Effects of Bt Cabbage (Brassica oleracea) on the Host Preference and Performance of the Green Peach Aphid, Myzus persicae Sulzer(Hemiptera: Aphididae)

摘要

Transgenic crops that produce insecticidal toxins have a great potential for controlling target pest insects, but there is a growing concern about unintended influences on non-target species. In the present study, the preferences and performance of non-target green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), on transgenic cabbages (Brassica oleracea) that produce Bt toxin (Cry1 Ac1) and untransformed control plants were investigated as a part of risk assessment. In a free-choice situation, the number of nymphs larviposited by 10 winged adults over 3 days was 21.9±1.8 and 22. 5±2.2 on transgenic and the control plants, respectively, indicating that the aphids did not discriminate between the two types of plants. In a performance assay, the development time (D) and intrinsic rate of increase (r_m) of wingless aphids reared on transgenic and control plants were also similar (D, 5.8±0.2 and 5.9±0.1 (days) and r_m, 0.7±0.1 and 0.8±0.1, for transgenic and control plants, respectively). These results suggest that M. persicae is not significantly affected by transgenic Bt cabbage.