Effects of Wild-Shepherd's-Purse-Agglutinin (WSA) Transgenic Cotton on Eisenia foetida

Groups of earth worms (Eisenia foetida) were raised in laboratory. Group I was fed with the highest naturally acceptable dose of wild shepherd's purse agglutinin (WSA) transgenic cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) leaves, Group II with twice as much, Group III with non-transgenic parent cotton leaves as control, Group IV with cow dung as negative control and Group V with pesticide as positive control. The objective of the study is to explore effects of planting WSA transgenic cotton on survival, growth, and reproduction of E. foetida. Results of the 49 d experiment show that there was no significant difference in death rate, weight, SOD activity, GST activity, cellulase activity, number of earthworm cocoons and number of baby earthworms between Group III and Groups I and II, which suggests that WSA transgenic cotton does not have any significant adverse effects on E. foetida.