Study Shows Bt Rice Does Not Affect Green Lacewing

Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Agroscope conducted a study to investigate the effects of insect resistant rice expressing Cry1C protein on green lacewing (Chrysoperla sinica) in laboratory assays. Results showed that the green lacewing larvae fed with diet containing purified Cry1C protein at worst exposure scenario did not exhibit any adverse reactions compared to those fed with avidin or potassium arsenate. The adults fed with Cry1C diets also had similar life table parameters with those fed with artificial diet not containing Cry1C. In all bioassays with lacewings, the bioactivity and stability of the Cry1Cprotein in the diet and Cry1C protein uptake by the lacewings were confirmed by ELISA and by bioassays with a Cry1C-sensitive lepidopteran. Based on the findingsof the study, larvae or adult green lacewing are not sensitive to Cry1C protein even at concentrations higher that those naturally occurring in the field. This indicates that Bt rice expressing Cry1C is unlikely to pose risk for green lacewing.

Read the abstract at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/etc.2567/abstract.