JIANG Qi-yan
Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesNIU Feng-juan
Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesSUN Xian-jun
Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesHU Zheng
Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesZHANG Hui
Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesInstitute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
National Transgenic Key Project from the Ministry of Agriculture of China (2016ZX08011-003), National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFD0100304), National Natural Science Foundation of China (31601302), the Agricultural Science and Technology Program for Innovation Team (Evaluation on Quality and Stress Tolerance of Crop Germplasm), CAAS
With the frequent use and increasing growing area of transgenic crops on a global scale, gene flow in transgenic crops has aroused great biosafety concerns. Pollen dispersal is the primary mode of gene transfer from a cultivated crop to the wild relatives.In our investigation it was found that wild relatives of wheat occur in sympatry with cultivated wheat in China and some wild relatives in wheat-growing region of Huanghuaihai flower synchronously with cultivated wheat. We collected and grew the seeds of these wild relatives and made hybridization with transgenic wheat MG176. The rates of successful artificial hybridization were 2.18-68.61%.However, it was difficult for the hybrids to reproduce naturally on account of low seedling emergence rates (0-2.86%) and pollen abortion. Backcrosses of the hybrids with either wheat MG176 or wild relative parent failed to produce seed except (Aegilops columnaris × MG176) × MG176 which had a seed set of 0.24% with zero seedling emergence when planted in the field. In simulated natural condition, no gene flow events were detected in the related wild relatives of wheat through 5 years of continuous monitoring.We concluded that the risk of exogenous gene flow from transgenic wheat to wild relatives was extremely low.