Research Advances in Ecological Safety of Insect-Resistant Transgenic Rice

Commercialization of insect-resistant transgenic rice in China has become an important debatable issue in the world.The current advances in insect-resistant gene transformation,gene flow,resistance management of target pests,impacts on non-target organism and arthropod community structure in rice habitat,and degradation and remains of Bt toxin in soil are reviewed in this paper.The present investigations show that Bt rice possesses high efficiencies for controlling the striped stem borer,yellow stem borer and rice leaf roller,and there are no significant differences in growth and development of non-target organisms,such as rice planthoppers,leafhoppers and predators,and the stability of arthropod community structure between Bt rice and conventional rice habitats.It is indicated that gene flow from transgenic rice to weed rice or wild rice,and resistant management of target pests to Bt rice are the major ecological risks for commercialization of Bt rice.Ref 60