Diversity of arthropod community in the canopy of genetically modified herbicide-tolerant rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Genetically modified herbicide-tolerant (GMHT) rice may have impacts on arthropods in paddy fields. To detect the potential effects of GMHT rice on arthropods, the structure and feature of canopy arthropod community in fields of GMHT rice “Bar68-1” were compared with those of non-GM control “D68”. The families with high relative abundance of sub-communities of arthropod in GMHT rice field and non-GM rice field are similar, while the families with low relative abundance are different. There is no significant difference between GMHT rice and non-GM rice in the diversity indices, which are species abundance, Shannon-Wiener diversity index, Pielou index, Simpson index, of arthropod communities (P>0.05), with the exception of Simpson index (D) in sub-community of natural enemy in no-pesticide treatment in 2007. Difference in dynamics of most indexes, accounting for 95.3% of all calculated indexes, of arthropod community between GMHT rice field and non-GM rice field are not significant in mid-tillering, late tillering, full heading stage and milk stage of rice. The results suggest that GMHT rice “Bar68-1” does not significantly affect the composition and diversity of arthropod community in canopy.