Biosafety Evaluation of Transgenic Potatoes: Genc Flow from Transgenic Potatoes

Abstract

A potential concern associated with the release of transgenic crops is the risk of gene flow to neighboring crops of the same species or to related species. In potato there is little accurate information or experience on effective pollination distances for gene flow between plants. The incidence of intraspecific or interspecific pollination as a basis for gene flow has only received minimal attention since true seed production is unimportant for plant propagation. Gene flow of transgenes from potato crops can arise from several different paths. The most obvious is from true seeds arising on neighboring non-genetically modified (GM) plants, either potatoes or other Solanum species, following pollen dispersal from transgenic potato crops. Alternatively, it may arise from true seeds developing on the transgenic potato crops which accumulate in the seed bank for germination in future years. This may arise from either self pollination within transgenic potato crops or pollen dispersal from neighboring non-transgenic potato crops or other Solanum species. Germination of such seed may occur many years later, and the resulting plants may contribute to transgene flow via either seed or pollen dispersal. In a similar manner, gene flow may arise from volunteer plants arising in the Season following the transgenic potato crop from tubers remaining after harvest . This paper summarizes information relevant to these pathways for gene flow from transgenic potato crops and discusses approaches for minimizing such gene flows.