Interaction of Helicoverpa armigera with putative transgenic plants of pigeonpea

Abstract

In an effort to minimize the Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) damage, transgenic pigeonpea plants with Bacillus thuringiensis (crylAb) and soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI) genes have been developed recently. An experiment was conducted to understand the influence of prolonged exposure ofH. armigera larvae to transgenic pigeonpea plants. There were no significant toxic effects of transgenic pigeonpea plants on growth and development of H. armigera, although the larvae fed on transgenic plants showed prolongation of larval period, formation of larval-pupal intermediates and malformed adults. The results indicated adaptation of H. armigera larvae to the transgenic plants, particularly under low levels of toxin expression