Effects of transgenic indica rice expressing a gene of cry1Ab with insect resistance on the development and reproduction of nontarget pest, Sogatella furcifera
Abstract:To compare the susceptibility of two homogenous genotypes of transgenic indica rice, namely, B1 and B6 expressing a gene of cry1Ab from Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner against the non-target pest, the white-backed planthopper, Sogatella furcifera (Horvath), with that of their non-transgenic parental cultivar (Jiazao 935), the development duration, oviposition behavior and fecundity of this planthopper on B1 and B6 were measured as compared with those on Jiazao 935 using the methods including a developmental duration measurement, an electronic monitor of the oviposition behavior. The results showed that total developmental time of female and male nymphs were significantly longer on both B1 and B6 than that on the control Jiazao 935, and were increased by 1.3 and 1.5 days for female and male nymphs on B1 and by 2.0 and 1.4 days on B6, respectively. There were no significant differences in the oviposition frequency, the duration per oviposition and total oviposition period among B1, B6 and the control by electronic monitoring system. Under the choice test, the female adults seemingly preferred to lay more eggs on B1 plants rather than on the control, resulting in that more numbers of oviposition scars and egg mass as well as total number of eggs laid were encountered to B1. In contrast, they apparently abstained from laying eggs on B6 plants by comparison with the control, resulting in that less numbers of egg mass and eggs per egg mass as well as total number of eggs laid were observed on B6. However, these significant differences were not found under no-choice test of these plants. As regard to hatching rate, B1 and B6 did not show any obvious adverse effect on it by comparison with the control under either choice or no choice test.