Avaliação da comunidade fúngica de solo sob cultivo de algodão Bt

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of genetically modified cotton resistant to insects on the soil fungal community. The experiment was conducted in the agricultural area of Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, where they were planted two varieties of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), one expressing a gene from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and the other conventional, without the foreign gene. The data were collected monthly throughout the crop cycle, from December 2009 to May 2010. The amount of fungi in the soil was obtained by the method of cultivation in Petri dishes, in triplicate, using the culture medium of Martin and serial dilutions of soil. From the isolates were obtained morphospecies that were identified by amplification and sequencing of the ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacer) region of rDNA. Metagenomics approach was used to detect differences in soil fungal community. The amount of fungal colony-forming units of the soil was not directly influenced by the type of cotton grown and not by the different growing seasons. Both techniques showed greater species richness in soil under Bt cotton.