Sustained cultivation of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) transgenic crops requires stable transgene expression under variable abiotic conditions. We studied the interactions of Bt toxin production and chronic ozone exposure in Bt cry1Ac-transgenic oilseed rape and found that the insect resistance trait is robust under ozone elevations. Bt Cry1Ac concentrations were higher in the leaves of Bt oilsee...

Stable expression of a transgene may lead to increased fitness for wild plants after acquiring the transgene via crop-weed hybridization. Here, we investigate the stability of Bt toxin content in wild Brassica rapa acquiring the Bt gene from Bt Brassica napus. The Bt toxin content in nine Bt-expressing B. napus lines was 0.80-1.70 micro g/g leaf tissue throughout the growing season. These nine ...

Transgenic corn producing Cry1Ac toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) provides effective control of Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée), and thus reduces insecticide applications. However, whether Bt corn exerts undesirable effects on non-target arthropods (NTAs) is still controversial. We conducted a 2-yr study in Shangzhuang Agricultural Experiment Station to assess the potentia...

Single crystalline BaTiO3 (BT) was prepared using TiCl4, BaCl2 and oxalic acid. The structure of the prepared nanocrystalline BT powders were a tetragonal perovskite according to XRD and HRTEM analysis. Annealing powder to 750C show that pure BT phase was formed according to XRD, TG, and FTIR spectroscopy. The TEM images of the prepared powder reveal spherical morphology of BT, while a finger t...

This study examined the effects of infrared beak treatment (IR-BT) and hot blade beak trimming (HB-BT) on beak length and production in laying hen pullets. Seventy-two 1-d-old birds were randomly assigned to the HB-BT, IR-BT, or control group. Birds were pair housed by treatment, and beak images and production indices were obtained posttreatment at fixed intervals for 10 wk. Immediately after t...

Transgenic crops producing insecticidal proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are extensively cultivated worldwide. To counter rapidly increasing pest resistance to crops that produce single Bt toxins, transgenic plant 'pyramids' producing two or more Bt toxins that kill the same pest have been widely adopted. However, cross-resistance and antagonism between Bt toxins limit th...

Widespread planting of crops genetically engineered to produce insecticidal toxins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) imposes selection on many key agricultural pests to evolve resistance to Bt. Fitness costs can slow the evolution of Bt resistance. We examined effects of entomopathogenic nematodes on fitness costs of Bt resistance in the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Sau...

The effect of self-assembled barium titanate (BT) aggregates in polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) matrix on the α‐β phase transition was investigated. BT/PVDF composites were prepared with and without dispersant process. addition dispersants increased average secondary particle area (S) BT particles promoted BT/PVDF/BT hetero-interface. FT-IR showed that enhanced increasing S. Cole-Cole plot estim...

Large scale planting of Bt crops began in 1996 and grew quickly to more than 10 million ha per year. The cumulative area of Bt crops grown globally from 1996 to 2002 exceeded 62 million ha, enough to cover the states of California and Iowa. More than 99% of this area was planted with either Bt corn or Bt cotton producing Bt toxins Cry1Ab or Cry1Ac to kill larvae of lepidopteran pests. These Bt ...