Toxicity of Bt maize for parasitic waps

(2001 – 2004) Federal Biological Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry (BBA), Institute for Biological Control; Darmstadt

Trichogramma parasitic wasps are natural antagonists of the European corn borer and so are also used as a means of control.
Feeding trials: Research into the toxic effects of various Bt maize plant parts on Trichogramma showed no significant negative effects on parasitization or life span.
Field trials were not carried out because the laboratory experiments showed no significant effects.

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Impacts of Bt maize on sciarid fly larvae as decomposers

(2001 – 2004) Federal Biological Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry (BBA), Institute for Plant Protection in Field Crops and Grassland; Braunschweig

Laboratory: Feeding Lycoriella castanescens, the dominant species of sciarid fly found on farmland in the area, with Bt maize litter from Mon810 Novelis resulted in a longer time to pupation. This developmental delay was also evident in predatory beetle larvae when their prey had been fed on MON810 maize litter. Feeding with Bt 176 did not produce this effect, despite the fact that this variety contains 30 times more toxin.
Field: In the first year, species composition, abundance and decomposition activity were higher in Bt-MON810, but this trend reversed in subsequent years.

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Ecological impacts of insect-resistant Bt maize on various insects and the European corn borer

(1999 – 2002) RWTH Aachen University, Chair of Biology V, Aachen; Federal Biological Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry (BBA)(since 2008 Julius Kühn Institute (JKI)), Institute for Biological Control, Darmstadt

The choice of maize type – Bt maize or a conventional isogenic reference variety – had no recognisable effect on the incidence of arthropods, aphids and their antagonists.
Caterpillars: Pollen from the transgenic maize line Bt176 had a negative effect on the caterpillars of the diamond-back moth and cabbage white butterfly. A species of surface caterpillar (caterpillars that pupate in the soil) was not noticeably affected.
Developing resistance. None of the larvae collected in the Bt maize fields were resistant to the Bt toxin.

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