Contamination of oilseed rape varieties by pollen and seeds

Summary

Oilseed rape (Brassica napus) is a common crop in Denmark and mainly cultivated for its content of oil used for food and feed. The species is often genetically modified (GM), e.g. to herbicide tolerance or insect resistance. Spread of the inserted genes is likely to occur not only to the species itself, but also to its close relatives. The study showed a significant difference between phenotypes in the certified seeds and phenotypes in plants and in seeds in the field. The reason for this might be the presence of OSR volunteers from a previous crop surviving in the soil seed bank. This type of contamination is affected by e.g., harvest and post-harvest handling procedures (Fargue et al., 2003) and can consequently be reduced.
More studies on homogeneity (i.e., genetic variation) between field crop plants and certified seeds may contribute to the detection of adventitious presence of GMO in organic crops and the routes of contamination.