Grants and Contracts Details
Description
The planting of transgenic crops has increased rapidly since the commercialization of
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) com in the mid-1990's. These crops convey significant
benefits to natural enemy communities in agroecosystems through the reduced input of
broad-spectrum insecticides. However, questions remain on the movement of Bt
endotoxins through arthropod food webs and potential subtle effects on fitness
parameters in some arthropod species.
Through a series of focused hypotheses, we will quantify movement in the field,
using antibody-based assays developed for Bt-endotoxins (CrylAb and Cry3Bbl), to
detect the interaction pathways between transgenic com and complex arthropod food
webs. We will quantify specifically the rates at which Bt-endotoxins flow through food
chains, and potential major interaction pathways to carabids and spiders through the
detrital food web. Tracking the flow of transgenic material along the food chain will
indicate those natural enemies most likely to take up Bt-endotoxins, and allow laboratory
experiments to quantify the effect of exposure at concentrations observed in the field. Our
laboratory trials will test the hypothesis that endotoxin concentration in prey will
influence fecundity parameters in predators through some (but not all) interaction
pathways. This multi-faceted approach, utilizing antibody-based technology with field
and laboratory studies, will provide a significant advance in our understanding of the
movement of Bt-endotoxins in non-target food webs and aid in the risk assessment of
transgenic organisms in the environment. Screening for Bt-endotoxin will follow
protocols already designed for their detection in non-target arthropod species. To our
knowledge, this will be the first study to both quantify the potential for Bt-endotoxins to
flow through invertebrate food webs in the field and examine potential chronic effects of
field-determined levels of Bt-endotoxins on arthropod predators.
Status | Finished |
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Effective start/end date | 9/15/06 → 9/14/10 |
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