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Gene Flow in Genetically Engineered Perennial Grasses: Lessons for Modification of Dedicated Bioenergy Crops

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Book cover Plant Biotechnology for Sustainable Production of Energy and Co-products

Part of the book series: Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry ((AGRICULTURE,volume 66))

Abstract

This chapter was initiated from a symposium and workshop on the scientific advances, issues and bioethics of gene confinement in genetically modified grasses conducted on 13–14 May 2005 at Yale University in New Haven, CT. Genetic modification of dedicated bioenergy crops such as switchgrass will play a major role in crop improvement for a wide range of beneficial traits specific to biofuels. One obstacle that arises regarding transgenic improvement of perennials used for biofuels is the propensity of these plants to be open pollinated, with the undesirable capacity of outcrossing to non-transgenic and wild relative species. We examine previous work on pollen-mediated and seed-mediated gene flow of genetically modified grasses, in particular herbicide resistant traits, relevant to gene flow in grasses providing a perspective on the implementation of this technology for improvement of perennial bioenergy crops.

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Mention of trade names does not imply endorsement of the commercial products that are mentioned nor do the views expressed herein necessarily reflect the views of USDA or USEPA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Rhode Island, 530 Liberty Lane, West Kingston, RI, 02892, USA

    Albert P. Kausch & Joel Hague

  2. USDA-ARS Plant Genetics Unit, University of Missouri, Columbia. 204 Curtis Hall, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA

    Melvin Oliver

  3. US Environmental Protection Agency, US EPA NHEERL WED, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, OR, 97333, USA

    Lidia S. Watrud

  4. Oregon State University Department of Crop and Soil Science, Oregon State University Corvallis, 109 Crop Science Building, Corvallis, OR, 79331-3002, USA

    Carol Mallory-Smith

  5. USDA APHIS, Biotechnology Regulatory Services, 4700 River Road Unit 147 5B45, Riverdale, MD, 20737, USA

    Virgil Meier

  6. Racheff Chair of Excellence in Plant Molecular Genetics, University of Tennessee, 2431 Joe Johnson Dr. Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, 37996-4561, USA

    C. Neal Stewart Jr

Authors
  1. Albert P. Kausch
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  2. Joel Hague
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  3. Melvin Oliver
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  4. Lidia S. Watrud
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  5. Carol Mallory-Smith
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  6. Virgil Meier
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  7. C. Neal Stewart Jr
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Albert P. Kausch .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Ceres, Inc., Rancho Conejo Blvd. 1535, Thousand Oaks, 91320, California, USA

    Peter N. Mascia

  2. ZMAW, Institute for Geography, University of Hamburg, Bundesstr. 53, Hamburg, 20146, Germany

    Jürgen Scheffran

  3. Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, W. Gregory, ERML 1201, Urbana, 61801, Illinois, USA

    Jack M. Widholm

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© 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Kausch, A.P. et al. (2010). Gene Flow in Genetically Engineered Perennial Grasses: Lessons for Modification of Dedicated Bioenergy Crops. In: Mascia, P., Scheffran, J., Widholm, J. (eds) Plant Biotechnology for Sustainable Production of Energy and Co-products. Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry, vol 66. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-13440-1_10

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