This paper is relevant to the impact areas in the following areas:
| Crops | Maize |
| Traits | Insect Res. (BT), Insect Resistance |
| Countries | China |
| Regions | Asia |
| Tags | arbuscular mycorrhizal, community composition, diversity, non-target effects |
Cultivation of genetically modified maize (Zea mays L.) expressing the Cry1Ab protein from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) has increased worldwide since Bt maize was first commercialised. However, the cultivation and return of Bt maize has been shown to affect nontarget symbiotic soil-borne microbes such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). In this study, we compared the diversity and composition of the AMF communities between two Bt maize plants (5422Bt1 [event Bt 11] and 5422CBCL [event MON 810]) and their conventional (non-Bt) isoline (5422) after cultivation for five seasons and return of straws by using molecular approaches, including terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism and DNA sequencing. Our data revealed that the diversities of AMF communities did not consistently differ significantly in soils and roots of subsequently planted conventional maize (SCM 5422) grown with Bt maize straw at three sampling stages (seedling, large bell, and maturity stages). DNA sequencing showed that typical AMF communities included Glomus,Paraglomus, Diversispora, Acaulospora, and Rhizophagus, of which Glomus was the most abundant. Funneliformis was detected only in bulk and rhizospheric soils and in roots of maize at the seedling stage.Rhizophagus was detected only in rhizospheric soils and only at the maturity stage. No significant effects related to the presence of Bt maize straw (5422Bt1 or 5422CBCL) were found by general linear analysis. However, plant growth stage had a greater influence on AMF diversity than Bt traits. In conclusion, cultivation of non-Bt maize on soils previously cultivated with Bt maize for five seasons had minor effects on AMF communities.
Effects of cultivation and return of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize on the diversity of the arbuscular mycorrhizal community in soils and roots of subsequently cultivated conventional maize. (held on an external server, and so may require additional authentication details)
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