Microorganisms
by Turrini, A. (1) , Sbrana, C. (2), & Giovannetti, M. (3)
Keywords: GMO, environmental impact, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi,
coexistence,
Nontarget organisms
Risks and benefits of transgenic crop plants should be evaluated not only by assessing pollen
flow, but also by considering soil persistence of
transgenic products, such as Bt toxins, which can accumulate in the soil
and remain active for a long time.
Moreover, transgenic plants are often plowed under as crop residues,
representing a potential hazard
for nontarget arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, a
group of beneficial plant symbionts fundamental for soil fertility. In
this study, we monitored the effects of transgenic corn plants (Bt 11
and Bt 176) and their residues on AM fungal growth and root colonization
ability. Both transgenic plants decreased mycorrhizal colonization and
Bt 11 plant residues negatively affected mycorrhizal establishment by
indigenous endophytes four months after their incorporation into soil.
(1) Department of Crop Plant Biology, University of Pisa, Via del
Borghetto 80,
56124 Pisa, Italy, email:
turrini@agr.unipi.it
(2) Institute of Biology and Agricultural Biotechnology, CNR, UO Pisa,
Via del
Borghetto 80, Pisa, Italy, e-mail:
sbrana@ibba.cnr.it, Internet:
www.ibba.cnr.it
IFOAM Organic World Congress, Modena, Italy, June 16-20, 2008 Archived
at
http://orgprints.org/view/projects/conference.html
