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Natural Enemies of Insect Pests in Neotropical Agroecosystems pp 489–496Cite as

Effects of Genetically Modified Plants with Bt Toxins on Natural Enemies

Abstract

This chapter contains a brief explanation about the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, its characteristics, mode of action, and possible effects to nontarget organisms, especially the natural enemies. A nontarget organism is any individual that is present in genetically modified (GM) crop environment and is not the target of control by the toxic protein. The natural enemies, such as predators or parasitoids and entomopathogens, are agents of control of insect pests, which are essential to maintain the stability of agroecosystems. However, since the liberation of transgenic Bt crops, there has been a gradual increase in the use of this tool of control and, with this, an increasing concern about its possible effects on natural enemies. These organisms can be directly and indirectly affected; therefore, monitoring and studying how these organisms interact in GM plants are necessary. This chapter approaches manners to evaluate the direct and indirect effects of GM plants on natural enemies to help understand the compatibility of the use of GM crops with biological control.

Keywords

  • Bacillus thuringiensis
  • Nontarget
  • Bt crops
  • Tritrophic interaction

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology, Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), Lavras, MG, Brazil

    Camila S. F. Souza & Rosangela C. Marucci

  2. Consultor in Risk Assessment, Sete Lagoas, MG, Brazil

    Daniela Resende Chaves

  3. Lab de Entomologia, Embrapa Milho e Sorgo, Sete Lagoas, MG, Brazil

    Simone Martins Mendes

Authors
  1. Camila S. F. Souza
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  2. Rosangela C. Marucci
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  3. Daniela Resende Chaves
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  4. Simone Martins Mendes
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Simone Martins Mendes .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology, Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Prof. Dr. Brígida Souza

  2. Instituto de Investigaciones de Sanidad Vegetal (INISAV), Miramar, La Habana, Cuba

    Luis L. Vázquez

  3. Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), Department of Entomology, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Rosangela C. Marucci

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Souza, C.S.F., Marucci, R.C., Chaves, D.R., Mendes, S.M. (2019). Effects of Genetically Modified Plants with Bt Toxins on Natural Enemies. In: Souza, B., Vázquez, L., Marucci, R. (eds) Natural Enemies of Insect Pests in Neotropical Agroecosystems. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-24733-1_39

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