Gene Dispersal from Transgenic Crops

Abstract

Before transgenic plants are released in small-scale field experiments or for widespread commercial use, it is necessary to complete a risk or safety assessment. There is international agreement on the need for risk assessment because a greater diversity of genes can be introduced by transformation than by conventional plant breeding methods. Risk assessment involves addressing a range of questions including: the nature of the transgene, its affect on the plant’s phenotype, and how the plant may interact with the environment. When assessing the interaction between a transgenic plant and the environment, one important aspect to consider is the likelihood and consequences of the movement of the transgene from the transgenic crop plant to other organisms. Usually a risk assessment considers the possibility of transgene movement by pollen to other plants, movement to microorganisms associated with the transgenic plant or to microorganisms found in the gut of animals that consume the transgenic plant. In this paper we will concentrate on the movement of transgenes to other plants by pollen.