A method for detecting transgenic rapeseed using pollen collected by Apis mellifera L.

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Environmental Monitoring
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Genetically modified (GM) crop cultivation is expanding globally.
• Efficient monitoring systems are crucial for managing GM crop planting areas.
• Detecting GM crop presence requires reliable and scalable methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a large-scale monitoring method for genetically modified rapeseed.
• To assess the feasibility of using bee-collected pollen for GM detection.
• To establish an early warning system for GM crop spread.

Main Methods:

• Deployment of beehives around genetically modified rapeseed fields.
• Utilizing the TaqMan quantitative PCR (qPCR) method for genetic analysis.
• Analyzing genetically modified components in bee-collected rapeseed pollen.

Main Results:

• Successful detection of specific GM genes (CaMV35S promoter, Bar, NPTII, HPT) in pollen.
• Lower average Ct values (indicating higher GM presence) were observed closer to fields (100-200m).
• Significant differences in gene detection levels were found between pollen collected at different distances.

Conclusions:

• Bee-collected pollen is a viable tool for large-scale genetically modified rapeseed detection.
• A bee-pollination-based early warning model provides an efficient and practical GM crop monitoring solution.
• This approach supports effective management and oversight of GM agricultural practices.