Journal or Publishing Institution: Plants Genetics
Author(s): Timmons, A.M., O'Brien, E., Charters, Y.M. and Wilkinson, M.J.
Article Type: Report
Record ID: 1987
Text: Intensive research over the past 10 years has resulted in the production of genetically modified lines of several important crop species including oilseed rape (Brassica napus), potato (Solanum tuberosum) and
raspberry (Rubus idaeus). Many of these lines have increased market potential which has led to commercial pressure for their release as new cultivars although any release must be preceded by a rigorous risk assessment in statutory controlled field trials. However, concern that any release into the environment may allow transfer of the inserted genes to neighbouring commercial fields, feral (escapes from cultivation) and volunteer populations or natural populations of wild relatives has aroused intense debate. Paucity of information on pollen and seed dispersal ranges, the geneflow dynamics of agricultural fields, the distribution of cultivated and feral populations and on the ecological status of potential feral populations has done little to alleviate these concerns and could lead to a polarization of views based on conjecture rather than fact. If the advances in biotechnology are to be applied, then any risks, real or perceived, must be quantified.
Large-scale commercial fields of genetically modified crops were not available in the UK and work at SCRI
has used fields of non-genetically modified oilseed rape to estimate pollen movement and geneflow by using naturally occurring genetic variation between cultivars of the same species. The results can then be
used to assess the likely movement of introduced genes from fields of genetically modified crops…
Keywords: Oilseed Rape, Brassica napus, Potato, Solanum tuberosum, Raspberry, Rubus idaeus, Risk Assessment, Biotechnology, Genetically Modified Crops, Pollen Movement, Long-Range Geneflow, Plant Genetics
Citation: Timmons, A.M., O’Brien, E., Charters, Y.M. and Wilkinson, M.J., 1995. Aspects of environmental risk assesment for genetically modified plants with special reference to oilseed rape. Plants Genetics, 95, pp.42-45.
