy decision on Bt brinjal adoption in the context of smallholders agriculture.', 'en_US'),
(3635, 'Field-evolved resistance to Bt toxin Cry1Ac in the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), from India.', 'BACKGROUND: The pink bollworm is one of the most destructive pests of cotton. Transgenic cotton producing Bt toxin Cry1Ac or a combination of Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab2 has been used effectively against this pest. However, some other insects have evolved resistance to Bt toxins in the field. During the 2007–2008 and 2008–2009 seasons, pink bollworm populations in India were surveyed to evaluate their responses to Cry1Ac and seed powder containing Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab2.\r\nRESULTS: The results provide evidence that resistance to Cry1Ac had evolved by 2008 in a population sampled from non-Bt cotton in the Amreli district of Gujarat in western India. The median lethal concentration of Cry1Ac for five-day-old larvae (LC50) was significantly higher for insects derived in 2008 from Amreli than for any of the other field populations tested from four locations in India. For Cry1Ac, the mean LC50 for the strain derived from Amreli in 2008 was 44 times higher than for the most susceptible population. However, for seed powder of Bollgard II containing primarily Cry2Ab2, the 2008 Amreli population was only slightly less susceptible than the most susceptible population.\r\nCONCLUSIONS: The data reported here constitute the first evidence of field-evolved resistance of pink bollworm to Cry1Ac. This initial evidence spurred more extensive evaluations during the 2009–2010 growing season, which confirmed field-evolved resistance to Cry1Ac in Amreli. The lack of cross-resistance to Cry2Ab2 suggests that plants producing this toxin are likely to be more effective against resistant populations than plants producing only Cry1Ac.', 'en_US'),
(3636, 'Agronomic performance of F1, F2 and F3 hybrids between weedy rice and transgenic glufosinate-resistant rice.', 'BACKGROUND: Studies of hybrid fitness, of which agronomic performance may be an indicator, can help in evaluating the potential for introgression of a transgene from a transgenic crop to wild relatives. The objective of this study was to assess the agronomic performance of reciprocal hybrids between two transgenic glufosinate-resistant rice lines, Y0003 and 99-t, and two weedy rice accessions, WR1 and WR2, in the greenhouse.\r\nRESULTS: F1 hybrids displayed heterosis in height, flag leaf area and number of spikelets per panicle. The agronomic performance of F1 between WR1 and Y0003 was not affected by crossing direction. The tiller and panicle numbers of F1 individuals were higher than their F2 counterparts. However, these traits did not change significantly from the F2 to the F3 generation or in hybrids with weedy rice as maternal or paternal plants. For all hybrids, the in vitro germination rates of fresh pollen were similar and significantly lower than those of their parents, seed sets were similar to or of lower value than those of weedy rice parents and seed shattering characteristics were partially suppressed, but the survival of hybrids over winter in the field was similar to that of weedy rice parents. All F1, F2 and F3 hybrids had similar composite agronomic performance to weedy rice parents.\r\nCONCLUSION: There was no significant decrease in the composite agronomic performance of any of the hybrids compared with weedy rice. This implies that gene flow from transgenic cultivated rice to weedy rice could occur under natural conditions.', 'en_US'),
(3637, 'Effect of Bt cotton on enzymes activity and microorganisms in rhizosphere. ', 'For three consecutive years Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) transgenic cotton (var. Mech 162) and its isogenic non Bt counterpart were assessed for the risks of transgenic crop on the soil ecosystem under Indian subtropical conditions. To observe effect of Bt cotton on soil biochemical properties, activities of dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, nitrate reductase and urease soil enzymes were assayed at its different growth stages i.e., seedling, vegetative, flowering, bolling and harvesting stages. To observe effect of Bt cotton on soil microorganisms, number of nematodes, collembola and ants representing micro, meso and macrofauna, respectively were observed in Bt and non- Bt cotton plants rhizosphere at different growth stages. Results showed no significant difference (P&lt;0.05) in alkaline phosphatase, nitrate reductase and urease activity between Bt and non- Bt cotton rhizosphere during crop growth period. However, dehydrogenase activity was significantly high (P&lt;0.05) in the Bt cotton rhizosphere as compared to non Bt cotton rhizosphere throughout the observation period. At most of the growth stages numbers of micro, meso and macro fauna were more in Bt cotton rhizosphere as compared to non Bt cotton rhizosphere. The temporal and spatial variations observed in number of nematodes, collembola and ants between Bt and non Bt cotton plants rhizosphere were significant. The present study shows that the Mech 162 variety of Bt cotton was not posing any risk to soil microorganisms and soil biochemical properties.', 'en_US'),
(3638, 'Fate of Cry1Ab protein in agricultural systems under slurry management of cows fed genetically modified maize (Zea mays L.) MON810: a quantitative assessment. ', 'The objective of the study was to track the fate of recombinant Cry1Ab protein in a liquid manure field trial when feeding GM maize MON810 to dairy cows. A validated ELISA was applied for quantification of Cry1Ab in the agricultural chain from GM maize plants, feed, liquid manure and soil to crops grown on manured fields. Starting with 23.7 &amp;#956;g of Cry1Ab g–1 dry weight GM maize material, a rapid decline of Cry1Ab levels was observed as 2.6% and 0.9% of Cry1Ab from the GM plant were detected in feed and liquid manure, respectively. Half of this residual Cry1Ab persisted during slurry storage for 25 weeks. After application to experimental fields, final degradation of Cry1Ab to below detectable levels in soil was reported. Cry1Ab exhibited a higher rate of degradation compared to total protein in the agricultural processes. Immunoblotting revealed a degradation of the 65 kDa Cry1Ab into immunoreactive fragments of lower size in all analyzed materials.', 'en_US'),
(3639, 'NIMBY or how do the rural neighbours respond to genetically modified (GM) crops? An exploration of the structure of reactions by inhabitants in rural communities in The Netherlands to the commercial cultivation of GM crops in their community.', 'The debate on genetic modification (GM) is persistent, polarized and mainly involves organized groups at the national level. With the European Union’s new policy of coexistence, commercial cultivation of GM crops is expected by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality within the next few years, especially maize (BT) and potato (Phytophthera resistance and starch production). This makes the debate relevant for those directly confronted with this cultivation: the inhabitants of local rural communities. In The Netherlands, stakeholders formulated coexistence rules to prevent problems between conventional, organic and GM farmers that grow their crops in the same limited land area. Little is known, however, regarding the perceptions of the non-farming inhabitants of rural communities (“the neighbours”) in the debate. This paper presents the results of a focus group-based argumentative analysis of whether (and how) the GM issues play a decisive role among non-farming inhabitants of four rural communities in the Netherlands. We analysed the arguments in relation to a conceptual model that describes the potential rise and dynamics from a pre-Nimby ambivalence towards an outspoken Nimby position. We observed that the GM debate was given very little priority relative to other national issues on the political agenda and that more social cohesion correlates with fewer arguments in the national debate. It is argued that this mechanism keeps the Nimby ambivalence in an undetermined mode, which in turn diminishes the chances of radical rural-based protest against local GM cultivation of crops.', 'en_US'),
(3640, 'Debating the merits of biotech crop adoption in sub-Saharan Africa: distributional impacts, climatic variability and pest dynamics.', 'The debate on whether genetically engineered (GE) crops can alleviate poverty in Africa continues to intensify. Thus far only one GE crop has been commercialized among smallholders – a pest resistant form of cotton – and only in two sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. We present evidence from Burkina Faso to argue that GE cotton adoption may increase the risk of all producers, may only bring benefits in the short term and may only benefit the relatively rich more than the relatively poor. These findings challenge the popular assumption that GE crops are the best way to alleviate rural poverty in SSA.', 'en_US'),
(3641, 'Seasonal expression of Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal protein and control to cotton bollworm in different varieties of transgenic cotton.', 'The difference for resistant effects to bollworm, the dynamic of resistance and the content of Bt toxin protein in different organs during developmental stages of different varieties of Bt transgenic cotton were explored in laboratory. The results showed that there were significant differences for resistance to cotton bollworm during every growing stage of all varieties; DP 99B has the highest resistance to cotton bollworm, while Hanza 154 has the lowest, and their average corrected mortality to cotton bollworm were 89.23% and 75.91%, respectively. The resistance to cotton bollworm of cotton plants in each growing stage was presented in the following order, budding stage &gt; flowering stage &gt; flowering-boll stage &gt;boll stage. The results of ELISA showed that Bt toxin protein could be detected in all organs of transgenic cotton, but its content varied significantly among organs along the developmental stages. There were significant differences of Bt toxin protein content among the functional leaves in different stages, the order of the content was: seven-leave stage &gt; three-leave stage &gt; budding stage &gt; boll stage &gt; flowering-boll stage.', 'en_US'),
(3642, 'Tobacco plants expressing the Cry1AbMod toxin suppress tolerance to Cry1Ab toxin of Manduca sexta cadherin-silenced larvae.', 'Cry toxins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria are insecticidal proteins used worldwide in the control of different insect pests. Alterations in toxin–receptor interaction represent the most common mechanism to induce resistance to Cry toxins in lepidopteran insects. Cry toxins bind with high affinity to the cadherin protein present in the midgut cells and this interaction facilitates the proteolytic removal of helix &amp;#945;-1 and pre-pore oligomer formation. Resistance to Cry toxins has been linked with mutations in the cadherin gene. One strategy effective to overcome larval resistance to Cry1A toxins is the production of Cry1AMod toxins that lack helix &amp;#945;-1. Cry1AMod are able to form oligomeric structures without binding to cadherin receptor and were shown to be toxic to cadherin-silenced Manduca sexta larvae and Pectinophora gossypiella strain with resistance linked to mutations in a cadherin gene.\r\nWe developed Cry1AbMod tobacco transgenic plants to analyze if Cry1AMod toxins can be expressed in transgenic crops, do not affect plant development and are able to control insect pests. Our results show that production of the Cry1AbMod toxin in transgenic plants does not affect plant development, since these plants exhibited healthy growth, produced abundant seeds, and were virtually undistinguishable from control plants. Most importantly, Cry1AbMod protein produced in tobacco plants retains its functional toxic activity against susceptible and tolerant M. sexta larvae due to the silencing of cadherin receptor by RNAi. These results suggest that CryMod toxins could potentially be expressed in other transgenic crops to protect them against both toxin-susceptible and resistant lepidopteran larvae affected in cadherin gene.\r\n', 'en_US'),
(3643, 'Comparative susceptibility of Ostrinia furnacalis, Ostrinia nubilalis and Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) to Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1 toxins.', 'Transgenic corn hybrids that express toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are highly effective against the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), and the closely related Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée). Since the registration of Bt corn hybrids in the U.S. in 1996, there has been a great deal of information generated on O. nubilalis. However, relatively little information exists for O. furnacalis. To help determine whether the information generated for O. nubilalis can be leveraged for decisions regarding the use of transgenic Bt corn against O. furnacalis, experiments were designed to determine whether the pattern of sensitivity to various Bt Cry1 toxins is similar between the two species. Test insects included laboratory-reared O. furnacalis originating from Malaysia, a Bt-susceptible laboratory colony of O. nubilalis maintained at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and an out-group consisting of the sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.), from Louisiana which represents a different genus from the same family. O. furnacalis and O. nubilalis exhibited a similar pattern of susceptibility to all the Cry1 toxins and were highly susceptible to the range of Bt toxins tested including Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac and Cry1F. Both of the Ostrinia species were more tolerant to Cry1Ba compared with D. saccharalis, although sensitivity of O. furnacalis was intermediate and did not differ significantly from that of O. nubilalis and D. saccharalis. D. saccharalis was also susceptible to the range of toxins tested but unlike the two Ostrinia species, was more tolerant to Cry1F and more susceptible to Cry1Ba. These results indicate that both of the Ostrinia corn borer species are similar in sensitivity to the Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, Cry1Ba and Cry1F toxins, thus suggesting shared toxin receptors and mechanisms of toxicity for the two species.', 'en_US'),
(3644, 'Sub-chronic toxicity study of transgenic cottonseed in SD rats.', 'Objective: To monitor the effects of genetically modified cottonseed on nutritional status, physiological and biochemical sub-chronic index in rats.\r\nMethods: A total of 140 six to eight-week-old SPF SD rats(male and female,half) were randomly divided into 7 groups,continuously feeding the forage containing 5%,2.5% and 1.25% normal cottonseed and transgenic cottonseed as well as basal forage for 30 days,and then measuring indicators of body weight,food efficiency,blood routine and blood biochemical parameters. \r\nResults: All the animals grow well and there is no poisoning and dead phenomenon during experimental time.Indicators between experimental and control group show no significant difference(P&amp;#8805;0.05).\r\nConclusions: The study did not find genetically modified cotton seeds has sub-chronic toxicity in experimental animals.', 'en_US'),
(3645, 'Suggested improvements for the allergenicity assessment of genetically modified plants used in foods.', 'Genetically modified (GM) plants are increasingly used for food production and industrial applications. As the global population has surpassed 7 billion and per capita consumption rises, food production is challenged by loss of arable land, changing weather patterns, and evolving plant pests and disease. Previous gains in quantity and quality relied on natural or artificial breeding, random mutagenesis, increased pesticide and fertilizer use, and improved farming techniques, all without a formal safety evaluation. However, the direct introduction of novel genes raised questions regarding safety that are being addressed by an evaluation process that considers potential increases in the allergenicity, toxicity, and nutrient availability of foods derived from the GM plants. Opinions vary regarding the adequacy of the assessment, but there is no documented proof of an adverse effect resulting from foods produced from GM plants. This review and opinion discusses current practices and new regulatory demands related to food safety.', 'en_US'),
(3646, 'Comparison of life history characteristics of the genetically modified OX513A line and a wild type strain of Aedes aegypti.', 'The idea of implementing genetics-based insect control strategies modelled on the traditional SIT (Sterile Insect Technique), such as RIDL (Release of Insects carrying a Dominant Lethal), is becoming increasingly popular. In this paper, we compare a genetically modified line of Aedes aegypti carrying a tetracycline repressible, lethal positive feedback system (OX513A) with a genetically similar, unmodified counterpart and their respective responses to increasing larval rearing density using a constant amount of food per larva. The parameters that we examined were larval mortality, developmental rate (i.e., time to pupation), adult size and longevity.\r\nAnalysis revealed some statistically significant differences between the life history traits we examined. The genetically modified OX513A line overall showed 5% lower larval survival as well as reduced adult longevity (20 vs 24 days mean lifespan) compared to the unmodified line. Furthermore, the OX513A line pupated about one day sooner, which could be advantageous in mass-rearing, but produced somewhat smaller adults than the unmodified line; this effect was more pronounced in females than in males.\r\nIncreasing the larval rearing density delayed pupation, decreased adult longevity and reduced adult size in both lines. While the delay in pupation and the decrease in longevity were similar between the two lines, the decrease in adult size was more pronounced for OX513A males.\r\nOur study shows that in a controlled laboratory situation the transgenic sterile OX513A line may have somewhat reduced performance compared to its unmodified counterpart and that high rearing densities may further reduce performance. Laboratory-based cage trials as well as field trials are necessary to assess how the differences in life history traits documented here impact the males'' success upon release. Furthermore, this paper highlights the potential value of optimisation of mass-rearing systems as optimised rearing methods may be able to alleviate performance issues associated with specific lines or with lab-adapted lines in general.', 'en_US'),
(3647, 'Fitness cost of resistance to Bt cotton linked with increased gossypol content in pink bollworm larvae.', 'Fitness costs of resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) crops occur in the absence of Bt toxins, when individuals with resistance alleles are less fit than individuals without resistance alleles. As costs of Bt resistance are common, refuges of non-Bt host plants can delay resistance not only by providing susceptible individuals to mate with resistant individuals, but also by selecting against resistance. Because costs typically vary across host plants, refuges with host plants that magnify costs or make them less recessive could enhance resistance management. Limited understanding of the physiological mechanisms causing fitness costs, however, hampers attempts to increase costs. In several major cotton pests including pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella), resistance to Cry1Ac cotton is associated with mutations altering cadherin proteins that bind this toxin in susceptible larvae. Here we report that the concentration of gossypol, a cotton defensive chemical, was higher in pink bollworm larvae with cadherin resistance alleles than in larvae lacking such alleles. Adding gossypol to the larval diet decreased larval weight and survival, and increased the fitness cost affecting larval growth, but not survival. Across cadherin genotypes, the cost affecting larval growth increased as the gossypol concentration of larvae increased. These results suggest that increased accumulation of plant defensive chemicals may contribute to fitness costs associated with resistance to Bt toxins.', 'en_US'),
(3648, 'The effect of GM labeling regime on market outcomes. ', 'Purpose – This chapter investigates the role that mandatory genetically modified (GM) labeling versus voluntary labeling has played in the split between those countries with small GM markets and those with large GM markets.\r\nMethodology/approach – Data on product introductions and other market evidence are used to examine market outcomes and identify the likely drivers of GM market bifurcation.\r\nFindings – Labeling has negligible effects on consumer choice or on GM differentiation costs and therefore does not explain the split in GM market outcomes. Other factors have driven market outcomes: namely, consumer confidence in government and the safety of the food supply, competition among manufacturers and retailers, market momentum, and most importantly, the affordability of a non-GM strategy. Ultimately, a non-GM market strategy is feasible only if consumers are willing to cover the additional costs associated with non-GM production and marketing. The two elements composing the cost/price wedge between GM and non-GM products – the cost-reducing benefits of the GM technology and the costs of differentiating non-GM products – therefore play an important role in market outcomes. In the mid-1990s, when producers, manufacturers, and retailers were determining their strategies, neither element was very large. As a result, both GM and non-GM marketing strategies were economically feasible.\r\nPractical implication – Regardless of the labeling regime, changes in the cost/price wedge between GM and non-GM products could change the mix of GM and non-GM products on the market.\r\nOriginality/value of paper – This analysis extends the literature by focusing on the impact of labeling regime on both consumer behavior and the cost/price wedge between GM and non-GM products.', 'en_US'),
(3649, 'International trade and welfare effects of biotechnology innovations: GM food crops in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and the Philippines', 'Purpose – The chapter examines the international welfare effects of biotech crop adoption, based on a transversal literature review and a case study of the introduction of genetically modified (GM) food crops in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and the Philippines.\r\nMethodology/approach – The analysis is based on (a) a review of lessons from the applied economic literature and (b) simulations using an improved multimarket, multicountry, computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, calibrated with productivity hypotheses formulated with local scientists in the four Asian countries.\r\nFindings – Results from the analysis show that, in the absence of trade-related regulations, GM crop adoption generates economic gains for adopting countries and importing non-adopters, that domestic regulations at adopters and especially non-adopters can reduce these gains, and that import regulations in other countries can also affect gains for exporting adopters. The case study illustrates these conclusions, but it also shows that net importers will mostly benefit from adoption in their terms of trade, and that segregation of non-GM crops for export markets can be beneficial if it is not too costly.\r\nResearch limitations/implications – The use of a CGE model allows for accounting for cross-sectoral effects, and for regulations affecting bilateral trade flows, but it also has a number of limitations. The model used here, like the ones used in the other papers in the literature, is static, based on an aggregated representation of the global economy (GTAP database), and assumes perfect competition. This means that the absolute results of each scenario may not perfectly represent the actual welfare effects engendered by the adoption of biotech crops. Still, what matters here is the comparison of the relative welfare effects across countries and scenarios. The simulations are also done ex-ante, so, even if the model here was calibrated with country-based data, the results do depend on hypothetical assumptions about the performance of the selected technologies.\r\nOriginality/value of the paper – The chapter aims to illustrate the welfare effects generated by GM crops for adopters, non-adopters, in a segmented and regulated international market. Unlike other papers, the review section provides key transversal lessons from the literature, accounting for results from both partial equilibrium and CGE model studies. The empirical application focuses on four populous Asian countries that have been largely left out of the literature. The model used in the simulation presents a number of improvement from the CGE literature on GM crops, including partial adoption, factor-biased productivity shock in each adopting country, GM labeling regulations modeled as trade filters, and the inclusion of costly non-GM segregation as observed in the international market.', 'en_US'),
(3650, 'Genetically modified crops and global food security.', 'Purpose – The role of genetically modified (GM) crops for food security is the subject of controversial debates. Consequently, policy-makers are unsure whether this technology is suitable for developing countries. This chapter reviews the scientific evidence.\r\nMethodology/approach – Starting from a food security definition, potential pathways of how GM crops could contribute to hunger reduction are analyzed conceptually. Furthermore, studies about the socioeconomic impacts of GM crop applications are reviewed. This includes ex post studies for present applications such as insect-resistant and herbicide-tolerant crops, as well as ex ante studies for future GM technologies such as Golden Rice and drought-tolerant varieties.\r\nFindings – GM crops can raise agricultural productivity and thus contribute to better food availability. Especially when tailored to small farm conditions, GM crops can also cause income increases for the rural poor, entailing better access to food. Nutritionally enhanced, biofortified GM crops could reduce problems of micronutrient malnutrition in a cost-effective way.\r\nResearch limitations – The examples observable so far are still limited. Impacts also depend on the wider institutional setting. Like any technology, GM crops are not a substitute but a complement to much needed institutional and infrastructure improvement in developing countries.\r\nSocial implications – The fact that available GM crops already contribute to poverty reduction and improved food security has not been widely recognized up until now.\r\nValue of paper – Results presented in this chapter can contribute to a more constructive public debate, in which GM crop risks are not discussed out of the context of actual and potential benefits.', 'en_US'),
(3651, 'Global welfare and trade-related regulations of GM food: biosafety, markets, and politics.', 'Purpose – The chapter provides a comprehensive review of trade-related regulations of genetically modified (GM) food, identifies their main effects, and analyzes the main motivations behind their support.\r\nMethodology/approach – The analysis is substantiated by (a) results from the literature on GM food regulations and (b) comparative statics results from a simplified three-country partial equilibrium welfare and political economic model.\r\nFindings – The analysis shows that in a non-GM producing country, trade-related regulations will benefit producers, but not necessarily consumers. Producers\\'' support is found to be instrumental to push for a ban, for information requirements on shipments, or for mandatory labeling of GM food products. Outside pressure groups will play the role of swing voters in cases where consumers and producers do not agree.\r\nResearch limitations/implications – The analytical model is based on simplifying assumptions on the groups and market effects of each regulation. Future research is needed to empirically validate some of the main results.\r\nOriginality/value of the chapter – The goal of the chapter is to inform economic and policy researchers on the effects of GM food trade-related regulations. The chapter provides an updated comprehensive overview of the key trade regulations of GM food. It uses a unique model to derive the main welfare effects of GM food regulations. By comparing the effects of GM food regulations in different types of countries for different pressure groups, the findings provide new insights in this area.', 'en_US'),
(3652, 'Innovation, risk, precaution, and the regulation of GM crops.', 'Purpose – New genetically modified (GM) crops are novel but risky interventions, offering a variety of potential benefits but also the possibility of serious unintended consequences. I address the regulatory framework for GM crops, seeking protection from disproportionate risks without unduly stifling innovation.\r\nApproach – Conditions that may justify precautionary interventions are identified, and an idealized regulatory protocol (screening, pre-release testing, and post-release surveillance, STS) is developed to provide protection, encourage research and learning, and focus-in quickly on the cases that pose serious threats of harm. This protocol is adapted to the case of GM crops, and compared with current regulatory practice in the United States, the EU, and Canada, as well as international agreements exemplified by the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. Two real-world cases are considered, Starlink® corn and Roundup-Ready® canola, and some speculations are offered as to how the stylized protocol might have handled them.\r\nFindings for policy – Pre-release, US regulatory practice is more fragmented and incomplete than the stylized protocol; EU practice is more systematic and streamlined, but some critics perceive over-regulation; and Canadian regulatory practice is more consistent with the protocol. Only the EU performs systematic post-release surveillance. International agreements have various weaknesses, beginning with fragmentation: for example, food safety and biosafety are regulated separately.\r\nImplications for further research – Embracing the STS framework opens a broad new avenue of research about to how the mix of pre-release testing and post-release surveillance might be streamlined to provide adequate protection while reducing further the costs and delays entailed.', 'en_US'),
(3653, 'The impact of Bt cotton and the potential impact of biotechnology on other crops in China and India.', 'Since the 1980s agricultural biotech investments by the public sector have increased substantially in both China and India. In the last two decades there has also been a dramatic increase in private section investment in agricultural biotechnology particularly in India. The promise of major benefits of Bt cotton identified in early socioeconomic studies of Bt cotton has proven to be true. Bt cotton has spread to at least 66% and 85% of total cotton areas of China and India, respectively – wherever bollworm is a major problem. Bt cotton continues to control bollworm in both countries, and farmers continue as major beneficiaries rather than biotech or seed companies. The major impacts have been yield increases in India and reduced pesticides consumption in China. In China, evidence also suggests that Bt cotton has suppressed the bollworm population so that non-Bt cotton growers and producers of other crops that are susceptible to bollworm are also benefitting.\r\nThe chapter also provides evidence that in the near future Bt rice and Bt eggplant could have major positive impacts by reducing pesticide use and farmers’ exposure to chemical pesticides and increasing yields. Both crops were approved for commercial production by government biosafety regulators, but are not yet available for commercial cultivation.', 'en_US'),
(3654, 'Genetically modified food and global welfare. ', '', 'en_US');
INSERT INTO `bibliography_bibliography_i18n` (`id`, `title`, `abstract`, `locale`) VALUES
(3655, 'The environmental benefits and costs of genetically modified (GM) crops.', 'The widespread introduction of genetically modified (GM) crops may change the effect of agriculture on the environment. The magnitude and direction of expected effects are still being hotly debated, and the interests served in this discussion arena are often far from those of science and social welfare maximization. This chapter proposes that GM crops have net positive environmental effects, while regulatory responses focus mainly on environmental concerns, giving an unbalanced picture of the regulatory context. This unbalance supports the hypothesis that environmental concerns about GM crops have been politically instrumentalized and that more attention should be paid to regulatory responses considering the environmental benefits of this technology. It is also argued that a number of environmental effects have not yet been quantified and more research is needed in this direction.', 'en_US'),
(3656, 'Coexistence of genetically modified (GM) and non-modified (non-GM) crops: are the two main property rights regimes equivalent with respect to the coexistence value?', 'Two major regulatory regimes for planting of genetically modified (GM) crops have emerged: one where the property rights for growing GM crops are mainly with the GM farmer and another where the property rights are mainly with the non-GM farmer. In this contribution, the regulatory model chosen by Canada and the United States is compared with that of the EU and its variants, analyzed from an efficiency point of view. While the general view in the literature on ex-ante regulation versus ex-post liability rules under uncertainty holds that the most efficient regulatory regime depends on the specific case under investigation, we have investigated the analytical conditions for one or the other regulatory system to be more efficient, concluding that the property rights systems are almost equivalent, so long as transaction costs are not prohibitively high and using the court system is costless. As using the court system is not cost free, however, we hold that property rights regimes where the GM farmer is not liable are preferable from a social welfare point of view.', 'en_US'),
(3657, 'Integrated assessment of ecological risks in farmlands: thinking overall connections between individual risk assessments of pesticides, genetically modified crops and weed control.', 'The integrated assessment of ecological risks in farmland was examined by examining the overall connections between the individual risk assessments of pesticides, genetically modified (GM) crops, and weed control. For pesticides, the ecological risks in aquatic ecosystems are assessed using the predicted environmental concentrations of focal pesticides and their acute toxicities to legal test organisms. For GM crops, the ecological risks around farmlands and transportation routes are evaluated based on the substantial equivalence of GM crops to their parental lines. For weed control, management practices are determined mainly by economic acceptance based on weed abundance in and around farmlands, and ecological risks are not addressed at present. Therefore, there is little overlap in assessment items across the three risk factors, and so it seems difficult to integrate the ecological risks by adding the individual assessment results. In order to integrate different risk factors, cost-benefit analyses and multi-criteria decision analyses are often used. However, these analyses have both merits and demerits. For application to decision-making at the field level, it is necessary to set common goals by way of &quot;backcasting&quot; and to integrate risk assessments based on agricultural management practices.', 'en_US'),
(3658, 'Comparison of variation in adaptive traits between wild-type and transgenic silver birch (Betula pendula) in a field trial.', 'The use of genetic modification (GM) in tree breeding would require that GM trees are superior to currently used seed orchard seedlings in the target trait and equal in other traits. We compare the variation of silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) lines carrying a sugar beet chitinase IV gene (chiIV) with the objective to improve fungal disease resistance to the variation of wild-type genotypes in disease resistance and other adaptive traits. The genetic variation in disease resistance was at the same level in transgenic (CVg 0.9–19.0%) and wild-type trees (CVg 0–19.7%), but the resistance characteristics of the most resistant wild-type genotype were usually equal or better than those of the best transgenic line. The broad-sense heritabilities varied from very low to moderate in disease resistance in both types. Broad-sense heritabilities in growth and leaf phenology-related traits were moderate and generally higher among the transgenic than the wild-type trees. The introduction of the sugar beet chiIV gene is likely to have fitness consequences in the form of lowered growth and quality characteristics of the transgenic lines without significant improvement in disease resistance compared with the natural variation of the same traits.', 'en_US'),
(3659, 'Scant evidence supports EPA''s pyramided Bt corn refuge size of 5%. ', 'Pyramided genetically modified (GM) plants express two or more Bacillus thuringiensis toxin (Bt) Cry toxins that are different in structure but effective against the same insect pests. One such product, pyramided SmartStax corn Zea mays, has been recently made available to commercial growers through a joint venture between Monsanto (St. Louis) and Dow AgroSciences (Indianapolis). It expresses Cry 1A.105, Cry2Ab2 and Cry1F toxins, which are active against a variety of caterpillars (order Lepidoptera), as well as Cry34Ab1/Cry35Ab1 and Cry3Bb1 toxins that are active against corn rootworms (order Coleoptera). Although older nonstacked varieties are still grown over considerable acreages, the agbiotech industry argues that pyramided corn is highly effective in controlling its target pests and is readily adopted by farmers.\r\n\r\nMore importantly, industry argues that because pyramided plants provide such effective insecticide resistance management1, 2, 3, a substantial reduction in the size of required nontransgenic refuges is possible for such plants without jeopardizing their efficacy. Indeed, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently approved the reduction of the non-Bt crop refuge size to as low as 5% for pyramided Bt corn. Here, I question this decision because it is not well supported by published results from theoretical or empirical studies.\r\n\r\nThe initial registration request for reduced refuge requirements for the pyramided Bt corn was denied by the EPA4. After studying additional application materials submitted by industry scientists2, however, EPA changed its stance, agreeing with industry''s push for a reduced refuge and allowing the reduction of refuge size on commercial farms from 20% to 5% of the planted area in corn-growing regions of the United States and from 50% to 20% in the regions where both corn and cotton are grown5. The refuge is supposed to be planted as a block of non-Bt plants within or adjacent to the Bt crop.\r\n\r\nA review of registration materials I have obtained under the US Freedom of Information Act and the existing scientific literature shows that currently available evidence in support of reducing refuge for the pyramided Bt corn to 5% of the total crop area is limited to predictions of a single unpublished mathematical model, developed in-house by industry scientists. Until more scientific evidence is available, I suggest that the reduction in refuge size to 5%, currently being implemented by the EPA for pyramided Bt corn, represents a gamble.\r\n\r\nThus far, Bt plants have proven amazingly durable in terms of resistance compared with chemical insecticides and have outperformed predictions of their rapid failure made in the 1990s. Their sustainability is in large part due to the rigorous resistance management program mandated by the US and other governments and implemented through the joint efforts of agbiotech companies and commercial growers. Nevertheless, resistance remains a serious threat, and there are already several cases of field-evolved insect resistance to Bt plants6, 7.\r\n\r\nThe current strategy to delay the evolution of pest resistance to Bt plants relies on the so-called high dose–refuge approach. This requires planting plots of non-Bt plants in the vicinity of fields planted with Bt plants. Susceptible insects persist within these plots and mate with resistant insects that may survive on Bt plants within the main crop. The resulting offspring are heterozygous at the resistant allele(s) and, because resistance is usually inherited as at least a partially recessive trait, cannot survive the high toxin dose expressed by Bt plants6.\r\n\r\nPyramided Bt plants provide an additional approach to delaying resistance in pest populations6, 8. A key assumption underlying this method is that selection by one toxin does not result in cross-resistance to another toxin. Industry has taken this argument further, proposing that, when pyramided toxin genes are used, a large refuge is no longer required for successful resistance management.\r\n\r\nOn the basis of publicly available information that I obtained, only two experimental studies have ever been conducted to specifically look at pyramided plants as a resistance management technique. Results of the first study9 showed that, in the presence of the 20% refuge, pyramiding performs better than using single-toxin plants, either sequentially or concurrently as a mosaic. A follow-up study conducted using the same greenhouse microcosm8 indicated that, in the presence of the 10% refuge, the efficiency of pyramided plants declines when the plants are grown together with single-toxin plants. Neither study attempted to investigate the effects of reducing refuge size to 5%. On the contrary, because both pyramided and single-toxin corn plants are currently being grown by commercial farmers, results of the second study8 warrant extra caution in relaxing refuge requirements. In the United States, pyramided Bt cotton overlapped with single-toxin Bt cotton for several years, resulting in rapid resistance to both toxins in the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea6. In contrast, no increase in the frequency of resistant alleles was observed in Australia, which switched completely to the pyramided Bt cotton6.\r\n\r\nIn the absence of empirical data, regulators had to rely on mathematical models predicting the insect rate of adaptation to transgenic plants. Industry submissions to the EPA1, 3 quoted peer-reviewed published results of mathematical modeling by Caprio10, Tabashnik11 and Roush12, 13, as well as unpublished results of in-house modeling2, 3 to support reducing refuge size for GM plants expressing pyramided toxins to 5%.\r\n\r\nThe choices of Caprio10 and Tabashnik11 are surprising because both articles specifically discuss experiments and simulations applied to mixtures of insecticides, but do not address pyramiding genes into Bt plants. Tabashnik''s11 overall conclusion is that multiple pesticide-use tactics have many potential pitfalls and are unlikely to provide long-term solutions to pesticide resistance problems.\r\n\r\nMathematical modeling by Roush12 showed that when mortality of susceptible homozygotes is high, pyramiding of toxins significantly slows down evolution of resistance compared with the use of a single toxin. Subsequently, Roush13 conducted an extensive study using simulation modeling to predict insect adaptation to Bt plants under different scenarios, including varying refuge sizes and presence of cross-resistance. He found that pyramiding of two or more toxins in the same plant can delay resistance for an extended period of time, even in the presence of a refuge that would be unacceptably small for single-toxin plants. Even so, Roush13 concluded that 10% was the minimum refuge size adequate for pyramided plants, and explicitly cautioned that small refuges remain risky.\r\n\r\nMore recently, Gould et al.14 published another modeling study on insect adaptation to plants expressing multiple toxins and found that a 10% refuge size is highly effective in delaying resistance. Again, that study assumed no cross-resistance and provided no evidence that 5% of a planted area constitutes a sufficient refuge size.\r\n\r\nUnpublished mathematical models submitted to the EPA by the industry3 specifically showed that pyramiding toxins in combination with the 5% refuge is more effective in delaying resistance evolution in the corn rootworm compared with the currently used single-toxin plants with the 20% refuge. Once again, however, the study assumes a lack of cross-resistance between the expressed toxins.\r\n\r\nClearly, the possibility of cross-resistance is an important issue. The industry''s main argument in support of using pyramided plants as a resistance management tool is that cross-resistance to different Cry proteins is highly unlikely because they have different structure and binding patterns in insect midguts1, 3. Even so, all Cry endotoxins have essentially the same mode of action (microbial disruptors of insect midgut membranes) and might be similar enough for the development of resistance genes that can overcome toxins with different binding sites13. Moreover, resistance to multiple structurally different chemicals is also not unusual among insects. Some of the resistance mechanisms known to reduce insect susceptibility to Cry toxins, such as enhanced metabolism and regeneration of damaged midgut epithelium, are likely to affect structurally different molecules.\r\n\r\nIndeed, several studies have produced evidence of considerable cross-resistance among structurally different Cry toxins, and even among Cry toxins and synthetic insecticides. The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, showed cross-resistance to Cry1Ac and a synthetic pyrethroid deltamethrin when selected by either compound in the laboratory15. Laboratory selection of the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens, strain with Cry1Ac caused 50-fold resistance to Cry1Ac and a 53-fold cross-resistance to structurally different Cry2Aa16. A single gene controlled &gt;1,000-fold resistance to Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, and a structurally different Cry1F in the field population of P. xylostella17 (although sharing of binding sites could have been possible in that particular case). A more recent study18 has shown that laboratory selection of the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella, with Cry2Ab caused up to 420-fold cross-resistance to Cry1Ac, which was higher than 240-fold resistance to Cry2Ab in the same strain. Similarly, selection of the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua, with Cry1Ab caused more than 20-fold cross-resistance to the structurally different toxins Cry1Ca and Cry1Da19. Even the experimental data submitted by the industry to the EPA3 suggest that selection by Cry1F might have resulted in the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, and the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis, strains becoming twice as resistant to CrylA.105 as they were to the toxin with which they were selected. Positive correlations between resistance to Cry2Ab and Cry1Ac were also detected in the field populations of H. zea6. Furthermore, H. zea evolved resistance in the field to Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab in pyramided Bt cotton6.\r\n\r\nIn response to the initial rejection of its application by the EPA, the industry developed a modification to its model2 allowing various degrees of cross-resistance between the toxins. The modified model predicted that pyramided GM corn with a 5% refuge would be more durable for control of O. nubilalis, and the Southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella, than the single Bt products with a 20% refuge under all adoption, cross-resistance and efficacy scenarios.', 'en_US'),
(3660, 'Tempo and mode of plant RNA virus escape from RNA interference-mediated resistance.', 'A biotechnological application of artificial microRNAs (amiRs) is the generation of plants that are resistant to virus infection. This resistance has proven to be highly effective and sequence specific. However, before these transgenic plants can be deployed in the field, it is important to evaluate the likelihood of the emergence of resistance-breaking mutants. Two issues are of particular interest: (i) whether such mutants can arise in nontransgenic plants that may act as reservoirs and (ii) whether a suboptimal expression level of the transgene, resulting in subinhibitory concentrations of the amiR, would favor the emergence of escape mutants. To address the first issue, we experimentally evolved independent lineages of Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) (family Potyviridae) in fully susceptible wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana plants and then simulated the spillover of the evolving virus to fully resistant A. thaliana transgenic plants. To address the second issue, the evolution phase took place with transgenic plants that expressed the amiR at subinhibitory concentrations. Our results show that TuMV populations replicating in susceptible hosts accumulated resistance-breaking alleles that resulted in the overcoming of the resistance of fully resistant plants. The rate at which resistance was broken was 7 times higher for TuMV populations that experienced subinhibitory concentrations of the antiviral amiR. A molecular characterization of escape alleles showed that they all contained at least one nucleotide substitution in the target sequence, generally a transition of the G-to-A and C-to-U types, with many instances of convergent molecular evolution. To better understand the viral population dynamics taking place within each host, as well as to evaluate relevant population genetic parameters, we performed in silico simulations of the experiments. Together, our results contribute to the rational management of amiR-based antiviral resistance in plants.', 'en_US'),
(3661, 'Locus-dependent selection in crop-wild hybrids of lettuce under field conditions and its implication for GM crop development.', 'Gene escape from crops has gained much attention in the last two decades, as transgenes introgressing into wild populations could affect the latter’s ecological characteristics. However, different genes have different likelihoods of introgression. The mixture of selective forces provided by natural conditions creates an adaptive mosaic of alleles from both parental species. We investigated segregation patterns after hybridization between lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and its wild relative, L. serriola. Three generations of hybrids (S1, BC1, and BC1S1) were grown in habitats mimicking the wild parent’s habitat. As control, we harvested S1 seedlings grown under controlled conditions, providing very limited possibility for selection. We used 89 AFLP loci, as well as more recently developed dominant markers, 115 retrotransposon markers (SSAP), and 28 NBS loci linked to resistance genes. For many loci, allele frequencies were biased in plants exposed to natural field conditions, including over-representation of crop alleles for various loci. Furthermore, Linkage disequilibrium was locally changed, allegedly by selection caused by the natural field conditions, providing ample opportunity for genetic hitchhiking. Our study indicates that when developing genetically modified crops, a judicious selection of insertion sites, based on knowledge of selective (dis)advantages of the surrounding crop genome under field conditions, could diminish transgene persistence.', 'en_US'),
(3662, 'Transgenes for insect resistance reduce herbivory and enhance fecundity in advanced generations of crop-weed hybrids of rice.', 'Gene flow from transgenic crops allows novel traits to spread to sexually compatible weeds. Traits such as resistance to insects may enhance the fitness of weeds, but few studies have tested for these effects under natural field conditions. We created F2 and F3 crop–weed hybrid lineages of genetically engineered rice (Oryza sativa) using lines with two transgene constructs, cowpea trypsin inhibitor (CpTI) and a Bt transgene linked to CpTI (Bt/CpTI). Experiments conducted in Fuzhou, China, demonstrated that CpTI alone did not significantly affect fecundity, although it reduced herbivory. In contrast, under certain conditions, Bt/CpTI conferred up to 79% less insect damage and 47% greater fecundity relative to nontransgenic controls, and a 44% increase in fecundity relative to the weedy parent. A small fitness cost was detected in F3 progeny with Bt/CpTI when grown under low insect pressure and direct competition with transgene-negative controls. We conclude that Bt/CpTI transgenes may introgress into co-occurring weedy rice populations and contribute to greater seed production when target insects are abundant. However, the net fitness benefits that are associated with Bt/CpTI could be ephemeral if insect pressure is lacking, for example, because of widespread planting of Bt cultivars that suppress target insect populations.', 'en_US'),
(3663, 'Centre of origin and the Bt brinjal controversy.', 'The probability of crop-to-wild gene flow depends on the geographic distribution of crops and their wild relatives1. In this context, caution has been advised in relation to the release of transgenic crops into their centres of origin, i.e. the geographical regions in which they were domesticated, and where wild relatives and/or weedy forms persist. In countries with high plant biodiversity like India, where almost 400 species of crop wild relatives are found, this is a relevant approach. The Indo-Burma zone2, or the Indian subcontinent itself3 are regions in which the brinjal eggplant,  Solanum melongena  L., may have originated. Other parts of Asia have also been suggested as candidate areas4, and the precise centre of origin remains in question.', 'en_US'),
(3664, 'Bt resistance in Helicoverpa species: Indian policy needs urgent revision.', '', 'en_US'),
(3665, 'Coexistence of GM and non-GM crops with endogenously determined separation.', '', 'en_US'),
(3666, 'A 90-day safety study in Sprague-Dawley rats fed milk powder containing recombinant human lactoferrin (rhLF) derived from transgenic cloned cattle.', 'Transgenic cloned animals expressing beneficial human nutritional traits offer a new strategy for large-scale production of some kinds of functional substances. In some cases, the required safety testing for genetically modified (GM) foods do not seem appropriate for human food safety, though regulations do not seem to provide alternatives. A 90-day rat feeding study is the core study for the safety assessment of GM foods. The test material in this 90-day study was prepared nonfat milk powder containing recombinant human lactoferrin (rhLF), which was expressed in transgenic cloned cattle. Groups of 10 male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were given a nutritionally balanced purified diet containing 7.5, 15, or 30% transgenic or conventional milk powder for 90 days. A commercial AIN93G diet was used as an additional control group. Clinical, biological, and pathological parameters were compared between groups. The only significant effect of treatment was higher mean ferritin and Fe+ concentrations for both male and female rats fed the transgenic milk powder diets, as compared to rats fed nontransgenic milk diets or the commercial diet. The results of the present study are consistent with previous research, which indicates that milk powder containing rhLF derived from healthy transgenic cloned cattle is as safe as conventional milk powder.', 'en_US'),
(3667, 'Susceptibility of Helicoverpa armigera from different host plants in northern China to Bacillus thuringiensis toxin Cry1Ac.', 'Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a serious pest of cotton and many other crops in northern China. To evaluate the contribution of alternative hosts as an effective refuge for transgenic cotton expressing the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry1Ac toxin, the susceptibility to this toxin was measured in progeny derived from field-collected H. armigera larvae and pupae from different hosts in the Xiajin’s region of the Shandong Province in northern China. During 2008–2010, progeny from a total of 258,56,184 and 160 single-pair crosses derived from wheat (first-generation), Bt cotton (second-generation), Bt cotton (third-generation), and corn (third-generation) were screened on Cry1Ac diets, respectively. Based on relative average development rates (RADR) of H. armigera larvae in these F1 tests, the second and third-generation moths emerging from Bt cotton fields were more tolerant to the Bt toxin than the first and third-generation moths emerging from wheat and corn each year. These results suggest that there is significant variation in susceptibility to Bt toxins among H. armigera populations derived from different host crops. Alternate crops, such as corn, that maintain Bt susceptible populations of H. armigera could be used as refugia to minimize the evolution of resistance to Bt cotton.', 'en_US'),
(3668, 'The BioCassava Plus program: biofortification of cassava for sub-saharan Africa. ', 'More than 250 million Africans rely on the starchy root crop cassava (Manihot esculenta) as their staple source of calories. A typical cassava-based diet, however, provides less than 30% of the minimum daily requirement for protein and only 10%–20% of that for iron, zinc, and vitamin A. The BioCassava Plus (BC+) program has employed modern biotechnologies intended to improve the health of Africans through the development and delivery of genetically engineered cassava with increased nutrient (zinc, iron, protein, and vitamin A) levels. Additional traits addressed by BioCassava Plus include increased shelf life, reductions in toxic cyanogenic glycosides to safe levels, and resistance to viral disease. The program also provides incentives for the adoption of biofortified cassava. Proof of concept was achieved for each of the target traits. Results from field trials in Puerto Rico, the first confined field trials in Nigeria to use genetically engineered organisms, and ex ante impact analyses support the efficacy of using transgenic strategies for the biofortification of cassava.', 'en_US'),
(3669, 'Transgene fragments in the blood and tissue of chicken fed with genetically modified soy and maize. ', 'The aim was to evaluate the transfer of DNA fragments into the blood, kidney and liver of broilers fed with diet containing the genetically modified (GM) Roundup Ready soybean GTS40-3-2, and the genetically modified Bt maize MON 810. Unsexed broilers ROSS 308 were used, animals were fed by diet with the same nutritional composition and components, except of GM soybean and maize. The diet for the first experimental group contained GM soybean, for the second group GM maize corn, for the third both GM soy and maize, and for the control GM-gree soybean and maize.  The experiments were done on day-old chicks up to the 42nd day of life. Control genese and transgene fragments were amplified by PCR. Fragments of control soy lectin gene were detected in 7 blood samples out of 118, and in 18 liver samples out of 20. Fragments of control maize HMG gene was present in 5 blood samples out of 118, liver and kidney were negative. The control gene positive samples were from all three experimental groups, the control group was negavie. Transgene fragments of Roundup Ready soybean were found in 11 blood samples out of 118, and in 3 liver samples out of 20 in the experimental group fed with GM soybean, kidney was negative. For maize transgene, 19 blood samples out of 118 were positive, always in the experimental group fed with GM maize, liver and kidney were negative. Nutritional safety was not compromised by the analysis, as only the fragments were looked for, not whole genes.', 'en_US'),
(3670, 'Recent long-distance transgene flow into wild populations conforms to historical patterns of gene flow in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) at its centre of origin. ', 'Over 95% of the currently cultivated cotton was domesticated from Gossypium hirsutum, which originated and diversified in Mexico. Demographic and genetic studies of this species at its centre of origin and diversification are lacking, although they are critical for cotton conservation and breeding. We investigated the actual and potential distribution of wild cotton populations, as well as the contribution of historical and recent gene flow in shaping cotton genetic diversity and structure. We evaluated historical gene flow using chloroplast microsatellites and recent gene flow through the assessment of transgene presence in wild cotton populations, exploiting the fact that genetically modified cotton has been planted in the North of Mexico since 1996. Assessment of geographic structure through Bayesian spatial analysis, BAPS and Genetic Algorithm for Rule-set Production (GARP), suggests that G. hirsutum seems to conform to a metapopulation scheme, with eight distinct metapopulations. Despite evidence for long-distance gene flow, genetic variation among the metapopulations of G. hirsutum is high (He = 0.894 ± 0.01). We identified 46 different haplotypes, 78% of which are unique to a particular metapopulation, in contrast to a single haplotype detected in cotton cultivars. Recent gene flow was also detected (m = 66/270 = 0.24), with four out of eight metapopulations having transgenes. We discuss the implications of the data presented here with respect to the conservation and future breeding of cotton populations and genetic diversity at its centre of crop origin.', 'en_US'),
(3671, 'Seasonal expression of Bt proteins in transgenic rice lines and the resistance against Asiatic Rice Borer Chilo suppressalis (Walker).', 'Laboratory bioassays and field surveys were carried out to compare the resistance of three transgenic rice (Oryza sativa L.) lines including Bt-DL expressing a single gene cry1Ab, Bt-KF6 expressing stacked genes cry1Ab and CpTI genes and Bt-SY63 expressing a fusion gene cry1Ab/cry1Ac, respectively, to an important rice pest Chilo suppressalis (Walker). In addition, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were conducted to monitor the Bt protein expressions in rice leaves and stems at different rice growth stages. Results showed that all the transgenic rice lines exhibited significantly high resistance to the pest compared with their corresponding nontransformed isolines. Among the transgenic rice lines, Bt-SY63 and Bt-KF6 had higher resistance to C. suppressalis at early growth stage, but lower resistance at late stages, while the pest resistance of Bt-DL was relatively stable throughout the growing season. The results were consistent with ELISA results showing that Bt protein levels in Bt-SY63 or Bt-KF6 leaves decreased in late growth stages, but were relatively stable in Bt-DL at all growth stages. This demonstrates that the resistance to a pest by Bt plants is positively correlated with Cry protein expression levels in plant tissues. Compared with Bt-SY63 and Bt-KF6, the Bt protein expression levels were significantly lower in Bt-DL, while its resistance to C. suppressalis was the highest. This may suggest that C. suppressalis is more susceptible to Cry1Ab than to Cry1Ac. The data from the current study are valuable for decision-making for commercial use of Bt rice lines and development of appropriate pest control and resistance management strategies for the transgenic rice lines.', 'en_US'),
(3672, 'No impact of transgenic nptII-leafy Pinus radiata (Pinales: Pinaceae) on Pseudocoremia suavis (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) or its endoparasitoid Meteorus pulchricornis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). ', 'To investigate the biosafety to insects of transgenic Pinus radiata D. Don containing the antibiotic resistance marker gene nptII and the reproductive control gene leafy, bioassays were conducted with an endemic lepidopteran pest of New Zealand plantation pine forests and a hymenopteran endoparasitoid. Larvae of the common forest looper, Pseudocoremia suavis (Butler), were fed from hatching on P. radiata needles from either one of two nptII-leafy transgenic clones, or an isogenic unmodified control line. For both unparasitized P. suavis and those parasitized by Meteorus pulchricornis (Wesmael), consuming transgenic versus control pine had no impact on larval growth rate or mass at any age, larval duration, survival, pupation or successful emergence as an adult. Total larval duration was 1 d (3%) longer in larvae fed nptII-2 than nptII-1, but this difference was considered trivial and neither differed from the control. In unparasitized P. suavis larvae, pine type consumed did not affect rate of pupation or adult emergence, pupal mass, or pupal duration. Pine type had no effect on the duration or survival of M. pulchricornis larval or pupal stages, mass of cocoons, stage at which they died, adult emergence, or fecundity. Parasitism by M. pulchricornis reduced P. suavis larval growth rate, increased the duration of the third larval stadium, and resulted in the death of all host larvae before pupation. The lack of impact of an exclusive diet of nptII-leafy transgenic pines on the life history of P. suavis and M. pulchricornis suggests that transgenic plantation pines expressing nptII are unlikely to affect insect populations in the field.', 'en_US'),
(3673, 'Molecular-based environmental risk assessment of three varieties of genetically engineered cows.', 'The development of animal biotechnology has led to an increase in attention to biosafety issues. Here we evaluated the impact of genetically engineered cows on the environment. The probability of horizontal gene transfer and the impact on the microbial communities in cow gut and soil were tested using three varieties of genetically engineered cows that were previously transformed with a human gene encoding lysozyme, lactoferrin, or human alpha lactalbumin. The results showed that the transgenes were not detectable by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or quantitative real-time PCR in gut microbial DNA extracts of manure or microbial DNA extracts of topsoil. In addition, the transgenes had no impact on the microbial communities in cow gut or soil as assessed by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis or 16S rDNA sequencing. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses showed that the manure bacteria sampled during each of the four seasons belonged primarily to two groups, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, and the soil bacteria belonged to four groups, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and &amp;#945;-proteobacteria. Other groups, such as &amp;#946;-proteobacteria, &amp;#947;-proteobacteria, &amp;#948;-proteobacteria, &amp;#949;-proteobacteria, Spirochaetes, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Nitrospira, were not dominant in the manure or soil.', 'en_US'),
(3674, 'A semi-quantitative approach to GMO risk-benefit analysis. ', 'In many countries there are increasing calls for the benefits of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to be considered as well as the risks, and for a risk-benefit analysis to form an integral part of GMO regulatory frameworks. This trend represents a shift away from the strict emphasis on risks, which is encapsulated in the Precautionary Principle that forms the basis for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, and which is reflected in the national legislation of many countries. The introduction of risk-benefit analysis of GMOs would be facilitated if clear methodologies were available to support the analysis. Up to now, methodologies for risk-benefit analysis that would be applicable to the introduction of GMOs have not been well defined. This paper describes a relatively simple semi-quantitative methodology that could be easily applied as a decision support tool, giving particular consideration to the needs of regulators in developing countries where there are limited resources and experience. The application of the methodology is demonstrated using the release of an insect resistant maize variety in South Africa as a case study. The applicability of the method in the South African regulatory system is also discussed, as an example of what might be involved in introducing changes into an existing regulatory process.', 'en_US'),
(3675, 'Effect of genetically modified, insect resistant corn (MON 810) and glyphosate tolerant soybean meal (Roundup Ready) on physico-chemical properties of broilers'' breast and thigh muscles. ', 'The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of genetically modified (GM), insect resistant corn (MON 810) and glyphosate tolerant soybean meal (Roundup Ready, MON 40-30-2), used as the main dietary components, on physico-chemical properties of broilers’ breast and thigh muscles. The pH and water holding capacity values of breast and thigh muscles indicated no statistically significant differences between broilers fed diets containing non-transgenic or transgenic feeds. Results for the oxidation reduction potential measurements of the breast muscles from the group fed GM corn and non-modified soybean meal as well as muscles of female chickens from the group fed GM corn and GM soybean meal were significantly lower than those for other dietary treatments. The results of presented study showed that chickens, which had consumed transgenic diet exhibited improved lipid stability of breast and thigh muscles, as indicated by TBARS values. The use of transgenic corn or soybean meal did not cause significant changes in colour parameters L* and b*. Incorporation of transgenic corn and soybean meal into broilers diet significantly affect the a* colour parameter for breast muscles.', 'en_US'),
(3676, 'Herbicide-tolerant transgenic soybean over 15 years of cultivation: pesticide use, weed resistance, and some economic issues. The case of the USA. ', 'Genetically modified (GM) herbicide-tolerant (HT) crops have been largely adopted where they have been authorized. Nevertheless, they are fiercely criticized by some, notably because of the herbicide use associated with them. However, how much herbicide is applied to GMHT crops compared to conventional crops, and what impacts does the use of herbicide have? The paper first presents some factors explaining the predominance of GMHT crops. Then, trends in the use of herbicide for GM crops are studied in the case of the most widespread HT crop: HT soybean in the USA. The trends in the toxicity of herbicides applied to HT soybean are also addressed, as well as the appearance of glyphosate-resistant (GR) weeds. Lastly, the paper examines the spread of GR weeds and its impact. How are farmers, weed scientists, and the industry coping with this development, and what are the prospects of glyphosate-tolerant crops given weed resistance? In conclusion, some issues of sustainability and innovation governance raised by genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops are discussed.', 'en_US'),
(3677, 'Coexistence in maize: effect on pollen-mediated gene flow by conventional maize border rows edging genetically modified maize fields. ', 'In addition to or as substitution for a regulated isolation distance, conventional maize (Zea mays L.) border rows at the genetically modified (GM) maize field edge are considered as feasible measure to ensure coexistence between GM and conventional or organic maize. Therefore, we examined the effectiveness of 9-m- and 18-m-wide non-GM maize borders at the GM maize field edge on outcrossing rates into a neighboring non-GM maize field. One field experiment each was conducted in 2008 at three sites in Germany using a field orientation representing a worst-case scenario concerning wind direction. In each case, the distance between GM and non-GM maize fields was 51 m. At two sites, sizes of GM and non-GM maize fields were 0.8 ha, respectively, and at the third site 0.5 ha (GM) and 0.3 ha (non-GM). The GM percentages of individual samples taken at recipient field depths between 0 and 90 m were quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Overall, no pollen-mediated gene flow reducing effect of border rows was observed in the present study, although synchrony of anthesis between GM maize and border row maize was given at each site. Calculated GM contents of the total non-GM fields harvest were always below the European Union labeling threshold of 0.9%. In consequence, planting 9-m- or 18-m-wide conventional maize border rows at the GM field edge is no reliable coexistence measure, at least if combined with an isolation distance.', 'en_US'),
(3678, 'Transgenesis in animal agriculture: addressing animal health and welfare concerns.', 'The US Food and Drug Administration’s final Guidance for Industry on the regulation of transgenesis in animal agriculture has paved the way for the commercialization of genetically engineered (GE) farm animals. The production-related diseases associated with extant breeding technologies are reviewed, as well as the predictable welfare consequences of continued emphasis on prolificacy at the potential expense of physical fitness. Areas in which biotechnology could be used to improve the welfare of animals while maintaining profitability are explored along with regulatory schema to improve agency integration in GE animal oversight.', 'en_US'),
(3679, 'Can genetically modified cotton contribute to sustainable development in Africa? ', 'Genetically modified (GM) crops and sustainable development remain the foci of much media attention, especially given current concerns about a global food crisis. However, whilst the latter is embraced with enthusiasm by almost all groups, GM crops generate very mixed views. Some countries have welcomed GM, but others, notably those in Europe, adopt a cautious stance. This article aims to review the contribution that GM crops can make to agricultural sustainability in the developing world. Following brief reviews of both issues and their linkages, notably the pros and cons of GM cotton as a contributory factor in sustainability, a number of case studies from resourcepoor cotton farmers in Makhathini Flats, South Africa, is presented for a six-year period. Data on expenditure, productivity and income indicate that Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton is advantageous because it reduces costs, for example, of pesticides, and increases income, and the indications are that those benefits continued over at least the six years covered by the studies. There are repercussions of the additional income in the households; debts are reduced and money is invested in children''s education and in the farms. However, in the general GM debate, the results show that GM crops are not miracle products which alleviate poverty at a stroke, but nor is there evidence that they will cause the scale of environmental damage associated with indiscriminate pesticide use. Indeed, for some GM antagonists, perhaps even the majority, such debates are irrelevant – the transfer of genes between species is unnatural and unethical. For them, GM crops will never be acceptable despite the evidence and pressure to increase world food production.', 'en_US'),
(3680, 'Changes in fitness-associated traits due to the stacking of transgenic glyphosate resistance and insect resistance in Brassica napus L.', 'Increasingly, genetically modified crops are being developed to express multiple ‘stacked’ traits for different types of transgenes, for example, herbicide resistance, insect resistance, crop quality and tolerance to environmental stresses. The release of crops that express multiple traits could result in ecological changes in weedy environments if feral crop plants or hybrids formed with compatible weeds results in more competitive plants outside of agriculture. To examine the effects of combining transgenes, we developed a stacked line of canola (Brassica napus L.) from a segregating F2 population that expresses both transgenic glyphosate resistance (CP4 EPSPS) and lepidopteran insect resistance (Cry1Ac). Fitness-associated traits were evaluated between this stacked genotype and five other Brassica genotypes in constructed mesocosm plant communities exposed to insect herbivores (Plutella xylostella L.) or glyphosate-drift. Vegetative biomass, seed production and relative fecundity were all reduced in stacked trait plants when compared with non-transgenic plants in control treatments, indicating potential costs of expressing multiple transgenes without selection pressure. Although costs of the transgenes were offset by selective treatment, the stacked genotype continued to produce fewer seeds than either single transgenic line. However, the increase in fitness of the stacked genotype under selective pressure contributed to an increased number of seeds within the mesocosm community carrying unselected, hitchhiking transgenes. These results demonstrate that the stacking of these transgenes in canola results in fitness costs and benefits that are dependent on the type and strength of selection pressure, and could also contribute to changes in plant communities through hitchhiking of unselected traits.', 'en_US'),
(3681, 'Genetically modified trees for a sustainable, environmentally responsible and resource-saving production of wood for energy production. ', 'Genetically modified trees (GM trees) are long-living plants. In regard to their special ecological and economic importance deployment of genetically modified trees is controversial because of the possible risks they are involved.\r\nCommercial use of GM trees for example as a plantation culture is supported by proponents, if they were previously subjected to a comprehensive risk analysis and safety assessment. In contrast, many critics exclude a commercial use of GM trees completely. They demand to stop the research.\r\nIn this paper, the possibilities of a sustainable, environmentally sound and resource-efficient use of GM trees are discussed. Arguments are given in favor of GM trees in respect to both, as a source of renewable raw material to cover an increasing demand for energy and chemical raw materials.\r\nBesides, arguments are given in favor of GM trees to mitigate effects of climate change in comparison to agronomical energy crops such as maize, sugar beet and cereals.\r\nFinally, an overview of an international project on risk assessment of GM trees (recently approved by the European Union) is given. The paper concludes with a presentation of requested and approved field trials of GM trees in the last five years in Europe.', 'en_US'),
(3682, 'Application of GM crops in Sub-Saharan Africa: lessons learned from Green Revolution.', '', 'en_US'),
(3683, 'Unintended effects of genetic modifications and methods of their analysis in plants.', 'The problem of unintended effects, which may be caused by genetic modification of plants, is analyzed. The factors that provoke the occurrence of unintended effects in genetically engineered plants, the consequences caused by the influence of these factors, and the possibility to minimize such effects by the use of improved methods of genetic engineering are discussed. Modern methodological approaches that can be applied to the analysis of unintended effects considered as a stage of safety assessment of transgenic plants, especially the methods of molecular profiling with the use of different “-omic” technologies, are described.', 'en_US'),
(3684, 'No effect of transgene and strong wild parent effects on seed dormancy in crop-wild hybrids of rice: implications for transgene persistence in wild populations.', 'Soil seed banks act as a gene pool for local plant species and, as such, can buffer local populations, especially those experiencing challenging environmental conditions. Seed dormancy has important implications to dynamics of soil seed banks. Therefore, estimating the seed dormancy of transgenic crop–wild hybrids could shed light on the persistence of transgenes in wild-plant soil seed banks. Individuals from eight populations of wild rice Oryza rufipogon were crossed with those of three insect-resistant transgenic rice lines. Selfed (F2–F4) and backcrossed populations (BC1, BC1F2 and BC1F3) were then made from the hybrids. Seed germination was tested under three treatments: (a) normal; (b) overwintering in soil; and (c) one-week heat-shocking. The effects of transgene, wild parent and hybrid generation on hybrid seed germination were examined. No significant effect of insect-resistant transgenes (Bt and CpTI) was detected on the seed dormancy of crop–wild hybrids, while a significant wild parent effect was found. The seeds of advanced generation hybrids have higher germination percentages and lower dormancy than do those of F1 and BC1 generations. The study showed that the dormancy of hybrid seeds was determined mainly by their genetic backgrounds. All hybrid seeds have higher germination percentages and lower dormancy (and, consequently, a poorer overwintering ability), compared with wild seeds, and reduce dormancy would contribute to a fitness disadvantage, compared with wild types. Therefore, such seeds might form part of naturally occurring soil seed banks, through which crop genes would persist in wild populations.', 'en_US');
INSERT INTO `bibliography_bibliography_i18n` (`id`, `title`, `abstract`, `locale`) VALUES
(3685, 'The ethics of using GM crops in developing countries.', 'This proceedings contains papers/posters providing up-to-date insights into the prudent application of recent and prospective biological advances in plant science and biotechnology and showing how they can contribute to the &quot;sustainable intensification&quot; of agriculture in Africa. The need to enhance education in novel areas of plant research and biotechnology that might provide suitable solutions for Africa is addressed. It is hoped that this volume will provide interesting and thought-provoking insights in new areas of plant science research and its implementation and that this will prompt further experimentation and breakthroughs in this important field.', 'en_US'),
(3686, 'Is Golden Rice a GMO which will rescue the eyesight and lives of many children?', 'This proceedings contains papers/posters providing up-to-date insights into the prudent application of recent and prospective biological advances in plant science and biotechnology and showing how they can contribute to the &quot;sustainable intensification&quot; of agriculture in Africa. The need to enhance education in novel areas of plant research and biotechnology that might provide suitable solutions for Africa is addressed. It is hoped that this volume will provide interesting and thought-provoking insights in new areas of plant science research and its implementation and that this will prompt further experimentation and breakthroughs in this important field.', 'en_US'),
(3687, 'Training for implementing risk assessment regulations for the release of GM crops.', 'This proceedings contains papers/posters providing up-to-date insights into the prudent application of recent and prospective biological advances in plant science and biotechnology and showing how they can contribute to the &quot;sustainable intensification&quot; of agriculture in Africa. The need to enhance education in novel areas of plant research and biotechnology that might provide suitable solutions for Africa is addressed. It is hoped that this volume will provide interesting and thought-provoking insights in new areas of plant science research and its implementation and that this will prompt further experimentation and breakthroughs in this important field.', 'en_US'),
(3688, 'GMO-projects for public good are faced with prohibitive conditions.', 'This proceedings contains papers/posters providing up-to-date insights into the prudent application of recent and prospective biological advances in plant science and biotechnology and showing how they can contribute to the &quot;sustainable intensification&quot; of agriculture in Africa. The need to enhance education in novel areas of plant research and biotechnology that might provide suitable solutions for Africa is addressed. It is hoped that this volume will provide interesting and thought-provoking insights in new areas of plant science research and its implementation and that this will prompt further experimentation and breakthroughs in this important field.', 'en_US'),
(3689, 'Transgenic rice evaluated for risks to marketability.', 'The California Rice Certification Act aims to protect the state''s rice from varieties that could damage sales to Asia, Europe and other regions.', 'en_US'),
(3690, 'The effect of Bt-maize on butterflies -- reckoning the risk.', 'Insect-resistant genetically-modified (GM) crops have been developed to provide protection against target pests by the introduction of a Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) gene encoding various insecticidal Cry proteins. Such is the pervasiveness of this technology that the global area planted commercially with these genetically-modified Bt crops exceeded 50 million hectares in 2010. Bt maize crops engineered for toxicity to the larvae of lepidopteran pests such as the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis, present a potential risk to the larvae of non-target butterflies that are not pests, but that feed in the vicinity of the crop and that might therefore be affected by toxic maize pollen. The hazard is from contact with the Bt protein by ingestion of maize pollen adhering to host plants. In North America, such a potential hazard was highlighted by a laboratory assay of Monarch butterfly larvae (Danaus plexippus) that consumed Bt maize pollen on milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) and led to extensive exposure assessments in the field in the USA. However, these found that that the amounts of maize pollen potentially ingested by monarch larvae on their host-plants in and around Bt-maize fields are unlikely to adversely affect a significant proportion of this species. However, extrapolating the monarch butterfly results to other species is problematic because of between-species variability in acute sensitivity to specific Cry1 proteins, differences in host-plants and other ecological factors. Within Europe, although lethal and sub-lethal effects of Bt-maize pollen consumption by lepidopteran larvae have now been reported for several non-target lepidopteran species under laboratory conditions, there have been few intensive field-based studies of exposure on prominent non-target butterflies of conservation concern. Only a minority of lepidopteran species live in habitats inside arable maize ecosystems, and the larvae of those that do are often found in greater numbers on host-plants in field margins, rather than in the crop itself, because host-plant densities are usually much greater in margins than in the crop. However, the intensification of agriculture over the last 50 years has been associated with substantial losses of biodiversity in arable ecosystems. Butterflies are popular indicators of biodiversity and are in decline in arable ecosystems throughout Europe, partly as a result of farming practice. In addition, genetic modification remains a controversial area for environmental policy in Europe, where public acceptance of genetically-engineered plants is much weaker than in North America. For example, in January 2005 Hungary invoked an emergency ''safeguard clause'' to attempt to ban the cultivation of the Bt-maize event MON810 (which expresses the Cry1Ab protein). Despite its lack of success, this was followed in 2008 and 2009 by other EU states, including France and Germany; these safeguard clauses currently remain in place but are being challenged legally. MON810 is the only GM crop currently cultivated on a wide scale (c. 105 ha) in Europe, mainly in Spain, but also in the Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Slovakia. Obtaining direct data on the mortality of non-target Lepidoptera is difficult because there are many species potentially at risk; these have different host-plants; exposure studies require good estimates of population densities of both lepidopteran species and host-plant, in both crop, margin and alternative habitats; the species at risk may be rare and have a low population density; larvae may be difficult to find in the field; and the period over which pollen is shed is relatively short. Such difficulties were discussed by Aviron et al. (2009), who calculated that to detect a change in abundance of 20% with adequate statistical power would require more than 100 pairs of fields or field margins. Furthermore, there are restrictions due to limited resources and time limitations for largescale agro-ecological experiments (Perry et al., 2003). Additional problems include refusals to grant permission for trials in many EU member states and the risk of damage by activists.', 'en_US'),
(3691, 'Field trials with genetically modified powdery mildew-resistant wheat. ', 'The benefits and environmental risks of genetically modified (GM) spring wheat with improved powdery mildew resistance were investigated on two field sites by a consortium of Swiss research groups from 2008 to 2010. GM wheat lines with specific powdery mildew resistance and general fungal resistance were compared with control lines, commercial wheat varieties, and with barley and triticale. The impact on insects and soil organisms (bacteria, mycorrhizal fungi, soil fauna) as well as outcrossing to wheat were investigated in addition to powdery mildew resistance. Several GM wheat lines were significantly more resistant to powdery mildew than their controls. No relevant impact was found on non-target organisms, their biodiversity or selected ecosystem services. On the whole, the differences between GM and control lines were smaller than between commercial wheat varieties or other cereal crops. Outcrossing events were rare and found only at a short distance from GM test plants.', 'en_US'),
(3692, 'Cross-pollination of nontransgenic corn ears with transgenic Bt corn: efficacy against lepidopteran pests and implications for resistance management.', 'The efficacy of nontransgenic sweet corn, Zea mays L., hybrids cross-pollinated by Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) sweet corn hybrids expressing Cry1Ab toxin was evaluated in both field and laboratory studies in Minnesota in 2000. Non-Bt and Bt hybrids (maternal plants) were cross-pollinated with pollen from both non-Bt and Bt hybrids (paternal plants) to create four crosses. Subsequent crosses were evaluated for efficacy in the field against European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), and corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), and in laboratory bioassays against O. nubilalis. Field studies indicated that crosses with maternal Bt plants led to low levels of survival for both O. nubilalis and H. zea compared with the non-Bt × non-Bt cross. However, the cross between non-Bt ears and Bt pollen led to survival rates of 43 and 63% for O. nubilalis and H. zea larvae, respectively. This intermediate level of survival also was reflected in the number of kernels damaged. Laboratory bioassays for O. nubilalis, further confirmed field results with larval survival on kernels from the cross between non-Bt ears and Bt pollen reaching 60% compared with non-Bt crossed with non-Bt. These results suggest that non-Bt refuge plants, when planted in proximity to Bt plants, and cross-pollinated, can result in sublethal exposure of O. nubilalis and H. zea larvae to Bt and may undermine the high-dose / refuge resistance management strategy for corn hybrids expressing Cry1Ab.', 'en_US'),
(3693, 'Mortality impact of Bt transgenic maize roots expressing eCry3.1Ab, mCry3A, and eCry3.1Ab plus mCry3A on western corn rootworm larvae in the field.', 'Mortality of the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, larvae due to feeding on maize, Zea mays L., expressing Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) was evaluated in five Missouri sites in 2007, 2008, and 2009. Specifically, eCry3.1Ab (5307), mCry3A (MIR604), and eCry3.1Ab plus mCry3A proteins relative to survivorship on maize with the same genetic background without these genes (isoline maize) was evaluated. An average of 890.8 ± 152.3 beetles emerged from isoline plots, whereas average beetle emergence from 5307, MIR604, and 5307 × MIR604 was 1.9 ± 0.6,19.3 ± 6.3, and 0.8 ± 0.3, respectively, when averaged across 22 replications in five environments. Overall, 66, 50, 61, and 51% of beetles recovered from 5307, MIR604, 5307 × MIR604, and isoline maize, respectively, were female, and there was no significant difference between the number of male and female beetles that emerged from any of these treatments. Mortality due to 5307, MIR604, and 5307 × MIR604 was 99.79, 97.83, and 99.91%, respectively. There was an 8.0-d delay in time to 50% beetle emergence from 5307 compared with isoline maize, which was significantly later than to the other three maize lines. The average delay to 50% emergence from MIR604 and 5307 × MIR604 averaged 4.1 and 4.6 d, respectively later than 50% emergence from isoline maize. Female beetles had a significant delay in time to 50% emergence compared with male beetles from all treatments with the exception of 5307 × MIR604. Data are discussed in terms of insect resistance management in relation to other control measures for western corn rootworm.', 'en_US'),
(3694, 'Cry1Ac expression in transgenic Bt cotton hybrids is influenced by soil moisture and depth.', 'Cry1Ac toxin concentration was assessed in leaves of Bt transgenic cotton hybrid grown on shallow (&lt;60 cm) and deep (&gt;90 cm) black soils of Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. Cry toxin concentration increased up to 80 days after sowing followed by a steep decline. In general, toxin concentration was greater on the deep black soils than the shallow soil. This was because of greater water-holding capacity of the deep soils. Cry toxin concentration was closely related to the soil water content. Beyond (excess moisture) and below (moisture deficit) field capacity, toxin concentration declined. A cubic polynomial best described the relationship between Cry toxin concentration and soil moisture content (R2 = 0.95).', 'en_US'),
(3695, 'Movement of Spodoptera frugiperda adults (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in maize in Brazil.', 'The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), is one of the most important maize pests in the Americas and particularly in South America. With the adoption of genetically modified plants expressing Bacillus thuringiensis toxins for lepidopterous pest control, there is a need for establishing strategies to delay the development of insect resistance (e.g. refuge areas). Thus, information on target insects’ dispersal is essential to improve pest management techniques. The objective of this work was to evaluate the dispersal capacity of S. frugiperda adults using mark-release-recapture techniques. Insects were marked using red oil-soluble dye in the larval artificial diet. Marked adults were released twice in each growing season (dry and wet) in southeastern Brazil in 2006 and 2007. Recapture of marked insects was performed using light and pheromone traps. Males are more attracted to light traps than females and the recapture rate was higher in the dry season than in the rainy season. The most adequate model to explain the relationship between flight distance and number of recaptured insects is y = a 2 / (1+ (2a 1.8 + bx)) (2.6), where y is the distance and x is the number captured. The maximum recapture distances were 806 m for males and 608 m for females. Therefore, strategies for establishment of refuges should take such distances into consideration.', 'en_US'),
(3696, 'Coexistence in maize: effect of the genetically modified maize field depth on pollen-mediated gene flow. ', 'Although it is generally accepted that field depth of the recipient non–genetically modified (non-GM) neighboring maize (Zea mays L.) field is significantly affecting pollen-mediated gene flow, information about the influence of GM donor field depth is extremely scarce. Therefore, we investigated the effect of 75-m compared with 150-m donor field depth. In 2007 and 2008, one field experiment each was established in northern Germany at Mariensee. In both GM field-depth variants, the distance between GM and non-GM maize field was 25 m. Sizes of non-GM maize fields were generally 1.5 ha, whereas two GM field sizes (1.5 and 3.0 ha) were compared in a field arrangement side-by-side oriented to favor pollen-mediated gene flow from GM to non-GM field. The GM percentages of individual samples taken at recipient field depths between 0 and 60 m were quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction. In both years, no difference in pollen-mediated gene flow in dependence on the two compared donor field depths was observed. Calculated GM contents of the total non-GM fields harvests were 1.4% (75 m) and 1.5% (150 m) in 2007 as well as 1.0% (both 75 and 150 m) in 2008. In consequence, maize pollen-mediated gene flow seems not to be considerably affected by GM field depth if fields are at least 75 m deep.', 'en_US'),
(3697, 'Application of a novel method PCR-ligase detection reaction for tracking predator-prey trophic links in insect-resistant GM rice ecosystem.', 'Insect-resistant genetically modified (IRGM) rice is on the verge of commercial release in China, however, its potential non-target effect on non-target insect natural enemies remains controversial. Tracking trophic interactions between predators and preys in IRGM rice ecosystem can provide new insights into better understanding of the ecological risks of IRGM rice. In the present study, a novel method based on ligase detection reaction (LDR), PCR-LDR was introduced to track 15 prey species in the gut of a predaceous spider Pirata subpiraticus, a dominant natural enemy in rice field. Our results indicated that PCR-LDR could provide high specificity and sensitivity in tracking prey-predator interactions in rice ecosystems. PCR-LDR could detect as little as 1,000th of DNA mixture. Reliable detection of DNA samples of prey species using PCR-LDR could be significantly affected by digestion time and prey species. In the analysis of 200 field-collected P. subpiraticus and 105 field-collected Tetragnatha maxillosa individuals using PCR-LDR, prey remains were identified in 78.3 and 74.3% of the individuals, respectively, from which significant predation differences between the two spider species were observed. Predation behavior of the spider species was not significantly different between Bt and non-Bt control rice lines. These results indicated that PCR-LDR can be used as an important tool for ecological studies, especially on the interactions between predators and preys in IRGM rice or other similar ecosystems.', 'en_US'),
(3698, 'Long-term impact of Bt cotton: findings from a case study in China using panel data. ', 'Bt cotton has been cultivated in China for a decade. Studies have been conducted to assess theimpact on productivity and pesticide use. Limitations of these studies are the short time period considered and the reliability of data. This paper presents findings from monitoring 150 Bt cotton farmers in Shandong province in 2002 and 2005. Descriptive analysis reveals that pesticide use increased while seed price and Bt toxin concentration decreased. The Bt variable was consistently insignificant in the estimated production function with damage control specification and a fixed effects model. There is indication that poor standards in Bt varieties have caused this result. Due to market imperfections and emergence of a largely unregulated seed market for genetically modified crops, Bt toxin levels may be below the threshold required to effectively control target pests. Furthermore, rising cotton prices may have created additional incentive to increase pesticide applications. The emergence of secondary pests calls for further in-depth studies that should include local agro-ecological conditions. Our results indicate that farmers with more experience in Bt cotton cultivation apply less pesticides, confirming the findings of other studies that farmer knowledge and understanding of the Bt technology is an important condition for its success.', 'en_US'),
(3699, 'Bt Brinjal in India: a long way to go. ', 'Brinjal occupies the major proportion amongst all vegetable crops in India and is vulnerable to many diseases caused by insect-pests, fungus, bacteria and virus. Brinjal production is extensively affected by the insect brinjal fruit and shoot borer. Use of conventional chemical pesticides not only damage environment including the biotic and abiotic components but, also affect human health. Bt Brinjal was developed to combat brinjal fruit and shoot borer that has an advantage minimizing use of chemical pesticides. Extensive biosafety investigations, nutritional studies, substantial equivalence studies, relative toxicity and allergenicity assessment using animal models like Sprague Dawley rats, Brown Norway rats, rabbit, fish, chicken, goats, etc. revealed no significant differences between genetically modified brinjal and its native counterpart. Bt brinjal could effectively control the target pest and was found to be safe for environment and human health. In spite of all the scientific studies, release of Bt Brinjal has been put under moratorium. Indian government has constituted an expert committee to address this issue. In this review we have tried to explore the facts related to Bt Brinjal including its production, use of Bt toxin, use of chemical pesticides in controlling the FSB in native brinjal, along with perspective of public opinion and government initiatives.', 'en_US'),
(3700, 'Proteomic analysis of four Brazilian MON810 maize varieties and their four non-genetically-modified isogenic varieties.', 'Profiling techniques have been suggested as a nontargeted approach to detect unintended effects in genetically modified (GM) plants. Seedlings from eight Brazilian maize varieties, four MON810 GM varieties and four non-GM isogenic varieties, were grown under controlled environmental conditions. Physiological parameters (aerial part weight, main leaf length, and chlorophyll and total protein contents) were compared, and some differences were observed. Nevertheless, these differences were not constant among all GM and non-GM counterparts. Leaf proteomic profiles were analyzed using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) coupled to mass spectrometry, using six 2DE gels per variety. The comparison between MON810 and its counterpart was limited to qualitative differences of fully reproducible protein spot patterns. Twelve exclusive proteins were observed in two of four maize variety pairs; all of these leaf proteins were variety specific. In this study, MON810 leaf proteomes of four varieties were similar to non-GM counterpart leaf proteomes.', 'en_US'),
(3701, 'Compositional equivalence of insect-protected glyphosate-tolerant soybean MON 87701 x MON 89788 to conventional soybean extends across different world regions and multiple growing seasons. ', 'The soybean product MON 87701 × MON 89788 expresses both the cry1Ac gene derived from Bacillus thuringiensis and the cp4 epsps (5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase) gene derived from Agrobacterium sp. strain CP4. Each biotechnology-derived trait confers specific benefits of insect resistance and glyphosate tolerance, respectively. The purpose of this study was to compare the composition of seed and forage from this combined-trait product to those of conventional soybean grown in geographically and climatically distinct regions. Field trials were conducted in the United States during the 2007 growing season, in Argentina during the 2007–2008 growing season, and in the northern and southern soybean regions of Brazil during the 2007–2008 and 2008–2009 growing seasons. Results demonstrated that the compositional equivalence of MON 87701 × MON 89788 to the conventional soybean extended across all regions and growing seasons. Further evaluation of the data showed that natural variation (region and growing season) contributed more to compositional variability in soybean, particularly for such components as isoflavones, fatty acids, and vitamin E, than transgene insertion.', 'en_US'),
(3702, 'Predation and food limitation influence fitness traits of growth-enhanced transgenic and wild-type fish. ', 'Genetically engineered fish are nearing commercialization for aquaculture. If transgenic fish escape from farms, they could encounter and interbreed with natural populations. Relative advantages of transgenic fish for fitness-related traits could drive population processes like gene flow, but fitness trait estimates will best inform risk assessments if measured under environmental conditions that are relevant to natural environments. Wild-type and growth-enhanced transgenic Japanese medakas Oryzias latipes of different genetic backgrounds were compared for the following fitness traits: fecundity, fertility, survival to sexual maturity, age at sexual maturity, and mating advantage. Because food availability and predation have been shown to alter the life histories of growth-enhanced transgenic fish, we measured traits under four different environments: (1) high food availability and no predation, (2) high food availability with simulated predation, (3) low food availability and no predation, and (4) low food availability with simulated predation. We found that regardless of environment, there was no clear fitness trend by genotype: transgenic females were more fecund than wild-type females, wild-type males obtained more matings than transgenic males, and offspring of transgenic × wild-type crosses had higher survival to sexual maturity than offspring of two wild-type parents, possibly due to heterosis. Regardless of genotype, females produced more eggs in environments with high food availability and matured fastest under conditions of high food availability and no predation. Our results imply that population-level processes like gene flow will be difficult to predict from measurements of one or two fitness traits taken on fish in a single environment. Therefore, gene flow risk assessments should be based on estimates of fitness traits that span the entire life cycle, incorporate relevant environmental variation, and compare the transgenic fish strain with a wild-type strain of relevant genetic background.', 'en_US'),
(3703, 'Evaluation of Bt cotton under integrated pest management.', 'Field experiments were conducted at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Lam, Guntur to study the performance of Bt cotton under IPM, conventional control (CC) and unprotected conditions (check) for two consecutive seasons.  The incidence of aphids and whiteflies was low in IPM block compared to conventional control, while the incidence of leafhoppers was high under IPM. But the population of thrips was more or less similar.  The larval incidence of fruiting bodies damage of American and pink bollworm were slightly high in IPM block.  The activity of natural enemies under ecofriendly IPM was more compared to conventional control and check without presticidal application.  Though the yield was slightly less, the cost benefit ratio was high from IPM block (1:2.26) compared to conventional control (1:1.57) due to low cost of plant protection. Hence, ''Bt'' cotton hybrids should be viewed as a foundation on which Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has to be built up to combat the pest problems for sustainable transgenic Bt cotton cultivation.', 'en_US'),
(3704, 'Impact of bee species and plant density on alfalfa pollination and potential for gene flow. ', 'In outcrossing crops like alfalfa, various bee species can contribute to pollination and gene flow in seed production fields. With the increasing use of transgenic crops, it becomes important to determine the role of these distinct pollinators on alfalfa pollination and gene flow. The current study examines the relative contribution of honeybees, three bumble bee species, and three solitary bee species to pollination and gene flow in alfalfa. Two wild solitary bee species and one wild bumble bee species were best at tripping flowers, while the two managed pollinators commonly used in alfalfa seed production, honeybees and leaf cutting bees, had the lowest tripping rate. Honeybees had the greatest potential for gene flow and risk of transgene escape relative to the other pollinators. For honeybees, gene flow and risk of transgene escape were not affected by plant density although for the three bumble bee species gene flow and risk of transgene escape were the greatest in high-density fields.', 'en_US'),
(3705, 'A single major QTL controls expression of larval Cry1F resistance trait in Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and is independent of midgut receptor genes.', 'The European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is an introduced crop pest in North America that causes major damage to corn and reduces yield of food, feed, and biofuel materials. The Cry1F toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) expressed in transgenic hybrid corn is highly toxic to O. nubilalis larvae and effective in minimizing feeding damage. A laboratory colony of O. nubilalis was selected for high levels of Cry1F resistance (&gt;12,000-fold compared to susceptible larvae) and is capable of survival on transgenic hybrid corn. Genetic linkage maps with segregating AFLP markers show that the Cry1F resistance trait is controlled by a single quantitative trait locus (QTL) on linkage group 12. The map position of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers indicated that midgut Bt toxin-receptor genes, alkaline phosphatase, aminopeptidase N, and cadherin, are not linked with the Cry1F QTL. Evidence suggests that genes within this genome interval may give rise to a novel Bt toxin resistance trait for Lepidoptera that appears independent of known receptor-based mechanisms of resistance.', 'en_US'),
(3706, 'Effect of insect-resistant transgenic maize on growth and development, utilization of nutrients and in vivo activity of the detoxification enzymes of the Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae).', 'There is little systematic research on the effect of transgenic maize expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins on insect survival and the response in vivo of their detoxification enzymes. Results of laboratory bioassays indicate that the whorl leaves of transgenic maize lines G03-2396 and G03-2739 significantly affected the survival of neonate and third instar larvae of the Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Güenée). Neonate mortality two days after being fed on G03-2739 was 72.5% and exceeded 92.5% four days later. The percentage mortality of third instar larvae six days after being fed whorl leaves from G03-2396 exceeded 65%. The resistance of whorl leaves to insect attack was greater than that of maize-ears, but less effective against attacks by third instar larvae. Neonate development was more prolonged when they were fed on whorl leaves of both the transgenic maize lines. In contrast, low pupation (<80% of that recorded in the controls), ecolosion and fecundity were recorded following ingestion of maize-ears, with pupal weights 10–14 mg lower than that of controls. The growth rates of third instar larvae recorded three and six days after feeding on whorl leaves were lower, but food utilization, conversion and relative metabolism were not significantly affected. Relative food ingestion, relative growth rate and other nutritional indicators of third instar larvae were significantly lower six days after the ingestion of ears and that of fifth instar larvae after three days. In vivo activity of carboxylesterase was decreased to a greater degree after three days when the larvae were fed on whorl leaves than ears, with no significant effect on fifth instar larvae. Furthermore, in vivo activity of glutathione S-transferase (GST) of third instar larvae was significantly affected following the ingestion of whorl leaves. These results are discussed in the context of the literature on the resistance of transgenic plants and of improving the resistance of plants to attack by the different larval stages of insects.', 'en_US'),
(3707, 'Influence of transgenic Bt176 and non-transgenic corn silage on the structure of rumen bacterial communities.', 'The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible effects of a diet containing transgenic corn (Zea mays), cultivar Bt176 expressing the insecticidal protein CryIA(b), on bacterial diversity of the cow rumen in vivo. Silage prepared with Bt176 corn and its parental non-transgenic cultivar showed no significant differences in either composition or in vivo degradability. Four cows were fed for 35 days with the different silage in a cross-over feeding experiment. The overall structure of rumen bacterial populations was analyzed using a cultivation-independent approach—ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (RISA)—during 3 consecutive days of each feeding trial in all cows. Planktonic bacterial populations present in the rumen fluid and biofilm grown directly on the silage were analyzed separately. Statistical analysis of RISA fingerprints did not reveal significant differences in bacterial community structure between different feedings. Small differences were nevertheless observed between individuals on the structure of bacterial communities directly colonizing the silage material. A diet constituted by transgenic Bt-corn silage was demonstrated not to be substantially different from non-transgenic corn silage in terms of composition, digestibility and impact on the overall rumen microbiota.', 'en_US'),
(3708, 'Leaf litter from insect-resistant transgenic trees causes changes in aquatic insect community composition.', '1. Recent research has addressed how transgenic residues from arable crops may influence adjacent waterways, aquatic consumers and important ecosystem processes such as litter breakdown rates. With future applications of transgenic plants in forestry, such concerns may apply to forest stream ecosystems. Before any large-scale release of genetically modified (GM) trees, it is therefore imperative to evaluate the effects of genetic modifications in trees on such ecosystems.\r\n\r\n2. We conducted decomposition experiments under natural stream conditions using leaf litter from greenhouse grown GM trees (Populus tremula × Populus tremuloides) that express Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins (cry3Aa; targeting coleopteran leaf-feeding beetles) to examine the hypothesis that GM trees would affect litter decomposition rates and/or the aquatic arthropod community that colonizes and feeds on leaf litter in streams.\r\n\r\n3. We show that two independent transformations of isogenic Populus trees to express Bt toxins caused similar changes to the composition of aquatic insects colonizing the leaf litter, ultimately manifested in a 25% and 33% increases in average insect abundance.\r\n\r\n4. Measurements of 24 phenolic compounds as well as nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) in the litter did not significantly differ among modified and wild-type trees and were thus not sufficient to explain these differences in the insect assemblage.\r\n\r\n5. Decomposition rates were comparable among litter treatments suggesting that the normal suite of leaf traits influencing decomposition was similar among litter treatments and that the shredding functions of the community were maintained despite the changes in insect community composition.\r\n\r\n6. Synthesis and applications.  We report that leaf litter from GM trees affected the composition of aquatic insect communities that colonized litter under natural stream conditions. This suggests that forest management using GM trees may affect adjacent waterways in unanticipated ways, which should be considered in future commercial applications of GM trees. We also argue that studies at different scales (e.g. species, communities and ecosystems) will be needed for a full understanding of the environmental effects of Bt plants.', 'en_US'),
(3709, 'No adverse effect of genetically modified antifungal wheat on decomposition dynamics and the soil fauna community -- a field study.', 'The cultivation of genetically modified (GM) plants has raised several environmental concerns. One of these concerns regards non-target soil fauna organisms, which play an important role in the decomposition of organic matter and hence are largely exposed to GM plant residues. Soil fauna may be directly affected by transgene products or indirectly by pleiotropic effects such as a modified plant metabolism. Thus, ecosystem services and functioning might be affected negatively. In a litterbag experiment in the field we analysed the decomposition process and the soil fauna community involved. Therefore, we used four experimental GM wheat varieties, two with a race-specific antifungal resistance against powdery mildew (Pm3b) and two with an unspecific antifungal resistance based on the expression of chitinase and glucanase. We compared them with two non-GM isolines and six conventional cereal varieties. To elucidate the mechanisms that cause differences in plant decomposition, structural plant components (i.e. C:N ratio, lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose) were examined and soil properties, temperature and precipitation were monitored. The most frequent taxa extracted from decaying plant material were mites (Cryptostigmata, Gamasina and Uropodina), springtails (Isotomidae), annelids (Enchytraeidae) and Diptera (Cecidomyiidae larvae). Despite a single significant transgenic/month interaction for Cecidomyiidae larvae, which is probably random, we detected no impact of the GM wheat on the soil fauna community. However, soil fauna differences among conventional cereal varieties were more pronounced than between GM and non-GM wheat. While leaf residue decomposition in GM and non-GM wheat was similar, differences among conventional cereals were evident. Furthermore, sampling date and location were found to greatly influence soil fauna community and decomposition processes. The results give no indication of ecologically relevant adverse effects of antifungal GM wheat on the composition and the activity of the soil fauna community.', 'en_US'),
(3710, 'The establishment of genetically engineered Canola populations in the U.S.', 'Concerns regarding the commercial release of genetically engineered (GE) crops include naturalization, introgression to sexually compatible relatives and the transfer of beneficial traits to native and weedy species through hybridization. To date there have been few documented reports of escape leading some researchers to question the environmental risks of biotech products. In this study we conducted a systematic roadside survey of canola (Brassica napus) populations growing outside of cultivation in North Dakota, USA, the dominant canola growing region in the U.S. We document the presence of two escaped, transgenic genotypes, as well as non-GE canola, and provide evidence of novel combinations of transgenic forms in the wild. Our results demonstrate that feral populations are large and widespread. Moreover, flowering times of escaped populations, as well as the fertile condition of the majority of collections suggest that these populations are established and persistent outside of cultivation.', 'en_US'),
(3711, 'Pollen competition as a reproductive isolation barrier represses transgene flow between compatible and co-flowering citrus genotypes.', 'Background/Objective\r\nDespite potential benefits granted by genetically modified (GM) fruit trees, their release and commercialization raises concerns about their potential environmental impact, and the transfer via pollen of transgenes to cross-compatible cultivars is deemed to be the greatest source for environmental exposure. Information compiled from field trials on GM trees is essential to propose measures to minimize the transgene dispersal. We have conducted a field trial of seven consecutive years to investigate the maximum frequency of pollen-mediated crop-to-crop transgene flow in a citrus orchard, and its relation to the genetic, phenological and environmental factors involved.\r\n\r\nMethodology/Principal Findings\r\nThree different citrus genotypes carrying the uidA (GUS) tracer marker gene (pollen donors) and a non-GM self-incompatible contiguous citrus genotype (recipient) were used in conditions allowing natural entomophilous pollination to occur. The examination of 603 to 2990 seeds per year showed unexpectedly low frequencies (0.17–2.86%) of transgene flow. Paternity analyses of the progeny of subsets of recipient plants using 10 microsatellite (SSR) loci demonstrated a higher mating competence of trees from another non-GM pollen source population that greatly limited the mating chance of the contiguous cross-compatible and flowering-synchronized transgenic pollen source. This mating superiority could be explained by a much higher pollen competition capacity of the non-GM genotypes, as was confirmed through mixed-hand pollinations.\r\n\r\nConclusions/Significance\r\nPollen competition strongly contributed to transgene confinement. Based on this finding, suitable isolation measures are proposed for the first time to prevent transgene outflow between contiguous plantings of citrus types that may be extendible to other entomophilous transgenic fruit tree species.', 'en_US'),
(3712, 'Coexistence of genetically modified crops with conventional and organic agriculture: the Italian situation.', '', 'en_US'),
(3713, 'Applicability of three alternative instruments for food authenticity analysis: GMO identification.', 'Ensuring foods are correctly labelled for ingredients derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is an issue facing manufacturers, retailers, and enforcement agencies. DNA approaches for the determination of food authenticitys often use the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and PCR products can be detected using capillary or gel electrophoresis. This study examines the fitness for purpose of the application of three laboratory electrophoresis instruments (Agilent Bioanalyzer 2100, Lab901 TapeStation, and Shimadzu MCE-202 MultiNA) for the detection of GMOs using PCR based on a previously validated protocol. Whilst minor differences in the performance characteristics of bias and precision were observed, all three instruments demonstrated their applicability in using this protocol for screening of GMO ingredients.', 'en_US'),
(3714, 'A 90-day toxicology study of high-amylose transgenic rice grain in Sprague-Dawley rats.', 'A transgenic rice line (TRS) with high amylose level has been developed by antisense RNA inhibition of starch branching enzymes. Compositional analysis of TRS demonstrated that the content of resistant starch (RS) was significantly higher compared to conventional non-transgenic rice. High level of RS is an important raw material in food industry and has various physiological effects for human health. In order to provide the reliable theory basis for field release of TRS rice, we evaluated the potential health effects of long-term consumption of the TRS. The 90-day toxicology feeding experiment was conducted in Sprague–Dawley rats fed with diets containing 70% of either TRS rice flour, its near-isogenic rice flour or the control diet. The clinical performance variables (body weight, body weight gain and food consumption) were measured and pathological responses (hematological parameters and serum chemistry at the midterm and the completion of the experiment, urinalysis profile and serum sex hormone response at the completion of the experiment) were performed. Besides, clinical signs, relative organ weights and microscopic observations were also compared between TRS group and its near-isogenic rice group. The combined data indicates that high-amylose TRS grain is as safe as the conventional non-transgenic rice for rat consumption.', 'en_US'),
(3715, 'Allergenicity assessment of Allium sativum leaf agglutinin, a potential candidate protein for developing sap sucking insect resistant food crops.', 'Background\r\nMannose-binding Allium sativum leaf agglutinin (ASAL) is highly antinutritional and toxic to various phloem-feeding hemipteran insects. ASAL has been expressed in a number of agriculturally important crops to develop resistance against those insects. Awareness of the safety aspect of ASAL is absolutely essential for developing ASAL transgenic plants.\r\n\r\nMethodology/Principal Findings\r\nFollowing the guidelines framed by the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization, the source of the gene, its sequence homology with potent allergens, clinical tests on mammalian systems, and the pepsin resistance and thermostability of the protein were considered to address the issue. No significant homology to the ASAL sequence was detected when compared to known allergenic proteins. The ELISA of blood sera collected from known allergy patients also failed to show significant evidence of cross-reactivity. In vitro and in vivo assays both indicated the digestibility of ASAL in the presence of pepsin in a minimum time period.\r\n\r\nConclusions/Significance\r\nWith these experiments, we concluded that ASAL does not possess any apparent features of an allergen. This is the first report regarding the monitoring of the allergenicity of any mannose-binding monocot lectin having insecticidal efficacy against hemipteran insects.', 'en_US'),
(3716, 'Effects of transgenic Bt rice on growth, reproduction, and superoxide dismutase activity of Folsomia candida (Collembola: Isotomidae) in laboratory studies.', 'Transgenic rice expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry1Ab protein is expected to be commercialized in China in the near future. The use of Bt rice for controlling insect pests sparks intensive debates regarding its biosafety. Folsomia candida is an euedaphic species and is often used as a “standard“ test organism in assessing effects of environmental pollutants on soil organisms. In this study, growth, development, reproduction, and superoxide dismutase activity (SOD) of F. candida were investigated in the laboratory for populations reared on leaf tissue or leaf-soil mixtures of two Cry1Ab rice lines and a non-Bt rice isoline. Two independent tests were performed: 1) a 35-d test using petri dishes containing yeast diet (positive control) or fresh rice leaf tissue, and 2) a 28-d test in soil-litter microcosms containing yeast or a mixture of soil and rice leaf tissue. Biological parameters measured in both tests were number of progeny production, population growth rate, and SOD activity. For the petri dish test, data measured also included insect body length and number of exuviation. There were no significant differences between the populations reared on Bt and non-Bt rice leaf tissue in all measured parameters in both tests and for both Bt rice lines, suggesting no significant effects of the Cry1Ab protein in Bt rice on F. candida in the laboratory studies. Results of this study should add additional biosafety proofs for use of Bt rice to manage rice pests in China.', 'en_US'),
(3717, 'Effect of MIR604 transgenic maize at different stages of development on western corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in a central Missouri field environment.', 'The establishment and survival of western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, was evaluated on transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner maize, Zea mays L., expressing the mCry3A protein (MIR604) and non-Bt maize with the same genetic background (isoline maize) at different stages of development in 2007 and 2008. Overall, western corn rootworm larval recovery, root damage, and adult emergence were significantly higher on isoline maize compared with MIR604. The number of larvae and adults collected from MIR604 did not significantly differ among egg hatch dates from each maize developmental stage evaluated in either year. In 2007, damage to isoline maize roots was lower than expected and never exceeded 0.24 nodes of damage. In 2008, over 0.60 nodes of damage occurred on isoline maize roots. The mean weight and head capsule width of larvae and adults recovered from MIR604 and isoline maize were generally not significantly different. Results are discussed in relation to insect resistance management of western corn rootworm.', 'en_US'),
(3718, 'The influence of transgenic cry1Ab/cry1Ac, cry1C and cry2A rice on non-target planthoppers and their main predators under field conditions.', 'The establishment and survival of western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, was evaluated on transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner maize, Zea mays L., expressing the mCry3A protein (MIR604) and non-Bt maize with the same genetic background (isoline maize) at different stages of development in 2007 and 2008. Overall, western corn rootworm larval recovery, root damage, and adult emergence were significantly higher on isoline maize compared with MIR604. The number of larvae and adults collected from MIR604 did not significantly differ among egg hatch dates from each maize developmental stage evaluated in either year. In 2007, damage to isoline maize roots was lower than expected and never exceeded 0.24 nodes of damage. In 2008, over 0.60 nodes of damage occurred on isoline maize roots. The mean weight and head capsule width of larvae and adults recovered from MIR604 and isoline maize were generally not significantly different. Results are discussed in relation to insect resistance management of western corn rootworm.', 'en_US');
