ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESSMENT OF COMMON BEAN (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) GENETICALLY MODIFIED WITH THE Arabidopsis thaliana DEFENSIN GENE (pdf1.2) FOR RESISTANCE TO FUNGAL PATHOGENS I

The Genetically Modified Organisms Biosafety Law in Mexico indicates the requirement of an Environmental Risk Evaluation (ERE) as part of the requisites that should be in an application for the environmental release of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in Experimental Stage. The biotechnology model of genetically modified common bean with the defensin gene (pdf1.2) of Arabidopsis thaliana has wide-spectrum tolerance against phytopathogenic fungi, therefore the ERE focused on the possible risks this characteristic could pose to their environmental release. The ERE was carried out in two parts, and this first document focused on the definition of the problem or identifying the hazard based on the characteristics of the common bean-pdf1.2, as well as its receiving environment. The identification of the hazards was framed in the political protection goals for Mexico, established as protection of the environment, of the biological diversity, and plant, animal and aquaculture health; and from these, the operative protection goals derived, related to protecting the non-target organisms, avoiding competitive capacity or as weed-behaviors of the common bean-pdf1.2 plant, limiting the development of the resistance of pathogenic microorganisms and avoiding the gene flow to wild relatives and conventional crops in the experimental agroecosystem. The final evaluation points, defined as the quantitative variables susceptible to some adverse effect were identified as the effect on the diversity of non-target microorganisms, the competitive capacity of the crop, and the development of resistance of target organisms. Finally, risk hypotheses were set forth to identify the risks that the release of the common bean-pdf1.2 could cause in the final evaluation points. These risk hypotheses will be analyzed in terms of characterization and its estimation, as well as ERE biosecurity measures in a second document.