Planting Bt Maize Does Not Affect Earthworms

Earthworms are important organisms in terms of maintaining soil fertility. They are responsible for decomposing the detritus and loosening soil structure. To analyze the effect of Bt maize on earthworms, a four-year study was conducted by Dr. David Andow of the University of Minnesota together with other scientists.

Since Bt maize has been proven to release certain proteins on the soil through their roots, then earthworms may ingest these proteins. So Dr. Andow and team observed the four strains of earthworms present in the field planted with Bt maize and another field planted with conventional maize. They found out that there was no significant difference between the earthworm population in the Bt maize field and the conventional maize field. However, since the earthworm strains available in the field tests limited their research, they recommend further studies using other earthworm strains.

Visit http://www.gmo-safety.eu/en/news/743.docu.html for more details of the study.