According to a recent publication, researchers in the US and Canada have applied new genetic engineering (or new genomic techniques, NGTs) to improve the nutrient supply in wheat. The NGT plants produce increased amounts of a specific bacterial attractant. This is intended to attract bacteria to the root area, which make nitrogen biologically available and thus increase yields. The plants are expected to grow better, especially in nitrogen deficient soil. Similar results had already been published for NGT rice. The research was funded by Bayer, among others.
According to the European Commission’s current plans for deregulating NGT plants, these plants could very likely be cultivated without any environmental risk assessment. The Commission proposed that plants below a ’magic threshold’ of 20 genetic changes would be exempt from current mandatory risk assessment. EU Member States are suggesting to raise this threshold even further. However, there is no scientific justification for the assumption that such a threshold would allow conclusions to be drawn on the safety of NGT plants or their equivalence to plants from conventional breeding.
It can be assumed that both the NGT rice and wheat would fall below this threshold. However, their specific genotypes were previously unknown and are unlikely to result from conventional breeding. In addition, there is no doubt that the NGT plants in question do pose risks to the environment: in the case of rice, it is known that geneflow with weedy rice occurs. This weed species causes considerable problems in rice fields. If it would achieve higher fitness as a result of gene transfer from NGT rice, this could jeopardize rice yields.
In addition, another recent publication shows that bacteria attracted by compounds produced by genetically engineered plants can also colonize the neighboring plants. This may also support the spread of weeds if the microbes also improve their nutrient supply or change their growth habit. Therefore, the authors call for detailed investigation of these risks.
Contact:
Christoph Then, info@testbiotech.org, Tel + 49 151 54638040
Further information:
Background information on risks of NGT rice
Publication on soil bacteria and genetically engineered plants