Transgenic crops in natural habitats

Crawley, M. J.; Brown, Susan L.; Hails, Rosie S.; Kohn, D. D.; Rees, Mark

doi:10.1038/35055621

Cited by 216 publications

(121 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Most of the commercially grown transgenic plants are herbicide-, disease-, or pest-resistant crop plants, and are thought to have only limited potential ecological effects because they are not very invasive or persistent, and because the inserted traits would have little effect on the fitness of these plants in natural habitats (Crawley et al, 2001). However, some crop plants are able to survive outside cultivated areas and may become agricultural weeds or invasive species in natural habitats.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monitoring the escape of transgenic oilseed rape around Japanese ports and roadsides

Saji

Nakajima

Aono

et al. 2005

Environ. Biosafety Res.

100

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An investigation was carried out to monitor the escape and spread of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) transgenic plants and the introgression of transgenes to its closely related feral species in Japan. We screened a total of about 7500 feral B. napus, 300 B. rapa, and 5800 B. juncea seedlings from maternal plants in 143 locations at several ports, roadsides, and riverbanks. The presence of glufosinate-resistance or glyphosate-resistance transgenes in these seedlings was confirmed by means of herbicide treatments and also immunochemical and DNA analyses. B. napus plants with herbicide-resistant transgenic seeds were found at five of six major ports and along two of four sampled roadsides in the Kanto District. Transgenic oilseed rape plants have not been commercially cultivated in Japan, suggesting that the transgenes would probably have come from imported transgenic seeds that were spilled during transportation to oilseed processing facilities. No transgenes were detected in seeds collected from B. napus plants growing along riverbanks in the Kanto District or in seeds from closely related species (B. rapa and B. juncea). To our knowledge, this is the first published example of feral, transgenic populations occurring in a nation where the transgenic crop has not been cultivated commercially.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monitoring the escape of transgenic oilseed rape around Japanese ports and roadsides

Saji

Nakajima

Aono

et al. 2005

Environ. Biosafety Res.

100

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“…In general, the transgenic lines performed even less well than the non-transgenic lines. A more recent study compared four different crops (both conventional and GM) grown in 12 different habitats and monitored their performance over a period of 10 years [128]. In no case the GM crops (OSR and maize expressing tolerance to glufosinate, sugar beet tolerant to glyphosate, and two types of GM potato expressing either the Bt-toxin or a pea lectin) were found to be more invasive or more persistent than their conventional counterparts.…”

Section: Invasiveness Of Transgenic Crop Varieties Into Semi-natural mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological Impacts of Genetically Modified Crops: Ten Years of Field Research and Commercial Cultivation

Sanvido

Romeis

Bigler

Green Gene Technology

110

102

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“…In many respects the points of discussion largely reflected the maturing of ecological experimentation with an ongoing refinement of methodology required to address and resolve more definitive questions associated with ecological parameters relevant to risk assessment of crops. A more recent comprehensive study compared the results from monitoring conventional and GM lines of four different crops in field experiments established in twelve habitats and over Ten years (Crawley et al, 2001). The GM lines included oilseed rape and maize exhibiting resistance to the herbicide glufosinate, sugar beet exhibiting resistance to the herbicide glyphosate, and potato containing insecticidal Cry proteins or pea lectin.…”

Section: Will Transgenic Crops Invade Agricultural and Natural Ecosysmentioning

confidence: 99%

The release of genetically modified crops into the environment

2003

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SummaryDespite numerous future promises, there is a multitude of concerns about the impact of GM crops on the environment. Key issues in the environmental assessment of GM crops are putative invasiveness, vertical or horizontal gene flow, other ecological impacts, effects on biodiversity and the impact of presence of GM material in other products. These are all highly interdisciplinary and complex issues. A crucial component for a proper assessment is defining the appropriate baseline for comparison and decision. For GM crops, the best and most appropriately defined reference point is the impact of plants developed by traditional breeding. The latter is an integral and accepted part of agriculture. In many instances, the putative impacts identified for GM crops are very similar to the impacts of new cultivars derived from traditional breeding. When assessing GM crops relative to existing cultivars, the increased knowledge base underpinning the development of GM crops will provide greater confidence in the assurances plant science can give on the risks of releasing such crops.

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Transgenic crops in natural habitats

Cited by 216 publications

References 2 publications

Monitoring the escape of transgenic oilseed rape around Japanese ports and roadsides

Monitoring the escape of transgenic oilseed rape around Japanese ports and roadsides

Ecological Impacts of Genetically Modified Crops: Ten Years of Field Research and Commercial Cultivation

The release of genetically modified crops into the environment

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