Concern that genetically modified plants could adversely impact soil biology has been expressed.  Some studies have indicated changes in soil microbial populations when GM plants are compared to their parental lines.  However such studies rarely place these observations in a realistic context where fluctuations in microbial populations are observed at different sampling times and where different crop plants are compared.  We have investigated the impact of GM plants on the functional and genetic diversity of rhizosphere microbes, comparing wilt-resistant potatoes (modified by insertion of antifungal gene, supplied by Syngenta), trait-free and parental potatoes, a different potato cultivar, wheat and oil-seed rape.  The GM and parental potatoes appeared to support similar microbial populations, in contrast to differences observed in comparison with the other cultivar or crop plants.  (Lucy Gilliam, CASE PhD student with Syngenta and Penny Hirsch)

DGGE Comparison of rhizobacterial diversity

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