Study the Impact of Bt Cotton on Soil Invertebrates in Semi Arid Tropical Agroecosystems in Karimnagar

Abstract

Biodiversity study in cotton ecosystem is very important to understand species composition of newlineagriculturally important invertebrates which mediate or regulate a variety of functions essential newlinefor plant growth and productivity, soil resource structure and ecosystem health. In order to newlinestudy biodiversity of soil surface invertebrates in Bt and non-Bt cotton ecosystems an attempt newlinewas made from July 2016 to February 2018 in three seasons in farmers Bt and non-Bt cotton newlinefields. The results indicated that invertebrates were recorded from 8 insect orders besides newlinespiders and millipedes . A total of 258 individuals in Bt cotton, 611 individuals in non-Bt cotton newlinefield were recorded by using pitfall traps. Invertebrates collected from twenty one species in Bt newlineand twenty five species in non-Bt cotton fields were recorded. Our results overall suggested that newlineno significant differences between the Bt and non Bt cotton fields in these invertebrates newlinecommunity. But abundance of invertebrates were high in non-Bt cotton compare to Bt cotton newlinefields. Based on our findings, we conclude that Bt cotton generally exerts marked negative newlineeffective on the abundance of invertebrates community in Bt cotton fields, various diversity newlineindices were measured newline