Premium
Coexistence in Maize: Effect of the Genetically Modified Maize Field Depth on Pollen‐mediated Gene Flow
Author(s) -
Rühl Gerhard,
Langhof Maren
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci2011.01.0037
Subject(s) - pollen , gene flow , biology , genetically modified maize , zea mays , field (mathematics) , genetically modified organism , field experiment , field corn , pollen source , genetically modified crops , horticulture , botany , gene , agronomy , genetics , pollination , transgene , genetic variation , mathematics , pollinator , pure mathematics
Although it is generally accepted that field depth of the recipient non–genetically modified (non‐GM) neighboring maize ( Zea mays L.) field is significantly affecting pollen‐mediated gene flow, information about the influence of GM donor field depth is extremely scarce. Therefore, we investigated the effect of 75‐m compared with 150‐m donor field depth. In 2007 and 2008, one field experiment each was established in northern Germany at Mariensee. In both GM field‐depth variants, the distance between GM and non‐GM maize field was 25 m. Sizes of non‐GM maize fields were generally 1.5 ha, whereas two GM field sizes (1.5 and 3.0 ha) were compared in a field arrangement side‐by‐side oriented to favor pollen‐mediated gene flow from GM to non‐GM field. The GM percentages of individual samples taken at recipient field depths between 0 and 60 m were quantified by real‐time polymerase chain reaction. In both years, no difference in pollen‐mediated gene flow in dependence on the two compared donor field depths was observed. Calculated GM contents of the total non‐GM fields harvests were 1.4% (75 m) and 1.5% (150 m) in 2007 as well as 1.0% (both 75 and 150 m) in 2008. In consequence, maize pollen‐mediated gene flow seems not to be considerably affected by GM field depth if fields are at least 75 m deep.