The 11 year Spanish experience in transgenic maize cultivation

Transcription

1 The 11 year Spanish experience in transgenic maize cultivation Ramon Albajes, Xavier Pons, Matilde Eizaguirre, Carmen López and Belén Lumbierres Universitat de Lleida. Centre UdL-IRTA. Rovira Roure LLeida. Catalonia. Spain Bt-toxins against Diabrotica: potential and prospective use in Europe Salzau castle, Germany, March 27, 2009

2 Contents: 1. Bt maize in Spain Surface of Bt maize in Spain Spanish regulations on Bt maize cultivation 2. Target and non-target pests of maize 3. Socioeconomic impact of Bt maize cultivation 4. Post market monitoring: issues involved Bt-resistance in corn borers Side effects for NTO 5. Laboratory and field trials: work developed in Spain BT maize and herbicide-tolerant crops Corn borer biology NTO trials

3 Surface of Bt maize in Spain ha About 80% of Spanish Bt maize

4 Socioeconomic impact of Bt maize cultivation in Spain: a survey ( ) 1 Among 402 farmers in 3 geographical areas 184 conventional growers 195 Bt growers 23 Bt + conventional Variables measured Economic impact Revenues: yields, harvest price Costs Gross margin Social effects: off-farm income and farm labour Environmental impact; insecticide use 1 Gómez-Barbero, M., Berbel, J., and Rodríguez-Cerezo, E. (2008) Bt corn in Spain-the performance of the EU s first GM crop. Nature Biotechnology 26,

5 Economic impact of Bt maize: yield & harvest price (Gómez-Barbero et al. 2008) 0,14 0,13 0,12 0,11 /Kg Yield differences of Bt over conventional maize 14.0% 12.0% 10.0% 8.0% 6.0% 4.0% 2.0% 0.0% -2.0% ,1 Conventional maize Albacete Lleida Bt maize Zaragoza Bt+ conventional Year

6 Economic impact of Bt maize: production costs Albacete Lleida Zaragoza % increase in seed cost Albacete Lleida Zaragoza % reduction in cost of insecticides against maize borers (Gómez-Barbero et al., 2008)

7 Economic impact of Bt maize: gross margin PERIOD 2002/04 ALBACETE LLEIDA ZARAGOZA Yield increase (tons/ha) Revenue increase Sales increase ( /ha) Pesticide savings ( /ha) Cost increase Seed cost increase ( /ha) Gross margin difference ( /ha) National average: 12 % increase in gross margin (Gómez-Barbero et al., 2008)

8 Target and non-target pests of maize Target pests: Corn borers: Sesamia nonagrioides Ostrinia nubilalis Non-target pests: 3 main groups Soil insects: soilworms, wireworms Sucking insects: leafhoppers, aphids Lepidopteran pests: M Mythimna unipuncta, Helicoverpa armigera

9 Target and non-target pests of maize Target pests: Corn borers: Sesamia nonagrioides Ostrinia nubilalis Non-target pests: 3 main groups Soil insects: soilworms, Wireworms No Diabrotica Sucking insects: leafhoppers, aphids Lepidopteran pests: M Mythimna unipuncta, Helicoverpa armigera

10 Spanish regulations on Bt maize cultivation Post market monitoring of effects on NTO Monitoring Bt-resistance development in corn borers No coexistence regulations until now (attempts and scientific data) Measures to prevent development of Btresistance in corn borer (only recommendations: 20% non-bt refuges in farms with>5 ha of maize)

11 Post market monitoring: issues involved Since 1998 post market monitoring plans are obligatory for any new GM variety registered for cultivation (5 years). They have been focused on: 1. Efficacy against target species 2. Development of Bt-resistance in target insects 3. Effects on non-target species Plant and soil-dwelling arthropods Soil microorganisms (event 176) Protocols of points 2 &3 developed by public organisms and sponsored by Min. of Education & Min. Environment UdL in Lleida CIB-CSIC in Madrid

12 Post market monitoring: protocol for Bt-resistance Spanish maize growing areas divided into 5 main regions Baseline susceptibility to Cry1Ab in Sesamia nonagrioides Ostrinia nubilalis González-Nuñez et al J. Econ. Entomol. 93, Each year the 5 populations are sampled ( ) No development of Bt-resistance until now Farinós, et al IOBC/WPRS Bull. 27 (3), Development of resistance in the laboratory: Low/medium tolerance to Bt Cry1Ab Resistance alleles are rare (<10-3) for MCB & ECB in Spain & Greece Andreadis, et al. J. Econ. Entomol. 100,

13 Post market monitoring: risks of Bt-resistance 75% of maize grown in the area Only one Cry: Cry 1Ab Non-Bt refuges recommended in a 20% (>5ha farms) : compliance?

14 Post market monitoring: protocol for Bt-resistance Spanish maize growing areas divided into 5 main regions Baseline susceptibility to Cry1Ab in Sesamia nonagrioides Ostrinia nubilalis González-Nuñez et al J. Econ. Entomol. 93, Each year the 5 populations are sampled ( ) No development of Bt-resistance until now Farinós, et al IOBC/WPRS Bull. 27 (3), Development of resistance in the laboratory: Low/medium tolerance to Bt Cry1Ab Resistance alleles are rare (<10-3) for MCB & ECB in Spain & Greece Andreadis, et al J. Econ. Entomol. 100,

15 Post market monitoring: protocol for NT arthropods Field trials with a CR(4)B design Experimental plots of 0.5 ha with Bt & non-bt varieties and 7 sampling dates Three techniques are used to monitor non-target arthropods Visual counts on 15 plants per plot Non-target herbivores: soil insects. Homopterans. Lepidoptera Plant-dwelling predators Pitfall traps with 3 traps per plot Soil dwelling traps (detritivores?) Yellow sticky traps (optional) Parasitoids

16 Post market monitoring: some results (2005 & 2007) Arthropod group (n=46) Bt Treatment (T) non Bt F; P Year (Y) F; P Y*T F; P Orius spp. 1.23± ± ; < ; 0.63 Nabis spp. 0.04± ± ; ; ; 0.87 Coccinellids 0.05± ± ; ; ; 0.88 Araneae 0.73±0.07a 0.63±0.07b 9.73; ; ; 0.67 Carabids 0.05± ± ; ; ; 0.76 Total predators 2.35± ± ; ; ; Plant-dwelling predators

17 Post market monitoring: some results (2005 & 2007) Arthropod group (n=46) Carabids Dermapterans Araneae Total predators Bt 8.67± ± ± ±1.21 Treatment (T) non Bt 10.41± ± ± ± Soil-dwelling predators F; P 2.26; ; ; ; 0.24 Year (A) F; P 144.8; < ; ; ; <0.001 Y*T F; P 4.04; ; ; ; 0.20

18 Laboratory and field trials: Bt maize and herbicide-tolerant crops: Min. Environment and Min. Science Seed companies Corn borer biology Dispersal capacity Sub-lethal effects Insect-Bt relationships NTO trials Identification of k-nt arthropods: indicator species Exposure of NT arthropods to Bt toxins in the field Side effects on non-target arthropods

19 Some recent publications about GM maize in Spain: Albajes, R., Lumbierres, B. and Pons, X Resposiveness of arthropods and their natural enemies to modified weed management in corn. Environ.Entomol. In press Farinós, G.P., De la Poza, M., Hernández-Crespo, P., Ortego, F., & Castañera, P Diversity and seasonal phenology of aboveground arthropods in conventional and transgenic maize crops in Central Spain. Biological Control, 44, Díaz-Mendoza, M., Farinós, G.P., Castañera, P., Hernández-Crespo, P. & Ortego, F., 2007). Proteolytic processing of native Cry1Ab toxin by midgut extracts and purified trypsins from the Mediterranean corn borer Sesamia nonagrioides. Journal of Insect Physiology, 53, González-Cabrera, J., Farinós, G. P., Caccia, S., Díaz-Mendoza, M., Castañera, P., Leonardi, M. G., Giordana, B. & Ferré, J Toxicity and mode of action of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry proteins in the Mediterranean corn borer, Sesamia nonagrioides (Lefebvre). Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 72, Eizaguirre M., Albajes R., López C., Eras J., Lumbierres B, Pons X Six years after the commercial introduction of Bt maize in Spain: field evaluation, impact and future prospects. Transgenic Research 15 (1) Obrist LB, Dutton A, Albajes R, Bigler F Exposure of arthropod predators to Cry1Ab toxin in Bt maize fields. Ecol. Entomol. 31(2): Pons X, Lumbierres B, López C, Albajes R Abundance of non-target pests in transgenic Btmaize: A farm scale study. Eur.J.Entomol. 102(1): Eizaguirre M, López C, Albajes R Sublethal effects of Bacillus thuringiensis on larval development in Sesamia nonagrioides. J.Econ.Entomol. 98(2): De la Poza M, Pons X, Farinós GP, López C, Ortego F, Eizaguirre M, Castañera P, Albajes R Impact of farm-scale Bt maize on abundance of predatory arthropods in Spain. Crop Protection 24( 7): Eizaguirre, C., Lopez, C., and Albajes. R Dispersal capacity in the Mediterranean Corn Borer Sesamia nonagrioides. Entomol.Exp.Appl. 113: THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION