Transgenic plants — consequences and impacts for production and ecology

Abstract

In this workshop plant breeding by genetic engineering, risk assessment and related questions and problems were discussed on the background of a short history of plant breeding in general. The aim of breeding has always been to improve the quality of cultivars. This is also the major aim of genetic engineering which may, however, include risks such as gene transfer of unwanted traits to related wild types or changes in toxicological and allergenic potentials of plants. Risk assessment has to include the probability of escape of the gene introduced and its potential effects on the organism, on the ecosystem after a possible gene transfer and eventually on evolution. It is still very difficult to predict any risk of gene transfer even though some observations suggest that it may be faster than anticipated.