Decomposition of genetically engineered tobacco under field conditions: Persistence of the proteinase inhibitor I product and effects on soil microbial respiration and protozoa, nematode and microarthropod populations
Abstract: 1. To evaluate the potential effects of genetically engineered (transgenic) plants on soil ecosystems, litterbags containing leaves of non-engineered (parental) and transgenic tobacco plants were buried in field plots. The transgenic tobacco plants were gen- etically engineered to constitutively produce proteinase inhibitor I, a protein with insecticidal activity. 2. The litterbag contents and surrounding …