A non-technical condensate of the scientific article Summary A hypothesis has been proposed that DNA from genetically engineered plants might cause changes or disturbances in soil microorganisms such that the very complex interplay between them might become disrupted. Soil fertility is greatly dependent on this interplay. It this hypothesis is right, damage to soil fertility might occur, in the worst case irreversibly and to an important extent.
Some reports indicate that genes can be transferred from the roots of plants to soil microorganisms.
Another source is plant debris. An interdisciplinary group of scientific experts has advanced the hypothesis that these vectors from GE crops might promote transfer of DNA between unrelated soil microorganism species. Thereby changes and disturbances could occur that even might result in new species. But also minor changes in the genetic setup might make a microorganism unable to function normally. This might affect its ability to contribute adequately to the microecological interplay in the soil.