Abstract
Bt cotton was the first genetically modified crop approved for use in India. However, only a few studies have been conducted to assess the feasibility of its commercial application. Bt cotton is genetically modified to express a proteinaceous endotoxin (Cry) encoded by cry gene of Bacillus thuringiensis that has specific insecticidal activity against bollworms. Therefore, the amount of pesticides used for growing Bt cotton is postulated to be considerably low as compared to their non-Bt counterparts. Alternatively, it is also speculated that application of a genetically modified crop may alter the bio-geochemical balance of the agriculture field(s). Microbial community composition and dynamics is an important descriptor for assessment of such alterations. In the present study, we have assessed the culturable and non-culturable microbial diversities in Bt cotton and non-Bt cotton soils to determine the ecological consequences of application of Bt cotton. The analyses of microbial community structures indicated that cropping of Bt cotton did not adversely affect the diversity of the microbial communities.
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Acknowledgments
We are thankful to Monsanto India Ltd. for funding the present study and to Mr. R. D. Kapoor for his suggestions during the preparation of the manuscript. We are also thankful to Dr. O. M. Bambawale, NCIPM, for providing the soil samples from the trial fields. Thanks is also extended to Mr. Dhan Prakash and Ms. Archana Chauhan for their help and assistance. This is an IMTECH communication number 038/2009.
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Kapur, M., Bhatia, R., Pandey, G. et al. A Case Study for Assessment of Microbial Community Dynamics in Genetically Modified Bt Cotton Crop Fields. Curr Microbiol 61, 118–124 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-010-9585-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-010-9585-6