Search Results for: Oil

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 …

Abstract: One of the most significant inputs necessary for successful conventional crop production is synthetic chemical herbicides to control a wide variety of weed infestations. Glyphosate, the active ingredient in the herbicide, “Roundup”, became very popular after introduction in the 1970’s for non-selective weed control in fallowed fields and non-cropped areas of orchards, vineyards, and …

Abstract: Discussions of the environmental risks and benefits of adopting genetically engineered organisms are highly polarized between pro- and anti-biotechnology groups, but the current state of our knowledge is frequently overlooked in this debate. A review of existing scientific literature reveals that key experiments on both the environmental risks and benefits are lacking. The complexity …

Abstract: Previous studies had shown that recombinant DNA can be detected for several months in soil after the deposition of litter from transgenic (tg) plants. Here we show by PCR monitoring of field releases of tg sugar beet plants that during the growth of the plants the soil close to the plants and also plant …

Abstract: An epidemic of a new disease, termed eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome, occurred in the USA in 1989. This syndrome was linked to the consumption of L-tryptophan manufactured by a single company utilizing a fermentation process. All the findings indicate that the illness was probably triggered by an impurity formed when the manufacturing conditions were modified. This …

Abstract: Debates about the benefits and risks of genetically modified (GM) crops need to acknowledge two realities: (1) the movement of transgenes beyond their intended destinations is a virtual certainty; and (2) it is unlikely that transgenes can be retracted once they have escaped. Transgenes escape via the movement of pollen and seeds, and this …

Abstract: Excessive amounts of the herbicide glyphosate are incorporated daily to the soil and the ecosystems. AMPA is its major environmental breakdown product. In this study we determined the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs); quantified superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity in liver, kidney, lung and heart, and performed the comet assay …

Abstract: In this study, the environmental impacts of large scale bioenergy crops were evaluated using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Daily pesticide concentration data for a study area consisting of four large watersheds located in Michigan (totaling 53,358 km²) was estimated over a six year period (2000-2005). Model outputs for atrazine, bromoxynil, glyphosate, …

Abstract: Introgression between genetically modified (GM) crops and wild relatives is considered to potentially modify the genetic background of the wild species. The emergence of volunteer-like feral populations through backcross of hybrids to the crop is also a concern. The progeny of spontaneous hybrids between mutant herbicide-resistant oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and wild B. juncea …

Abstract: The development and use of genetically modified plants (GMPs), as well as their ecological risks have been a topic of considerable public debate since they were first released in 1996. To date, no consistent conclusions have been drawn dealing with ecological risks on soil microorganisms of GMPs for the present incompatible empirical data. Arbuscular …

Abstract: Because wild, weedy‐ephemeral species take advantage of periodic disturbance for growth and reproduction, many have considerable seed dormancy and longevity, coupled with germination cued on environmental changes correlated with disturbance. Brassica napus canola is derived from a weedy ephemeral and has sexually compatible wild relatives that are weedy ephemerals, most notably B. rapa. Hence, …

Abstract: The introduction of transgenic insect-resistant cotton into agricultural ecosystems has raised concerns regarding its ecological effects. Many studies have been conducted to compare the differences in characteristics between transgenic cotton and conventional counterparts. However, few studies have focused on the different responses of transgenic cotton to stress conditions, especially to the challenges of pathogens. …

Abstract: The components of the root exudates from two transgenic insect-resistant cotton lines and their parental cotton lines, and their effects on the growth of Fusarium oxysporum were investigated. The results demonstrated that the resistance of transgenic insect-resistant cotton to F. oxysporum was significantly reduced compared with their parental lines. Likewise, the root exudates from …

Text: Weeds are the most economically important of all pests with respect to sales of pesticides and limitations to crop yields (62). Herbicide sales represent more than two thirds of the 436 x 106 kg of pesticides used annually in the United States (113), and almost one half of the $21 billion worldwide pesticide market (8). …

Abstract: Risk assessments of new insect-resistant crops will need to estimate the potential for increased weediness of wild crop relatives as a consequence of gene flow. When field experiments are precluded by containment concerns, simulation experiments can identify hazards or measure expected differences between GMOs and parental plants. To measure plant fitness consequences of wild …

Abstract: The presence of the recombinant cp4 epsps gene from Roundup Ready (RR) corn and RR soybean was quantified using real-time PCR in soil samples from a field experiment growing RR and conventional corn and soybean in rotation. RR corn and RR soybean cp4 epsps persisted in soil for up to 1 year after seeding. …

Abstract: Data from the literature and recent experiments with herbicide-resistant (HR) canola (Brassica napus L) repeatedly confirm that genes and transgenes will flow and hybrids will form if certain conditions are met. These include sympatry with a compatible relative (weedy, wild or crop), synchrony of flowering, successful fertilization and viable offspring. The chance of these …

Abstract: Studies were conducted to investigate the crossability of the cultivated Brassica species, Brassica napus (oilseed rape), B. rapa (turnip rape), and B. juncea (brown and oriental mustard), with two related cruciferous weeds that are abundant in certain regions of Canada, Erucastrum gallicum (dog mustard) and Raphanus raphanistrum ssp. raphanistrum (wild radish). Seed was produced …

Abstract: The risk of release of genetically modified oilseed rape (Brassica napus) was investigated in relation to interspecific gene flow with hoary mustard (Hirschfeldia incana). Microscopic studies showed polymorphism within the population of hoary mustard for pollen germination on oilseed rape flowers. The transgenic herbicide-resistant and a commercial cultivar of oilseed rape were not different …

Abstract: Glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup®, is the most widely used herbicide in the world. It is also used in combination with another effective herbicide, 2,4-D, in the formulation called Enlist Duo®. The EPA approved the use of Enlist Duo® on certain crops including those genetically modified to be resistant to both herbicides. The …

Abstract: This study tests the effect of glyphosate application on disease severity in glyphosate‐resistant sugar beet, and examines whether the increase in disease is fungal or plant mediated. In greenhouse studies of glyphosate‐resistant sugar beet, increased disease severity was observed following glyphosate application and inoculation with certain isolates of Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn and Fusarium oxysporum …

Abstract: We investigated the effects of four commercial formulations of herbicides (glyphosate [GLY], metsulfuron-methyl [MET], bispyribac-sodium [BIS], and picloram [PIC]) individually, and in three 50:50 mixtures (GLY–MET, GLY–BIS, GLY–PIC) on the common toad Rhinella arenarum (Anura: Bufonidae) tadpoles. Enzymatic parameters such as, glutathione S-transferase (GST), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities, as well as erythrocyte …

Abstract: Herbicide‐resistant genetically‐modified (GM) crops are the most widely cultivated worldwide, representing 78% of GM crops in 1999, followed by insect‐resistant GM crops with Bt gene. Gene flow is the most touching risk arising from GM crops, and is categorized as three types: within species, between species and between GM crop and other organisms. This …

Abstract: Glyphosate (N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine) is an active ingredient of the most widely used herbicide formulations in protecting agricultural and horticultural crops. Numerous results (mostly published in the years 2010–2013) concerning the action of glyphosate and its formulations in the recent decade were analyzed. Initial reports about alleged biodegradability of glyphosate in the environment turned out to …

Abstract: Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a soil phytopathogen that elicits neoplastic growths on the host plant species. In nature, however, Agrobacterium also may encounter organisms belonging to other kingdoms such as insects and animals that feed on the infected plants. Can Agrobacterium, then, also infect animal cells? Here, we report that Agrobacterium attaches to and genetically …