Abstract:

Abstract   The transgenic cotton (Gossypium spp.) expressing insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis has been commercialized for production in China since 1997, and has a big release area in the field. The ecological risks have been studied from the beginning. This paper tries to review the advances of the research that focused on the ecological risks assessments of the transgenic cotton, which include the expression of Bt proteins and its efficacy on targeted insect pests, the escape of Bt transgenes, the risk of resistance evolution of the insect pests, and the effects on non-target organisms. The main objective of this article is to contribute to the development of biotechnology and biosafety studies in China. We propose a number of biosafety regulations that could be adopted and possible areas related to the ecological risks of Bt cotton that require further research.