AN APPROACH FOR IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF TRANSGENIC PLANTS ON SOIL ECOSYSTEM

Abstract. Transgenic crops are new products of agriculture biotechnology. The environmental risks and benefits of transgenic crops are topic of hot debate. Current agriculture management practices and ecosystems have their own impacts on the environment and further any additional negative effect of transgenic crops may mitigate their positive impacts as well as increase the background value of negative impacts due to new agriculture practices. Most of the risk assessment studies on transgenic plants have done observations on changes in their respective aboveground environment and its biota. Very few reports are available on the impacts of transgenic plants or their products (that they release in soil) on soil biota (both invertebrates and. microorganisms) and soil processes mediated by them. However, observations of these studies were not delivering anything conclusively and creating state of confusion also regarding impact of transgenic plants on soil ecosystem. As some of the studies suggested that If production and release of the transgene products from transgenic plants through different routes in soil exceed to its consumption / biodegradation, may lead to their accumulation beyond threshold levels, which may have acute as well as chronic effect on soil ecosystem. Impacts of transgenic plants are also dependent upon spatial and temporal environmental variables. Whereas some of the studies observation suggests that transgenic plants don’t have any negative impact on soil ecosystem. Keeping this status i