Ecological risk assessment for Cry1Da_7, Cry1B.3 and Vip3Cb1 proteins expressed in MON 89151 cotton: an insect-protected cotton with targeted activity against Lepidoptera

An ecological risk assessment (ERA) was conducted for MON 89151, which expresses three proteins (Cry1Da_7, Cry1B.3, and Vip3Cb1) developed to help protect against lepidopteran pests such as Heliothis virescens, Helicoverpa zea, and Spodoptera frugiperda. The ERA focused on evaluating the potential risks to beneficial non-target organisms (NTOs) from MON 89151 cultivation, by examining the protein's mode of action, insecticidal activity spectrum, ecological exposure levels, potential for environmental persistence, and hazard to representative NTO taxa under laboratory conditions. The protection goal driving the ERA was preserving key ecosystem services provided by NTOs in agriculture. The Cry1Da_7 and Cry1B.3 proteins, the same and/or similar to previously registered (Cry1Da_7 in MON 95379 maize) and/or reviewed (Cry1B.2 in MON 94637 soybean) insecticidal proteins, have been demonstrated to pose negligible risks to NTOs, enabling a bridging approach to existing hazard testing for these proteins. The third protein in MON 89151, Vip3Cb1 also demonstrated no adverse effects on NTOs at or above expected environmental concentrations under laboratory conditions. Therefore, the ERA concluded that cultivation of MON 89151 would pose minimal ecological risk to NTOs, supporting its safety in agricultural ecosystems.