Influence of Cry1Ac toxin on mineralization and bioavailability of glyphosate in soil

The impact of transgenic plants containing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin on soil processes has received recent attention. In these studies, we examined the influence of the lepidopterean Bt Cry1Ac toxin on mineralization and bioavailability of the herbicide glyphosate in two different soils. The addition of 0.25-1.0 microg g(-1) soil of purified Cry1Ac toxin did not significantly affect glyphosate mineralization and sorption in either a sandy loam or a sandy soil. In contrast, extractable glyphosate decreased over the 28 day incubation period in both soils. Our findings suggest that the reduction in the bioavailability of glyphosate was not influenced by the presence of Cry1Ac toxin but rather the results of aging or sorption processes. Results from this investigation suggest that the presence of moderate concentrations of Bt-derived Cry1Ac toxin would have no appreciable impact on processes controlling the fate of glyphosate in soils.