Pest control, rumor control

Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy

Volumn 15, Issue 3, 2000, Pages 36-39

  Shelton, Anthony M ^a   Roush, Richard T ^b  

^a Department of Obstetrics Gynecology   (United States)

^b New York State Agricultural Experiment Station   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 0003134075     PISSN: 08878218     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Article

References (15)

1. LP. Gianessi and J.E. Carpenter, "Agricultural Biotechnology: Insect Control Benefits," report (Washington, DC: National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy July 1999);
2. USDA 〈www.ers.usda.gov〉.
3. J. Losey, L. Rayor, and M. Carter, "Transgenic Pollen Harms Monarch Leaves," Nature 399(214) (1999), p. 214.
4. J. Hodgson, "Patent Case Unlocks Antibody Businesses," Nature Biotechnology 17(627) (1999);
5. M. Fumento, Wall Street Journal (June 25, 1999);
6. J.E. Beringer, "Cautionary Tale on Safety of GM Crops," Nature 399(405) (1999).
7. J. Losey, Cornell press release (June 10, 1999).
8. B.M. Currie, "Researchers: Some Strains of Genetically Altered Corn Safe for Butterflies," Associated Press filing (November 3, 1999).
9. "Butterfly Brouhaha," News Report (1999) 〈http://www.isb.vt.edu/〉.
10. C.L. Wraight et al., "Absence of Toxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis Pollen to Black Swallowtails under Field Conditions," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 97 (2000), pp. 7700-7703.
11. F. Huang et al., "Inheritance of Resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis Toxin in the European Corn Borer," Science 284 (May 7, 1999), pp. 965-967.
12. "Science Paper on Bt Resistance in Corn Borers Challenged," News Report (1999) 〈http://www.isb.vt.edu/〉.
13. J-B. Liu et al., "Development Time and Resistance to Bt Crops," Nature 400 (1999), p. 519.
14. Just after this article was written, another paper on the effects of Bt corn pollen was published in the European journal, Oecologia. It purports to be the first field study that describes the effect of certain Bt corn pollen deposits on milkweed leaves and their effects on larvae of the monarch butterfly. As with the other monarch paper, many scientists are finding serious concerns with the methods, results, conclusions, and discussion sections of this paper, and strong critical evaluations of this paper are rapidly circulating through the scientific community. What is very surprising about the publication of this latest paper in Oecologia is that the authors must be aware of the international comprehensive effort on Bt corn pollen and monarchs. The results from the international effort have been discussed at scientific meetings, but the authors of this paper have decided to publish their limited study before publication of the comprehensive study. The data from the comprehensive effort provide information on many of the important questions not addressed in this very cursory study, such as whether natural populations of monarchs are actually exposed to lethal effects of Bt corn pollen in the field. The comprehensive study provides a much more complete and balanced assessment, which indicates that Bt corn does not pose a significant threat to monarch populations as implied in the Oecologia paper or as portrayed in some of the press. We believe caution and comprehensiveness should be exercised before publication of scientific data and applaud the international program's efforts and encourage them to publish their data in a timely fashion. For now, many in the scientific community are trying to provide proper balance to another small study that has created unwarranted public attention.
15. A.M. Shelton and R.T. Roush, "False Reports and the Ears of Men," Nature Biotechnology 17(9) (1999).