Can Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn residues and Bt-corn plants affect life-history traits in the earthworm Aporrectodea caliginosa?
Abstract: Bt-corn is genetically engineered to express proteins from the common soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis which presents specific toxicity to targeted insect pests. One type of Bt-corn expresses the Cry1Ab protein that provides protection against certain lepidopteran pests, mainly the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) and the Mediterranean stalk borer (Sesamia nonagroides). Vast areas of …