In recent years, there has been increasing interest in how changes in
agricultural practice associated with the introduction of particular
genetically modified (GM) crops might indirectly impact the environment. There
is also interest in any effects that might be associated with recombinant and
novel combinations of DNA passing into the environment, and the possibility
that they may be taken up by microorganisms or other live biological material.
From the current state of knowledge, the impact of free DNA of transgenic
origin is likely to be negligible compared with the large amount of total free
DNA. We can find no compelling scientific arguments to demonstrate that GM
crops are innately different from non-GM crops. The kinds of potential impacts
of GM crops fall into classes familiar from the cultivation of non-GM crops
(e.g., invasiveness, weediness, toxicity, or biodiversity). It is likely,
however, that the novelty of some of the products of GM crop improvement will
present new challenges and perhaps opportunities to manage particular crops in
creative ways.
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