Rukarwa R J, Mukasa S B, Odongo B, Ssemakula G, Ghislain M
School of Agricultural Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
African Institute for Capacity Development, P.O. Box 46179, Nairobi GPO, 00100, Kenya.
3 Biotech. 2014 Jun;4(3):217-226. doi: 10.1007/s13205-013-0153-1. Epub 2013 Jul 23.
Assessment of the impact of transgenic crops on non-target organisms (NTO) is a prerequisite to their release into the target environment for commercial use. Transgenic sweetpotato varieties expressing Cry proteins (Bt sweetpotato) are under development to provide effective protection against sweetpotato weevils (Coleoptera) which cause severe economic losses in sub-Saharan Africa. Like any other pest control technologies, genetically engineered crops expressing insecticidal proteins need to be evaluated to assess potential negative effects on non-target organisms that provide important services to the ecosystem. Beneficial arthropods in sweetpotato production systems can include pollinators, decomposers, and predators and parasitoids of the target insect pest(s). Non-target arthropod species commonly found in sweetpotato fields that are related taxonomically to the target pests were identified through expert consultation and literature review in Uganda where Bt sweetpotato is expected to be initially evaluated. Results indicate the presence of few relevant non-target Coleopterans that could be affected by Coleopteran Bt sweetpotato varieties: ground, rove and ladybird beetles. These insects are important predators in sweetpotato fields. Additionally, honeybee (hymenoptera) is the main pollinator of sweetpotato and used for honey production. Numerous studies have shown that honeybees are unaffected by the Cry proteins currently deployed which are homologous to those of the weevil-resistant Bt sweetpotato. However, because of their feeding behaviour, Bt sweetpotato represents an extremely low hazard due to negligible exposure. Hence, we conclude that there is good evidence from literature and expert opinion that relevant NTOs in sweetpotato fields are unlikely to be affected by the introduction of Bt sweetpotato in Uganda.
评估转基因作物对非靶标生物（NTO）的影响是其释放到目标环境中进行商业应用的前提条件。正在研发表达Cry蛋白的转基因甘薯品种（Bt甘薯），以有效防治甘薯象甲（鞘翅目），这种害虫在撒哈拉以南非洲造成了严重的经济损失。与任何其他害虫防治技术一样，需要对表达杀虫蛋白的基因工程作物进行评估，以评估其对为生态系统提供重要服务的非靶标生物的潜在负面影响。甘薯生产系统中的有益节肢动物可包括传粉者、分解者以及目标害虫的捕食者和寄生蜂。通过专家咨询和文献综述，在乌干达确定了甘薯田中常见的与目标害虫在分类学上相关的非靶标节肢动物物种，预计将在该国初步评估Bt甘薯。结果表明，可能受鞘翅目Bt甘薯品种影响的相关非靶标鞘翅目昆虫很少：地甲虫、隐翅虫和瓢虫。这些昆虫是甘薯田中的重要捕食者。此外，蜜蜂（膜翅目）是甘薯的主要传粉者，并用于蜂蜜生产。大量研究表明，蜜蜂不受目前所使用的与抗象甲Bt甘薯同源的Cry蛋白的影响。然而，由于其取食行为，Bt甘薯造成的危害极低，因为接触量可忽略不计。因此，我们得出结论，从文献和专家意见来看，有充分证据表明，乌干达甘薯田中相关的非靶标生物不太可能受到引入Bt甘薯的影响。
