Antennal response of cotton bollworm (Heliocoverpa armigera) to volatiles in transgenic Bt cotton

Abstract:  Volatile compositions in transgenic Bt cotton variety 'GK-97' and its parental variety 'Simian No. 3' were analysed, and antennal response of cotton bollworm ( Heliocoverpa armigera ) to the volatiles were investigated. Volatile components in Bt cotton and regular cotton were almost same, except for absence of a sesquiterpene and a minor unknown compound in regular cotton. The results of gas chromatography-electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) experiments showed that cotton bollworm antennae responded to seven compounds and two minor unknown compounds in Bt volatiles, among which concentrations of α -pinene and β -pinene in Bt cotton were relatively higher than those in regular cotton, and one minor unknown compound was absent in regular cotton.