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Tabashnik BE, Fabrick JA, Carrière Y. Global Patterns of Insect Resistance to Transgenic Bt Crops: The First 25 Years. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 116:297-309. [PMID: 36610076 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toac183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Crops genetically engineered to produce insecticidal proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have improved pest management and reduced reliance on insecticide sprays. However, evolution of practical resistance by some pests has reduced the efficacy of Bt crops. We analyzed global resistance monitoring data for 24 pest species based on the first 25 yr of cultivation of Bt crops including corn, cotton, soybean, and sugarcane. Each of the 73 cases examined represents the response of one pest species in one country to one Bt toxin produced by one or more Bt crops. The cases of practical resistance rose from 3 in 2005 to 26 in 2020. Practical resistance has been documented in some populations of 11 pest species (nine lepidopterans and two coleopterans), collectively affecting nine widely used crystalline (Cry) Bt toxins in seven countries. Conversely, 30 cases reflect no decrease in susceptibility to Bt crops in populations of 16 pest species in 10 countries. The remaining 17 cases provide early warnings of resistance, which entail genetically based decreases in susceptibility without evidence of reduced field efficacy. The early warnings involve four Cry toxins and the Bt vegetative insecticidal protein Vip3Aa. Factors expected to favor sustained susceptibility include abundant refuges of non-Bt host plants, recessive inheritance of resistance, low resistance allele frequency, fitness costs, incomplete resistance, and redundant killing by multi-toxin Bt crops. Also, sufficiently abundant refuges can overcome some unfavorable conditions for other factors. These insights may help to increase the sustainability of current and future transgenic insecticidal crops.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jeffrey A Fabrick
- USDA ARS, U. S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ, USA
| | - Yves Carrière
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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Guan F, Dai X, Yang Y, Tabashnik BE, Wu Y. Population Genomics of Nonrecessive Resistance to Bt Toxin Cry1Ac in Helicoverpa armigera From Northern China. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 116:310-320. [PMID: 36610305 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toac182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Transgenic crops that produce insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have provided control of some key pests since 1996. However, the evolution of resistance by pests reduces the benefits of Bt crops. Resistance to Bt crops that is not recessively inherited is especially challenging to manage. Here we analyzed nonrecessive resistance to Bt toxin Cry1Ac in eight field populations of Helicoverpa armigera sampled in 2018 from northern China, where this global pest has been exposed to Cry1Ac in Bt cotton since 1997. Bioassays revealed 7.5% of field-derived larvae were resistant to Cry1Ac of which 87% had at least one allele conferring nonrecessive resistance. To analyze this nonrecessive resistance, we developed and applied a variant of a genomic mapping approach called quantitative trait locus (QTL)-seq. This analysis identified a region on chromosome 10 associated with nonrecessive resistance to Cry1Ac in all 21 backcross families derived from field-collected moths. Individual sequencing revealed that all 21 field-collected resistant grandparents of the backcross families had a previously identified dominant point mutation in the tetraspanin gene HaTSPAN1 that occurs in the region of chromosome 10 identified by QTL-seq. QTL-seq also revealed a region on chromosome 26 associated with nonrecessive resistance in at most 14% of the backcross families. Overall, the results imply the point mutation in HaTSPAN1 is the primary genetic basis of nonrecessive resistance to Cry1Ac in field populations of H. armigera from northern China. Moreover, because nonrecessive resistance is predominant, tracking the frequency of this point mutation could facilitate resistance monitoring in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Guan
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xiaoguang Dai
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yihua Yang
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Bruce E Tabashnik
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Yidong Wu
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
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Fabrick JA, Li X, Carrière Y, Tabashnik BE. Molecular Genetic Basis of Lab- and Field-Selected Bt Resistance in Pink Bollworm. INSECTS 2023; 14:insects14020201. [PMID: 36835770 PMCID: PMC9959750 DOI: 10.3390/insects14020201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Transgenic crops producing insecticidal proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) control some important insect pests. However, evolution of resistance by pests reduces the efficacy of Bt crops. Here we review resistance to Bt cotton in the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella, one of the world's most damaging pests of cotton. Field outcomes with Bt cotton and pink bollworm during the past quarter century differ markedly among the world's top three cotton-producing countries: practical resistance in India, sustained susceptibility in China, and eradication of this invasive lepidopteran pest from the United States achieved with Bt cotton and other tactics. We compared the molecular genetic basis of pink bollworm resistance between lab-selected strains from the U.S. and China and field-selected populations from India for two Bt proteins (Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab) produced in widely adopted Bt cotton. Both lab- and field-selected resistance are associated with mutations affecting the cadherin protein PgCad1 for Cry1Ac and the ATP-binding cassette transporter protein PgABCA2 for Cry2Ab. The results imply lab selection is useful for identifying genes important in field-evolved resistance to Bt crops, but not necessarily the specific mutations in those genes. The results also suggest that differences in management practices, rather than genetic constraints, caused the strikingly different outcomes among countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey A. Fabrick
- USDA ARS, U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ 85138, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Xianchun Li
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Yves Carrière
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
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Meissle M, Naranjo SE, Romeis J. Does the growing of Bt maize change abundance or ecological function of non-target animals compared to the growing of non-GM maize? A systematic review. ENVIRONMENTAL EVIDENCE 2022; 11:21. [PMID: 39294679 PMCID: PMC11378853 DOI: 10.1186/s13750-022-00272-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 09/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hundreds of studies on environmental effects of genetically modified (GM) crops became available over the past 25 years. For maize producing insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), potential adverse effects on non-target organisms are a major area of concern and addressed in risk assessments. Reviews and meta-analyses have helped various stakeholders to address uncertainties regarding environmental impacts of the technology. Many field studies from Europe and other parts of the world have been published in the last decade, and those data are often not covered by previous meta-analyses. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review to answer the question: "Does the growing of Bt maize change abundance or ecological function of non-target animals compared to the growing of non-GM maize?" METHODS Literature published until August 2019 was searched systematically in 12 bibliographic databases, 17 specialized webpages, and reference sections of 78 review articles. Defined eligibility criteria were applied to screen titles, abstracts, and full texts of the retrieved references. A custom-made database was developed with quantitative data on invertebrate abundance, activity density, or predation/parasitism rates. Eligible data that did not fit the quantitative database were captured in detailed tables and summarized narratively. For the first time, a critical appraisal scheme for field studies on non-targets in GM crops was developed to estimate the risk of bias (internal validity) and the suitability to answer the review question (external validity) of all primary data. Meta-analyses on different taxonomic levels, functional groups, and types of Bt maize were conducted. Untreated Bt maize was either compared with untreated non-Bt maize, or with insecticide-treated non-Bt maize. The influence of contributions by private sector product developers on reported effects was investigated. REVIEW FINDINGS The database on non-target effects of Bt maize field trials contains more than 7200 records from 233 experiments and 120 articles. Meta-analyses on different taxonomic levels revealed only few and often non-robust significant effect sizes when both Bt maize and non-Bt maize were untreated. Bt maize harboured fewer parasitoids (Braconidae, Tachinidae) of the European corn borer, the main target pest of Lepidoptera-active Bt maize, compared with non-Bt maize. Similarly, sap beetles (Nitidulidae), that are associated with Lepidoptera damage, were recorded less in Bt maize. In some analyses, a negative effect of Bt maize was observed for rove beetles (Staphylinidae) and hoverflies (Syrphidae) and a positive effect for ladybeetles (Coccinellidae), flower bugs (Anthocoridae), and lacewings (Neuroptera). However, those effects were not consistent for different analyses and often related to individual articles. When untreated Bt maize was compared with pyrethroid-treated non-Bt maize, more effect sizes were significant. In particular, populations of predators were reduced after pyrethroid treatment, while few data were available for other insecticides. Funnel plots showed no evidence for publication bias and the analyses of private sector contribution revealed no evidence for influence of vested interests. Conclusions about potential effects of Bt maize on vertebrates or on animals inhabiting off-crop habitats were not possible, because only few such studies fitting the format of direct Bt/non-Bt comparisons on plot or field level were identified. CONCLUSIONS The current work largely confirmed previously published results. The effects of Bt maize on the community of non-target invertebrates inhabiting maize fields were small and mostly neutral, especially when compared with the effects of broad-spectrum pyrethroid insecticide treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Meissle
- Agroscope, Research Division Agroecology and Environment, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Steven E Naranjo
- USDA-ARS, Arid-Land Agricultural Research Center, 21881 North Cardon Lane, Maricopa, AZ, 85138, USA
| | - Jörg Romeis
- Agroscope, Research Division Agroecology and Environment, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland
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The Role of Beneficial Microorganisms in Soil Quality and Plant Health. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14095358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The practice of agriculture has always been a source of food production. The increase in the global population leads to improvements in agriculture, increasing crop quality and yield. Plant growth results from the interaction between roots and their environment, which is the soil or planting medium that provides structural support as well as water and nutrients to the plant. Therefore, good soil management is necessary to prevent problems that will directly affect plant health. Integrated crop management is a pragmatic approach to crop production, which includes integrated pest management focusing on crop protection. Currently, there is an extended idea that many microorganisms, such as fungi or bacteria, are useful in agriculture since they are attractive eco-friendly alternatives to mineral fertilizers and chemical pesticides. The microbes that interact with the plants supply nutrients to crops, control phytopathogens and stimulate plant growth. These actions have beneficial implications in agriculture. Despite the great benefits of microorganisms in agriculture, their use has been quite limited; however, there has been great growth in recent years. This may be because more progress is needed in field applications. One of the most employed genera in agriculture is Bacillus since it has several mechanisms to act as biofertilizers and biopesticides. In this review, the role of beneficial microorganisms, with special emphasis on the Bacillus genus, in soil and plant health will be discussed, highlighting the recent advances in this topic.
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Scott-Fordsmand JJ, Fraceto LF, Amorim MJB. Nano-pesticides: the lunch-box principle-deadly goodies (semio-chemical functionalised nanoparticles that deliver pesticide only to target species). J Nanobiotechnology 2022; 20:13. [PMID: 34983544 PMCID: PMC8725254 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-021-01216-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Nature contains many examples of "fake promises" to attract "prey", e.g., predatory spiders that emit the same sex-attractant-signals as moths to catch them at close range and male spiders that make empty silk-wrapped gifts in order to mate with a female. Nano-pesticides should ideally mimic nature by luring a target and killing it without harming other organisms/species. Here, we present such an approach, called the lunch-box or deadly-goodies approach. The lunch-box consists of three main elements (1) the lure (semio-chemicals anchored on the box), (2) the box (palatable nano-carrier), and (3) the kill (advanced targeted pesticide). To implement this approach, one needs to draw on the vast amount of chemical ecological knowledge available, combine this with recent nanomaterial techniques, and use novel advanced pesticides. Precision nano-pesticides can increase crop protection and food production whilst lowering environmental impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - L F Fraceto
- Department of Environmental Engineering, São Paulo State University, Sorocaba, 18087-180, Brazil
| | - M J B Amorim
- Department of Biology & CESAM, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
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Chen Y, Romeis J, Meissle M. Addressing the challenges of non-target feeding studies with genetically engineered plant material - stacked Bt maize and Daphnia magna. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 225:112721. [PMID: 34478987 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies reported adverse effects of genetically engineered maize that produces insecticidal Cry proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) on the water flea Daphnia magna. In the current study, effects of flour, leaves, or pollen from stacked Bt maize that contains six Bt proteins (SmartStax) in two plant backgrounds on life table parameters of D. magna were investigated. Adverse effects were observed for Bt maize flour, originating from different production fields and years, but not for leaves or pollen, produced from plants grown concurrently in a glasshouse. Because leaves contained eight to ten times more Cry protein than flour, the effects of the flour were probably not caused by the Cry proteins, but by compositional differences between the plant backgrounds. Furthermore, considering the natural range of variation in the response of D. magna to conventional maize lines, the observed effects of Bt maize flour were unlikely to be of biological relevance. Our study demonstrates how Cry protein effects can be separated from plant background effects in non-target studies using Bt plant material as the test substance and how detected effects can be judged for their biological relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Chen
- Research Division Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jörg Romeis
- Research Division Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Meissle
- Research Division Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046 Zürich, Switzerland.
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Álvarez-Alfageme F, Devos Y, Camargo AM, Arpaia S, Messéan A. Managing resistance evolution to transgenic Bt maize in corn borers in Spain. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2021; 42:201-219. [PMID: 34154477 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2021.1931018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Since 1998, genetically engineered Bt maize varieties expressing the insecticidal Cry1Ab protein (i.e. event MON 810) have been grown in the European Union (EU), mainly in Spain. These varieties confer resistance against the European and Mediterranean corn borer (ECB and MCB), which are the major lepidopteran maize pests in the EU, particularly in Mediterranean areas. However, widespread, repeated and exclusive use of Bt maize is anticipated to increase the risk of Cry1Ab resistance to evolve in corn borer populations. To delay resistance evolution, typically, refuges of non-Bt maize are planted near or adjacent to, or within Bt maize fields. Moreover, changes in Cry1Ab susceptibility in field populations of corn borers and unexpected damage to maize MON 810, due to corn borers, are monitored on an annual basis. After two decades of Bt maize cultivation in Spain, neither resistant corn borer populations nor farmer complaints on unexpected field damage have been reported. However, whether the resistance monitoring strategy followed in Spain, currently based on discriminating concentration bioassays, is sufficiently sensitive to timely detect early warning signs of resistance in the field remains a point of contention. Moreover, the Cry1Ab resistance allele frequency to Bt maize, which has recently been estimated in MCB populations from north-eastern Spain, might exceed that recommended for successful resistance management. To ensure Bt maize durability in Spain, it is key that adequate resistance management approaches, including monitoring of resistance and farmer compliance with refuge requirements, continue to be implemented and are incorporated in integrated pest management schemes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Antoine Messéan
- INRAE, Eco-Innov, Université Paris-Saclay, Thiverval-Grignon, France
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Poveda J, Francisco M, Cartea ME, Velasco P. Development of Transgenic Brassica Crops Against Biotic Stresses Caused by Pathogens and Arthropod Pests. PLANTS 2020; 9:plants9121664. [PMID: 33261092 PMCID: PMC7761317 DOI: 10.3390/plants9121664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The Brassica genus includes one of the 10 most agronomically and economically important plant groups in the world. Within this group, we can find examples such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, turnip or rapeseed. Their cultivation and postharvest are continually threatened by significant stresses of biotic origin, such as pathogens and pests. In recent years, numerous research groups around the world have developed transgenic lines within the Brassica genus that are capable of defending themselves effectively against these enemies. The present work compiles all the existing studies to date on this matter, focusing in a special way on those of greater relevance in recent years, the choice of the gene of interest and the mechanisms involved in improving plant defenses. Some of the main transgenic lines developed include coding genes for chitinases, glucanases or cry proteins, which show effective results against pathogens such as Alternaria brassicae, Leptosphaeria maculans or Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, or pests such as Lipaphis erysimi or Plutella xylostella.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Poveda
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-986-85-48-00 (ext. 232)
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