Assessment of biological and biochemical indicators in soil under transgenic Bt and non-Bt cotton crop in a sub-tropical environment.

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Binoy SarkarMallavarapu Megharaj

Abstract

There is concern that transgenic Bt-crops carry genes that could have undesirable effects on natural and agro-ecosystem functions. We investigated the effect of Bt-cotton (expressing the Cry 1Ac protein) on several microbial and biochemical indicators in a sandy loam soil. Bt-cotton (MRC-6301Bt) and its non-transgenic near-isoline (MRC-6301) were grown in a net-house on a sandy clay loam soil. Soil and root samples were collected 60, 90, and 120 days after sowing. Soil from a control (no-crop) treatment was also included. Samples were analysed for microbial biomass C, N and P (MBC, MBN, MBP), total organic carbon (TOC), and several soil enzyme activities. The microbial quotient (MQ) was calculated as the ratio of MBC-to-TOC. The average of the three sampling events revealed a significant increase in MBC, MBN, MBP and MQ in the soil under Bt-cotton over the non-Bt isoline. The TOC was similar in Bt and non-Bt systems. Potential N mineralization, nitrification, nitrate reductase, and acid and alkaline phosphatase activities were all higher in the soil under Bt-cotton. Root dry weights were not different (P > 0.05), but root volume of Bt-cotton was higher on 90 and 120 days than that of non-Bt cotton. The time of sampling strongly...Continue Reading

References

Jul 1, 2004·Journal of Environmental Quality·Kari E Dunfield, James J Germida
Jul 1, 2004·Journal of Environmental Quality·Christopher B Blackwood, Jeffrey S Buyer
Sep 10, 2004·Annual Review of Entomology·Maureen O'CallaghanLouise A Malone
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Apr 6, 2006·Journal of Environmental Quality·Bryan S GriffithsPaul Henning Krogh

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Citations

Jan 26, 2013·Journal of Hazardous Materials·Binoy SarkarRavi Naidu
Sep 22, 2010·Journal of Hazardous Materials·Binoy SarkarRavi Naidu
Apr 11, 2019·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Yutao Xiao, Kongming Wu
Mar 25, 2020·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·Ying-Ying SongFa-Jun Chen

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