Insecticidal activity of transgenic tobacco plants expressing both Bt and CpTI genes on cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera).

Transgenic tobacco plants expressing both Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticidal protein and cowpea trypsin inhibitor (CpTI) genes was used to evaluate the insecticidal activity on the cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) compared with transgenic tobacco with Bt insecticidal protein gene alone. Mortality of first to third instar larvae fed on transgenic two genes tobacco for three days was significantly higher than that fed on transgenic Bt tobacco. First to fourth instar larvae fed on transgenic two genes tobacco continuously could not survive until pupation. Second instar larvae were fed on transgenic tobacco plants for three days and then were transferred to an artificial diet. The efficacy of transgenic two genes tobacco on mortality, larvae weight, percentage of pupation, and time to pupation were significantly higher than that of transgenic tobacco with Bt insecticidal protein gene alone. The results with transgenic tobacco as model plant were valuable for other crops both for the enhancement of insecticidal efficacy and for the delay of insect adaptation to transgenic Bt crops.