Impact of coleopteran-active Bt corn on non-target nematode
communities in soil and decomposing corn roots
Genetically engineered corn expressing crystalline proteins for insect control and encoded by genes
derived from soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are widely adopted in the United States. Among the
seven different events of Bt corn available commercially, YieldGard® Rootworm (event MON863) expresses
a variant of the cry3Bb1 protein in the root tissue to control corn rootworm larvae. Nematodes
reside in the rhizosphere and are potentially exposed to Cry3Bb1 toxins exudated from roots of Bt corn.
We test the hypothesis that coleopteran-active Bt corn does not affect non-target soil nematodes.
Experimental treatments were: