Doesn't matter. If a kernel is fertilized by a pollen grain containing
a transgene, the new kernel will be transgenic, and will be detected as
transgenic in tests. The kernel is either transgenic or not. Details
about kernel structure and double fertilization are beside the point.
Those 5 transgenic plants may fertilize as many as 100 or more of
the individual cobs on plants in their immediate vicinity or for
that mater a higher number. This spread of transgenes is independent
of selection and effects the corn crop in the generation of the
planting.
I think you are making this more complicated than it really is. Every
pollen grain in the field is independent, and every silk is
independent. The frequency of contamination depends on the gene
frequency. It is all a numbers game.
Suppose you have 0.5% transgenic seed. These are almost always
heterozygous for the transgene, so the gene frequency is 0.25% The
frequency of transgenic pollen grains is about 0.25%. The frequency of
transgenic ovules is about 0.25%. Roughly 0.5% (.25+.25) of the
kernels borne on these plants are going to be transgenic. Almost all
will be heterozygous.
The five transgenic corn plants in a thousand can and probably does
cause an unacceptable pollution of the harvested crop.
As I have shown above, 0.5% contaminated seed is going to produce about
0.5% contaminated progeny. If there is some yield drag, it will be a
little less, if there is some natural selection FOR the transgene, it
will be a little more.
However, the bureaucrats can fall back on the "official" notion
that regulations of their making cannot allow endosperm to be
polluted by transgenes from
pollen. The bureaucrats and Dale never seem to worry about such
things as double fertilization and nature..
Joe, rather than go into political attack mode, simply explain how you
think the gene frequency is going to increase in the absence of
selection?
Dale
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