I. ROSCA
University of Agricultural Sciences and
Veterinary Medicine – Bucharest, Romania.
I. SABAU
Monsanto SRL, Bucharest, Romania
The new technology of corn cultivation,
based on using of genetically modified corn hybrids, through inducing herbicides
(glyphosate) resistance, have offered to us the possibility to observe
if there are some influence of this new technology on Lumbricus terestris
L. or on surface fauna captured in Barber traps in field.
Experiences have had 2 objectives: - Studying,
in 2000, of ROUNDUP treatment influence in plots with ROUNDUP READY corn
(AW 661–RR) and check (AW 661) on night crawler, by sampling at 25 and
50 cm deepest; -Evaluation of epigeal fauna, captured in BARBER soil traps/plot,
in experimental plots cultivated with ROUNDUP READY corn (AW 661–RR) and
check (AW 661) in an usual technology and minimum tillage technology.
Evaluation of epigeal fauna, captured
in 10 BARBER soil traps/plot, by 9 times weekly opened for 24 hours, during
May 23 –September 15 IX – 2000, in plots with ROUNDUP READY corn (AW 661–RR)
and check (AW 661) and 8 times biweekly opened for 48 hours, during June
6- September 10 in plots with the same hybrids but cultivated with minimum
tillage, after two times disk harrowing, in stubble field and lawn field,
comparative with usual cultivation after ploughing.
The number of Lumbricus terestris
L. in field was between 22.25 - 70.25/square meter at depth of 25 cm and
between 4 and 29/square meter at depth of 50 cm, depending of time.
Captured species in Barber traps has shown
that taking into consideration number of Arachnids, Miriapoda or Insects
there are not significant differences between these taxons in experimental
plots. Also for the main useful Coleopteran species Harpalus distinguendus,
Pterostichus cupreus, Pterostichus vulgaris, Pterostichus melas and
neutral Heteropteran Pyrrochoris apterus there are no significantly
differences between different corn cultivation techniques.
It was concluded that herbicide treatment
or cultivation of Roundup ReadyR corn, genetically modified,
has no influence on Lumbricus terestris or main species captured
on Barber traps.