Cited by 54Genetically Modified Organisms ResearchWeed Control and Herbicide ApplicationsBiological Control of Invasive Species

Fitness correlates of crop transgene flow into weedy populations: a case study of weedy rice in China and other examples

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Lu, Bao‐Rong, Yang, Xiao, Ellstrand, Norman C.·2016·Evolutionary Applications

Abstract

Whether transgene flow from crops to cross‐compatible weedy relatives will result in negative environmental consequences has been the topic of discussion for decades. An important component of environmental risk assessment depends on whether an introgressed transgene is associated with a fitness change in weedy populations. Several crop‐weed pairs have received experimental attention. Perhaps, the most worrisome example is transgene flow from genetically engineered cultivated rice, a staple for billions globally, to its conspecific weed, weedy rice. China's cultivated/weedy rice system is one of the best experimentally studied systems under field conditions for assessing how the presence of transgenes alters the weed's fitness and the likely impacts of that fitness change. Here, we present the cultivated/weedy rice system as a case study on the consequences of introgressed transgenes in unmanaged populations. The experimental work on this system reveals considerable variation in fitness outcomes ‐ increased, decreased, and none ‐ based on the transgenic trait, its introgressed genomic background, and the environment. A review of similar research from a sample of other crop‐wild pairs suggests such variation is the rule. We conclude such variation in fitness correlates supports the case‐by‐case method of biosafety regulation is sound.

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  • Gene flow from GM crops to wild or locally adapted crops could give rise to new lineages that persist.

    “or give rise to new lineages that persist ( 109 )”

    From Environmental impacts of genetically modified crops (2024) · cites this paper as [109]

    The Introduction says crop-to-wild gene flow can contribute to the evolution of weedy populations and that a neutral introgressed transgene is expected to persist. The section on fitness and evolutionary dynamics describes transgenic crop–weed hybrid lineages and their descendants. These passages support the possibility of persisting lineages involving wild or weedy relatives, but do not address gene flow into locally adapted crops. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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Research works printed but not linked: 6

  1. Cheng, J. A. (ed.) 1996 Insect Pests of Rice. China Agriculture Press, Beijing, 213 pp.
  2. Ellstrand, N. C. 2003a Dangerous Liaisons? Wild Cultivated Plants Mate with Their Wild Relatives. Johns Hopkins, University Press, Baltimore, MD.
  3. Estorninos, L. E. Jr, D. R. Gealy, T. L. Dillon, F. L. Baldwin, R. R. Burgos, and T. H. Tai 2002 Determination of hybridization between rice and red rice using four microsatellite markers. Proceedings Southern Weed Science Society 55: 197– 198.
  4. Sanders, D. E., S. Linscombe, M. A. Cohn, and R. E. Strahan 1998 Out‐crossing potential of Liberty Link rice to red rice. In Proceedings of the Twenty‐Seventh Rice Technical Working Group. p. 214.
  5. Sanders, D. E., J. Oard, and E. Webster 2000 Preliminary characterization of an imidazolinone rice mutant. In Proceedings of the Twenty‐Eighth Rice Technical Working Group. p. 152.
  6. Zhang, H. B., H. Xia, X. Yang, and B.‐R. Lu 2013 Fitness effect on insect‐resistant F2 progeny of crop‐weedy rice hybrids under different cultivation modes. Journal of Fudan University (Natural Science) 4: 419– 427 (in Chinese with English Abstract).

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Authors
Lu, B., Yang, X., & Ellstrand, N. C.
Affiliations
  • Fudan University (CN)
  • University of California, Riverside (US)
Corresponding author
Lu, Bao‐Rong
Venue
Evolutionary Applications
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2016-03-31
Volume
9
Issue
7
Pages
857-870
ISSN
  • 1752-4563 (ISSN-L)
  • 1752-4571
OpenAlex
W2293733712
Cited by
54
References
108
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 5
FWCI
0.71
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Evolutionary Applications (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (31330014, 31271683)
  • National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Genetically Modified Organisms Research
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Weed Control and Herbicide Applications
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Insect Science › Biological Control of Invasive Species
Keywords
transgene flow, weedy rice, introgression, fitness change, environmental risk assessment, biosafety regulation, crop-wild gene flow

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