Possible effects of gene flow of transgenes from crops to wild relatives are a persistent topic in discussions on the risks of genetically modified crop introductions, for one thing because successful spread of a transgene into wild populations cannot easily be reversed. Transgene spread depends on the possibility for gene exchange between crop and wild species as well as the specific effects of the transgene on the fitness of its carriers.
This topic has been studied within the EU project ANGEL: Analysis of gene flow from crop to wild forms in lettuce and chicory and its population-ecological consequences in the context of GM-crop biosafety (QLK3-CT-2001-01657), . An adequate assessment of the effects of hybridisation between transgenic crops and their wild relatives will enable regulators to adequately weight any effects against the advantages that the introduction of new transgenic crops provides.
Another aspect of gene flow in GM crops is the desire to have separate production chains of GM and non-GM crops in order to provide both producers and consumers with freedom of choice. The EU has left the implementation of measures to achieve this goal of coexistence between GM and non-GM agriculture to the individual member states.
Within the Netherlands, the Coexistence Committee, involving farmers and breeders organisations (chaired by J. van Dijk), has reported an advice on this issue to the government.
We have provided the Coexistence Committee with a review of existing knowledge of isolation measures to maintain gene flow from GM crops to intentional non-GM crop cultivations below levels required for labelling as GM product.
At present, we are studying outcrossing in maize to test proposed isolation distances and are also involved in the EU project on coexistence, SIGMEA.
Publications:
- Groot MHM, CCM van de Wiel, PH van Tienderen, HCM Den Nijs (2003) Hybridisation and introgression between crops and wild relatives. University of Amsterdam & Plant Research International, Amsterdam & Wageningen, COGEM research 2003-02.
- Syed NH, AP Sørensen, R Antonise, C van de Wiel, CG van der Linden, W van ‘t Westende, DAP Hooftman, HCM den Nijs, AJ Flavell (2006) A detailed linkage map of lettuce based on SSAP, AFLP and NBS markers. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 112: 517-527.
- Wiel CCM van de, Lotz LAP (2006) Outcrossing and coexistence of genetically modified with (genetically) unmodified crops: a case study of the situation in the Netherlands. NJAS Wageningen Journal of the Life Sciences 54: 17-35
- Wiel, C van de (2004) Botanical files 2003. An exploration of the scientific literature on two aspects of GM crop biosafety: (1) The application of molecular markers to the detection of gene flow between crops and wild relatives (2) The possibilities of the use of gene function knowledge from Arabidopsis to assessing environmental safety of transgenes in GM crops. Plant Research International Note 292, Wageningen [link]
- Wiel, C van de, A Flavell, N Syed, R Antonise, J Rouppe van der Voort, G van der Linden (2004) Analysis of gene flow in the lettuce crop-weed complex. In: Den Nijs, J., D. Bartsch & J. Sweet (eds.) Introgression from genetically modified plants into wild relatives. CABI Publishing, Wallingford UK, pp. 163-171.
- Wiel, C van de, B Lotz (2004) Inventarisatie van de wetenschappelijke kennis over uitkruising in maïs, koolzaad, aardappel en suikerbiet voor het coëxistentieoverleg 2004. Plant Research International Nota 322, Wageningen http://library.wur.nl/WebQuery/wurpubs?wurpublikatie/@isn=343081
- Wiel, C van de, G van der Linden, H Den Nijs, A Flavell, N Syed, R Jorgensen, F Felber, I Scotti, J Rouppe van der Voort, J Peleman (2003) An EU project on gene flow analysis between crop and wild forms of lettuce and chicory in the context of GMO biosafety: first results in lettuce. In: Van Hintum, Th.J.L., Lebeda, A., Pink, D.A. and Schut, J.W. (eds) Eucarpia Leafy Vegetables 2003, Proceedings of the Eucarpia meeting on leafy vegetables genetics and breeding, Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands, 19-21 March 2003. Centre for Genetic Resources, The Netherlands (CGN), Wageningen, The Netherlands, pp. 111-116. http://www.leafyvegetables.nl/download/19_111-116_Wiel.pdf
- Wiel, C van de, M Groot, H den Nijs (2005) Gene flow from crops to wild plants and its population-ecological consequences in the context of GM-crop biosafety, including some recent experiences from lettuce. In: Wesseler, J. (ed.) Environmental Costs and Benefits of Transgenic Crops. Wageningen UR Frontis Series vol. 7, Springer, Dordrecht. Pp 97-109