An article I found from 1990 brings to light the ideas and goals of genetic engineering of plants, and the risks involved. This was an interesting find as when I was growing up; the notion of genetically modifying crop plants to be more resilient to predation or harsh climates was considered a “mad” science and many had very skeptical views on the practice. Since it was a new facet of science the risks involved with transfer of genetic material by means of horizontal hybridization were not as concerning until further studies looked into the environmental consequence of this method. Analysis of the ecological risks was assessed by the UK Department of Trade and Industry and a consortium of plant biotechnology firms was performed using economically important crops sugar beets (Beta vulgaris), rapeseed (Brassica napus), and potato (Solanum tuberosum) where modified and unmodified plants were introduced into several habitats at 4 studies sites in Britain where the climatic and soil conditions can be emulated, the idea was to see if these species were prone to becoming transgenic for one or more of the modified traits such herbicide resistance. Potential environmental impacts highlighted in this article involve the development of environmental tolerance, pest resistance stemming from uncontrolled or accidental release of a “mutant” plant into the wild. Other more obvious ecological threats would involve the evolution of herbicide resistance of agricultural weed species, resulting in an arms race for farmers to implement more dangerous concoctions to control spread of weed species. The implementation of insect-resistance genes into some plants would result in a favourable and rapid evolution of pest plant species where alternative control methods would need to be implemented; some rare plant species may get hustled out and eliminated by competitive displacement. Manipulation of wind pollinated/ dispersed species such as pines or poplars have the potential to have disruptive effects to the delicate balance of community dynamics.
Applied Plant Ecology Winter 2020 