Assessing response of soil microorganisms to GM plants

Abstract

Risk assessment concerns and recent advances in microbial ecology have spurred a wave of research on the impact of genetically modified (GM) crops on soil-borne microbial community structure and function. Effects have often been observed, but these usually pale in comparison with `normal' sources of variation. In spite of our incomplete knowledge of the microbial communities and processes in plant–soil systems, recent technological and conceptual improvements do offer a way forward. We propose a case-by-case approach within a framework that targets both potentially vulnerable indicators as well as general community parameters for assessing the impact of GM plants on soil microorganisms