Abstract
Predicting outcomes of transgene flow from arable crops requires a system perspective that considers ecological and evolutionary processes within a landscape context. In Europe, the arable weed Raphanus raphanistrum is a potential hybridization partner of oilseed rape, and the two species are ecologically linked through the common herbivores Meligethes spp. Observations in Switzerland show that high densities of Meligethes beetles maintained by oilseed rape crops can lead to considerable damage on R. raphanistrum. We asked how increased insect resistance in R. raphanistrum – as might be acquired through introgression from transgenic oilseed rape – would affect seed production under natural herbivore pressure. In simulation experiments, plants protected against Meligethes beetles produced about twice as many seeds as unprotected plants. All stages in the development of reproductive structures from buds to pods were negatively affected by the herbivore, with the transition from buds to flowers being the most vulnerable. We conclude that resistance to Meligethes beetles could confer a considerable selective advantage upon R. raphanistrum in regions where oilseed rape is widely grown.
Highlights
Two issues – gene flow and selective advantage – are central to assessing the consequences of gene escape from transgenic crops to either other crops or wild plants (Manasse 1992)
Using oilseed rape and its wild relative Raphanus raphanistrum (Brassicaceae) as a model system, we investigated a scenario in which a transgene conferring resistance to coleopteran herbivores was transferred to a R. raphanistrum population
The density of the specialist herbivore Meligethes spp. was generally higher in R. raphanistrum than in oilseed rape plants, but their numbers were strongly influenced by the location and phenology of the crop
Summary
Two issues – gene flow and selective advantage – are central to assessing the consequences of gene escape from transgenic crops to either other crops or wild plants (Manasse 1992). Most studies related to biosafety, have concentrated on gene flow, usually with the aim of determining rates of hybridization between crop plants and wild relatives or detecting introgression In this respect, oilseed rape has been the most intensively studied crop (Jorgensen and Anderson 1994; Lefol et al 1996a,b; Mikkelsen et al 1996; Darmency et al 1998; Warwick et al 2003), other species, including sugar beet (Bartsch et al 1999), rice (Song et al 2003), wheat (Guadagnuolo et al 2001; Morrison et al 2002), and maize (Quist and Chapela 2001) have been investigated.
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