Plant Protection Science, 2012 (vol. 48), Special Issue
Introduction
A. Lebeda, R. Pokorný
Plant Protect. Sci., 2012, 48(10):S1-S2 | DOI: 10.17221/85/2012-PPS 
Effect of MON 810 cultivation and prevention to adventitious presence in non-GM fields: A case study in Slovakia
Peter Mihalčík, Katarína Hrčková, Martin Singer, Anna Plačková, Ján Kraic
Plant Protect. Sci., 2012, 48(10):S11-S15 | DOI: 10.17221/58/2012-PPS
The efficiency of border rows to prevent the adventitious presence of GM maize in non-GM maize plots was evaluated as well as the effect of the MON 810 maize of the yield and self-protection against the European corn borer. The GM maize MON 810 event was drilled at 3 locations over the Slovakia and the grain samples were collected from the neighbouring conventional maize fields. The data obtained by Real-Time PCR indicate that coexistence between GM and conventional maize is feasible and the isolation distance of 200 m (respectively 100 border rows of conventional maize) separates GM maize from the conventional one more than sufficiently. The effective...
Influence of growing Bt maize on Fusarium infection and mycotoxins content - a review
Jan Nedělník, Hana Lindušková, Martin Kmoch
Plant Protect. Sci., 2012, 48(10):S18-S24 | DOI: 10.17221/36/2012-PPS
The literature linking Bt maize versus non-Bt maize and the changes in the fungal microflora spectrum and in the mycotoxins content have been summarised. The European corn borer reportedly promotes the infection of maize by Fusarium spp. Stalk and ear rots caused by Fusarium spp. are often related to mycotoxin accumulation in maize kernels. As a result, food and animal feed from maize are more severely contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins: e.g. fumonisins (FUM), deoxynivalenol (DON), and zearalenone (ZEA). Mycotoxins in field maize lead annually economic losses of hundreds of millions of dollars in all regions of the world....
Efficacy of Bt maize against European corn borer in Central Europe
František KOCOUREK, Jitka STARÁ
Plant Protect. Sci., 2012, 48(10):S25-S35 | DOI: 10.17221/53/2012-PPS
The efficacy of Bt maize MON 810-YieldGard® and of Trichogramma wasp against European corn borer (ECB) (Ostrinia nubilalis Hübner) was evaluated in the period of 2002-2008 in field trials on three localities in the Czech Republic. The efficacy of Bt maize on the reduction of the number of tunnels caused by ECB per 100 maize plants before harvest was always 100% and that in Trichogramma treatment was on average 50%. The mean increase of the yield of 15% and 10% was obtained in Bt maize and Trichogramma treatments, respectively in comparison with the untreated control. The damage curve and economic injury...
Cultivation of biotech-crops, control of co-existence and environmental monitoring of GM plants in Slovakia
Lubomir HORVÁTH, Tatiana HORECKÁ, Miroslava FEKETOVÁ
Plant Protect. Sci., 2012, 48(10):S3-S10 | DOI: 10.17221/32/2012-PPS
The information on and selected results of biotech-crops cultivation, control of coexistence, and the environmental monitoring of genetically modified (GM) plants in Slovakia are presented. The cultivation of GM crops for commercial use in Slovakia started in 2006, the cultivated GM maize hybrids being based on the event MON 810. The testings of neighbouring conventional maize fields contamination were performed using a real-time PCR procedure for MON 810 maize quantification according to EN ISO 21570 and EU-RL GMFF methods. Minimum isolation distances according to the Slovak national legislation are 200 m for conventional maize and 300 m for ecological...
Seasonal dispersal of the Western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) adults in Bt and non-Bt maize fields
Ľudovít Cagáň, Ioan Rosca
Plant Protect. Sci., 2012, 48(10):S36-S42 | DOI: 10.17221/79/2012-PPS
32 experimental plots were sown at Borovce (district Trnava) in Slovakia during 2008 with 8 maize hybrids, including coleopteran-protected MON 88017, the lepidopteran-protected MON 89034, the stacked product, MON 89034 × MON 88017, that same hybrids isoline that did not have the Bt trait or traits, and 4 commercial hybrids. Part of the fourth repetition was unexpectedly infested and damaged with the Western corn rootworm (WCR). High numbers of the WCR adults were found in the damaged plots on July 8. Adult WCR abundance remained concentrated in this area until August 12-19. The beetles apparently began to disperse during August 19-September 2, and...
Biotech/GM crops in horticulture: plum cv. HoneySweet resistant to Plum pox virus
Jaroslav POLÁK, Jiban KUMAR, Boris KRŠKA, Michel RAVELONANDRO
Plant Protect. Sci., 2012, 48(10):S43-S48 | DOI: 10.17221/37/2012-PPS
Commercialisation of Biotech/GM (Biotech) crops started in 1995. Not only field crops, but also horticultural transgenic crops are under development and are beginning to be commercialised. Genetic engineering has the potential to revolutionise fruit tree breeding. The development of transgenic fruit cultivars is in progress. Over the past 20 years an international public sector research team has collaborated in the development of HoneySweet plum which is highly resistant to Plum pox virus (PPV) the most devastating disease of plums and other stone fruits. HoneySweet was deregulated in the USA in 2010. HoneySweet (aka C5) has been...