Providence Journal 8/22/00 Back
Ever since scientists reported last year that pollen from genetically engineered corn could kill monarch butterfly caterpillars in the laboratory, scientists, industry representatives and activists opposed to genetic engineering have been battling over one central question: are these butterflies being harmed by the millions of acres of biotech corn being planted across the country?
Now, in the fast study published on the subject since the debate began, scientists from Iowa State University say plants growing in and near the corn fields are being dusted with enough toxic pollen. to: 1 monarch caterpillars that feed on them. The genetically modified corn produces the insecticide Bt in its tissues, including its windblown pollen.
The study provides the first published data showing the potential for genetically engineered pollen in the wild to harm monarchs. Critics of the original study, published by researchers at Cornell University, said caterpillars in the study could have died because they were fed levels of toxic pollen that were much higher than those found in nature.
"This is telling us that with naturally deposited pollen there's a good probability you'll get some mortality," said Dr. John Obrycki, who along with fellow entomologist Laura Hansen wrote the article published in the journal Oecologia.
Industry representatives say the study did not accurately reflect nature.
"I don't see how this can be construed as a field study," said Lisa Dry; spokeswoman for the Biotechnology Industry Organization, referring to the fact that leaves from the field were brought back to the lab to be fed to caterpillars. Dry said she believed that rain, wind and sun would degrade the pollen to the point that caterpillars' chances of contacting toxic pollen in nature was "remote." a
Note: The article can be read at http://link.springer.de/link/service/journals/00442/contents/00/00502/paper/s004420000502ch000.html