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Transgene escape and persistence in an agroecosystem: the case of glyphosate-resistant Brassica rapa L. in central Argentina

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Abstract

Brassica rapa L. is an annual Brassicaceae species cultivated for oil and food production, whose wild form is a weed of crops worldwide. In temperate regions of South America and especially in the Argentine Pampas region, this species is widely distributed. During 2014, wild B. rapa populations that escaped control with glyphosate applications by farmers were found in this area. These plants were characterized by morphology and seed acidic profile, and all the characters agreed with B. rapa description. The dose-response assays showed that the biotypes were highly resistant to glyphosate. It was also shown that they had multiple resistance to AHAS-inhibiting herbicides. The transgenic origin of the glyphosate resistance in B. rapa biotypes was verified by an immunological test which confirmed the presence of the CP4 EPSPS protein and by an event-specific GT73 molecular marker. The persistence of the transgene in nature was confirmed for at least 4 years, in ruderal and agrestal habitats. This finding suggests that glyphosate resistance might come from GM oilseed rape crops illegally cultivated in the country or as a seed contaminant, and it implies gene flow and introgression between feral populations of GM B. napus and wild B. rapa. The persistence and spread of the resistance in agricultural environments was promoted by the high selection pressure imposed by intensive herbicide usage in the prevalent no-till farming systems.

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Acknowledgments

We thank El Diez, La Isaura, Morales, and La Sarita Co. for letting us conduct our research in their fields and for providing historical records of herbicide applications. We also extend our thanks to Damian Gopar, Agustín Bilbao, and Horacio Repetto for their valuable contributions; to BASF Argentina Co., in particular the assistance of Juan Pablo Migasso and Fabricio Mock; and to Ignacio Barragué and Franco Ruiz for helping in the assays. We also thank Noemí Fritz and Cámara Arbitral de Cereales Bahía Blanca for the analysis of grain oil content and fatty acid composition.

Funding

We gratefully acknowledge the National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET) for a fellowship to CEP. This work was supported by Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Técnica (grant ANPCYT-PICT 2854).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dpto. Agronomía, Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS), San Andrés 800, 8000, Bahía Blanca, Argentina

    Claudio E. Pandolfo, Alejandro Presotto, Francisco Torres Carbonell, Soledad Ureta, Mónica Poverene & Miguel Cantamutto

  2. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida (CERZOS), Universidad Nacional del Sur-CONICET, Camino La Carrindanga Km 7, 8000, Bahía Blanca, Argentina

    Claudio E. Pandolfo, Alejandro Presotto, Soledad Ureta & Mónica Poverene

  3. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Hilario Ascasubi, Ruta 3 Km 794, 8142, Hilario Ascasubi, Villarino, Argentina

    Miguel Cantamutto

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  1. Claudio E. Pandolfo
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  2. Alejandro Presotto
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  3. Francisco Torres Carbonell
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Correspondence to Claudio E. Pandolfo.

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Pandolfo, C.E., Presotto, A., Carbonell, F.T. et al. Transgene escape and persistence in an agroecosystem: the case of glyphosate-resistant Brassica rapa L. in central Argentina. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 6251–6264 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0726-3

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