Skip to main content
Log in

Enhanced yield performance of Bt rice under target-insect attacks: implications for field insect management

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Transgenic Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The rapid development of transgenic biotechnology has greatly promoted the breeding of genetically engineered (GE) rice in China, and many GE rice lines are in the pipeline for commercialization. To understand field performances of GE rice, key agronomic traits of two insect-resistant Bt rice lines that have been granted biosafety certificates for commercial production in China were evaluated together with their nontransgenic counterparts under environmental conditions with significant differences in insect pressure. Results from the experiments showed enhanced field performances of the Bt GE rice lines compared with the non-GE counterparts for yield-related traits such as number of panicles and filled seeds per plant, under environmental conditions with no insecticide application. No detectable underlying cost of the Bt transgene was observed in the two insect-resistant GE rice lines, particularly in the GE hybrid rice line. Results further indicated significantly greater yield performances of the two insect-resistant GE rice lines under environmental conditions with non-target insect control compared with no insect control. It is concluded from this study that insect-resistant Bt GE rice, particularly the hybrid line, has great potential to maintain its high yield when ambient insect pressure is high. In addition, proper application of insecticides to control non-target insects will guarantee optimal performance of insect-resistant Bt GE rice.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bohorova N, Frutos R, Royer M et al (2001) Novel synthetic Bacillus thuringiensis cry1B gene and the cry1B-cry1Ab translational fusion confer resistance to southwestern corn borer, sugarcane borer and fall armyworm in transgenic tropical maize. Theor Appl Genet 103:817–826

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brookes G, Barfoot P (2009) Global impact of biotech crops: income and production effects, 1996–2007. AgBioForum 12: 184–208. http://www.pgeconomics.co.uk/pdf/2009socioeconimpactsagbioforumpaper.pdf

  • Carriere Y, Ellers-Kirk C, Sisterson M et al (2003) Long-term regional suppression of pink bollworm by Bacillus thuringiensis cotton. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 100:1519–1523

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen LY, Snow AA, Wang F et al (2006) Effects of insect-resistance transgenes on fecundity in rice (Oryza sativa, Poaceae): a test for underlying costs. Am J Bot 93:94–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chong M (2005) Perception of the risks and benefits of Bt eggplant by Indian farmers. J Risk Res 8:617–634

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graef F, Stachow U, Werner A et al (2007) Agricultural practice changes with cultivating genetically modified herbicide-tolerant oilseed rape. Agr Syst 94:111–118

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Han LZ, Wu KM, Peng YF et al (2007) Efficacy of transgenic rice expressing Cry1Ac and CpTI against the rice leaffolder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guenee). J Invertebr Pathol 96:71–79

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Han LZ, Liu PL, Wu KM et al (2008) Population dynamics of Sesamia inferens on transgenic rice expressing Cry1Ac and CpTI in southern China. Environ Entomol 37:1361–1370

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ho NH, Baisakh N, Oliva N et al (2006) Translational fusion hybrid Bt genes confer resistance against yellow stem borer in transgenic elite Vietnamese rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars. Crop Sci 46:781–789

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huang JK, Hu RF, Pray C et al (2003) Biotechnology as an alternative to chemical pesticides: a case study of Bt cotton in China. Agr Econ Blackwell 29:55–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang JK, Hu RF, van Meijl H et al (2004) Biotechnology boosts to crop productivity in China: trade and welfare implications. J Dev Econ 75:27–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang JK, Hu RF, Rozelle S et al (2005) Insect-resistant GE rice in farmers’ fields: assessing productivity and health effects in China. Science 308:688–690

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huang JK, Hu RF, Rozelle S et al (2008) Genetically modified rice, yields, and pesticides: assessing farm-level productivity effects in China. Econ Dev Cult Change 56:241–263

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • James C (2009) Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GE Crops: 2009. ISAAA Brief No. 41. ISAAA, Ithaca, NY, USA

  • Kim SJ, Kim CJ, Li WN et al (2008) Inheritance and field performance of transgenic Korean Bt rice lines resistant to rice yellow stem borer. Euphytica 164:829–839

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu B-R, Snow AA (2005) Gene flow from genetically modified rice and its environmental consequences. Bioscience 55:669–678

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mayee CD (2009) Bt cotton in India: current status and impact on textile industry. Proc Natl Acad Sci India Sect B Biol Sci 79:195–211

    Google Scholar 

  • Men X, Ge F, Edwards CA et al (2005) The influence of pesticide application on Helicoverpa armigera Hübner and sucking pests in transgenic Bt cotton and non-transgenic cotton in China. Crop Prot 24:319–324

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pray C, Huang JK, Hu RF et al (2002) Five years of Bt cotton in China—the benefits continue. Plant J 31:423–430

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Russell D, Deguine JP (2006) Sustainability of Bt cotton in China and India. Cah Agric 15:54–59

    Google Scholar 

  • Stone R (2008) China plans $3.5 billion GM crops initiative. Science 321:1279

  • Tu JM, Datta K, Alam MF et al (1998) Expression and function of a hybrid Bt toxin gene in transgenic rice conferring resistance to insect pest. Plant Biotecnnol 15:195–203

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tu JM, Zhang GA, Datta K et al (2000) Field performance of transgenic elite commercial hybrid rice expressing Bacillus thuringiensis δ-endotoxin. Nat Biotech 18:1101–1104

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang YQ, Johnston S (2007) The status of transgenic rice R&D in China. Nat Biotechnol 25:717–718

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang YM, Zhang GA, Du JP et al (2010) Influence of transgenic hybrid rice expressing a fused gene derived from cry1Ab and cry1Ac on primary insect pests and rice yield. Crop Prot 29:128–133

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson TA, Rice ME, Tollefson JJ et al (2005) Transgenic corn for control of the European corn borer and corn rootworms: a survey of Midwestern farmers’ practices and perceptions. J Econ Entomol 98:237–247

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wu KM, Li W, Feng HQ et al (2002) Seasonal abundance of the mirids, Lygus lucorum and Adelphocoris spp. (Hemiptera : Miridae) on Bt cotton in northern China. Crop Prot 21:997–1002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu KM, Lu YH, Feng HQ et al (2008) Suppression of cotton bollworm in multiple crops in China in areas with Bt toxin-containing cotton. Science 321:1676–1678

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xia H, Chen LY, Wang F, Lu B-R (2010) Yield benefit and underlying cost of insect-resistance transgenic rice: implication in breeding and deploying transgenic crops. Field Crops Res 118:215–220

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu WH, Liu B, Wang RM et al (2008) Effects of transgenic Bt cotton on insect populations in cotton fields in coastal agricultural region of Jiangsu Province. J Ecol Rural Environ 24:32–38 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the “973” program of the Ministry of Science and Technology (2007CB109202), the Natural Science Foundation of China (30730066), and the National Program of Development of Transgenic New Species of China (2008ZX08011-006).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Bao-Rong Lu or Qiang Fu.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOC 141 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Xia, H., Lu, BR., Xu, K. et al. Enhanced yield performance of Bt rice under target-insect attacks: implications for field insect management. Transgenic Res 20, 655–664 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11248-010-9449-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11248-010-9449-7

Keywords

Navigation