Gene-altered corn likely fatal to Monarchs/long

[Chip Taylor]

The reactions to the Bt corn article and media reports on this list reflect
a lack of knowledge of the original study.  In one case, a posting reflects
an antiresearch bias, a poor understanding of monarch population biology
and an inadequade understanding of the use of pesticides in field corn.

If you are interested in this topic, you might find it valuable to consult
one or more of the following accounts.
http://www.healthscout.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Af.woa/13/wo/bW2000E4300o560092/3.

The NPR report can be found and heard by clicking on the NPR web site
http://www.npr.org/news/healthsci/   under "Crop
>Genetic Engineering". The NPR link is apparently mixed up so click on
>"Crop Genetic Engineering" rather than Biotech and butterflies. You will
>need Real Audio Player or Real Media Player - available free to listen to
>the program.

An article by Carol Kaesuk Yoon regarding the altered corn threat
to the Monarchs is on the New York Times web site.
<www.nytimes.com>

If you wish to see the original text, please email me privately.


Pollen From GM Corn Harms (Monarch) Butterfly Larvae - Study
                            Wednesday, May 19, 1999
(Try to find a news org that tells you the name of the company that
makes this genetically modified corn!)( It's Novartis Inc.
http://www.novartis.com/  see also
http://www.netlink.de/gen/Zeitung/1998/980921.htm)


                            By Patricia Reaney

LONDON (Reuters) - In what could be a damaging indictment against
genetically modified organisms (GMOs), U.S. scientists said pollen from
corn engineered to reduce pests killed monarch caterpillars in laboratory
tests. The hybrid crop, known as Bt-corn, is safe for human consumption and
it does not seem to harm honey bees or ladybirds but it produces a pollen,
dispersed by the wind, that can be harmful to monarch larvae.

 ``It's certainly a serious potential problem,'' John Losey, of Cornell
University, said in a telephone interview.

 ``If it's really having an impact on a large proportion of the population
(of monarch butterflies) I think it is a very serious problem.''

 Bt-corn has genes from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis spliced into
the plant genes, making it resistant to a hard-to-control pest called the
European corn borer. Last year more than 7 million acres of the crop were
planted by U.S. farmers.

 The genetically modified (GM) plants produce a pollen containing
crystalline exdotoxin from the bacterium genes. The pollen can be blown
more than 60 yards onto plants outside the cornfields, including the
milkweed that monarchs feed on.

 Losey and his team fed monarchs milkweed dusted with the pollen from
Bt-corn. Their research, published in the science journal Nature, showed
the butterflies ate less than those fed on normal milkweed and nearly half
of the larvae died.

 Although the research is limited to laboratory tests and there is no
evidence of what effect the transformed pollen has on monarch butterflies
in the field, the study highlights some of the worst fears about the
effects of GMOs on the environment.

 ``Monarchs are considered to be a flagship species for conservation. This
is a warning bell,'' said Linda Rayor, a co-author of the study.

 ``Monarch themselves are not an endangered species right now, but as their
habitat is disrupted or destroyed, their migratory phenomena is becoming
endangered,'' she added.

 Losey emphasized the need for more data and the need to look at the big
picture. Although he does not support a moratorium on the planting of GM
crops, he said the proven benefits in terms of increased yields and reduced
rates of pesticides needs to be weighed against any potential risks.

 ``If we are going to allow them to go forward what we need is a commitment
from the industries and the regulatory agencies and academia to get the
data to be able to tell the effects of GM crops on the population,'' he
said.

 The British Medical Association Monday called for a moratorium on the
planting of GMOs until scientists know more about their impact on the
environment. Britain's Labor government said there is no evidence to
justify a ban.


Monarch butterflies and herbicide resistant crops
by Bob Hartzler:

January 26, 1999 - What's the connection between these two organisms you
ask?  The monarch migrates each year from southern Canada and the
eastern half of the U.S. to a few small sites in the mountains of
central Mexico.  Researchers in Saskatoon, Saskathewan conducted a study
to determine the range of monarchs during their summer stay in the US
and Canada (Science, 8 Jan., 1999.   283:171).  They found that
approximately half of the monarchs were from a relatively narrow-swath
from Nebraska to Ohio.

The researchers were surprised that so much of the population was
concentrated in the heart of the cornbelt.  They expressed concern about
the rapid changes in weed control practices occurring in this region.
Monarch larvae feed exclusively on milkweed plants, thus reductions in
milkweed populations could have a dramatic impact on monach
reproduction.  The use of herbicide resistant crops (Roundup Ready,
Liberty Link, IMI corn) could provide more effective control of milkweed
than traditional herbicides, thus the concern.

Several factors need to be considered when looking at the impact of
HRC's on monarch butterflies:  1) Will the rates and timing of herbicide
applications made to control annual weeds have a significant impact on
milkweed populations?, 2) What percentage of milkweed in the corn belt
is found in row crop acres vs in roadsides, pastures and other non-row
crop areas?, 3) Do monarchs have a site preference for egg laying (row
crop vs non-row crop)?

The researchers pointed out that their findings represent only a single
year's distribution of monarch butterflies and may not represent
historical patterns.   However, it does illustrate the potential impact
changes in weed management strategies could have on the ecosystem.

Prepared by Bob Hartzler, extension weed management specialist,
Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University

 For more information contact:
 ISU Extension Agronomy
 2104 Agronomy Hall
 Ames, Iowa 50011-1010
 Voice: (515) 294-1923
 Fax: (515) 294-9985
 http://www.weeds.iastate.edu



Monarch Watch
Email:  monarch at ukans.edu
WWW:  http://www.MonarchWatch.org/
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Fax:  1 (785) 864 4441 -or- 1 (785) 864 5321
Snail:  c/o O.R. Taylor, Dept. of Entomology, Univ. of KS, Lawrence KS 66045