Workshop: Ecological consequences of gene flow from crops to wild relatives

Two examples from the composite family (Asteraceae), lettuce and chicory.

Place: Montpellier, France.

The EU project “ANGEL� (Quality of Life Programme’s theme “The Cell Factory�, QLK-CT-2001-01657) addresses key issues in testing the consequences of introgression of crop specific enomic segments into wild relative species after hybridisation in the context of the environmental biosafety of transgenic crops. Two crops species from the Asteraceae family are used as model systems: lettuce (Lactuca sativa; wild relative L. serriola) and chicory (Cichorium intybus; wild relative Cichorium intybus).

The overall aim of this dissemination workshop is to come to a higher level of generalization and predictability of the consequences of crop-wild relatives hybridization effects by using new approaches. We make the important step from establishment of the occurrence of gene flow, as has been proven in many cases, to predicting its long-term ecological effects.

There will be presentations on the following key issues:

1. Historical patterns: The recent invasiveness of the lettuce wild relative (L. serriola): historical patterns, recent geographical distribution and increased niche breath. Here we link these observations to potential past crop-wild relative introgression events.

2. Consequences: The ecological consequences of hybridisation events on (i) plant population- fitness and (ii) genetic composition. Here we discuss the results of experimental and descriptive field studies on several hybrid-generations (lettuce & chicory) and a naturally occurring hybrid swarm (chicory).

3. New molecular tools: The potential of various new high resolution molecular marker systems in identifying both present and past introgression from crops into wild relatives;

4. Predictive modelling tool: introduction of predictive modelling approaches based on plant population demography, predicting future population development and spread of introgressants within populations of wild relatives.

This last applied theme is highlighted by including in this workshop various modelling approaches at different ecological and spatial scales.

The here announced workshop is held in order to disseminate the results to a broad audience (both scientists and other stakeholders, incl. authorities involved in the GMO regulatory process, and NGOs).

The workshop is open (no registration fees) and immediately precedes the second Conference on Coexistence of GM and non-GM crops GMCC-05 (November 14th and 15th) and is held at the same location.

For information and registration: René Smulders: rene.smulders@wur.nl or www.plantevents.nl

Provisional programme

Welcome and introduction Project-leader: Clemens van de Wiel

1. Expansion of Lactuca serriola in Europe

<kbd>François Felber, University of Neuchâtel
</kbd>

2. Gene flow in wild populations of Lactuca serriola and Cichorium intybus

<kbd>Massimo Vischi, University of Udine
</kbd>

3. Novel retrotransposon based molecular markers for gene flow studies in lettuce and chicory

<kbd>Andrew Flavell, Scottish Crop Research, UK
</kbd>

4. Genetic variation and introgression in wild and cultivated chicory

<kbd>Rikke B. Jorgensen, Risø, Denmark
</kbd>

5. Selection on crop-specific genome segments in hybrids between lettuce and its wild relative in the field

<kbd>Keygene NV, Plant Research International & University of Amsterdam (speaker to be announced)
</kbd>

6. Hybridisation and fitness of several generations of hybrids between cultivated and wild chicory in the field

<kbd>Thure Hauser, Risø, Denmark
</kbd>

7. Population modelling in Brassica crop-wild relative interactions

<kbd>James Bullock or co-worker, Centre Ecology Hydrology, UK.
</kbd>

8. The consequences of crop-wild relative hybridisation in Lactuca: four generations of hybrid

<kbd>performance & a new approach in predictive modelling
</kbd>

<kbd>Danny Hooftman, University of Amsterdam, NL
</kbd>

9. Crosspoll: modelling outcrossed seed set

<kbd>Groningen University, The Netherlands (speaker to be announced)
</kbd>

10. Genesys: a modelling framework for gene flow at landscape scale

<kbd>Nathalie Colbach, INRA, France
</kbd>

Summary: ANGEL’s achievements

<kbd>Clemens van de Wiel, Plant Research International
</kbd>

General discussion

(Chair: to be announced)