12 
the surrounding plant culture or plant habitat. Dr. Tolin said in reviewing 
applications RAC and the Plant Working Group have questioned investigators as 
to the proximity of the testing fields to commercial production areas. In 
requests involving irodified plants, RAC has accepted fields removed frcm 
corrmercial production areas as testing plots. 
Dr. Tolin felt the working group would not be interested in evaluating the 
potential impact of plants covered by Appendix L on all surrounding plants, 
including weeds. Dr. Lacy felt in certain cases one should consider whether 
plants other than canmercial species are near to the test fields. He offered 
as an example the possible interaction of test orchards which might be located 
near forests with plants in the forests. Dr. Amtzen felt his primary concern 
would be that test fields be removed frcm areas of commercial agricultural 
production. Dr. Pirone felt the working group would not be concerned about 
the proximity of local gardens. 
Dr. Tolin asked if Dr. Alexander's comment at the February 6 RAC meeting 
concerning monitoring of soils was pertinent to Section C. Dr. Vidaver said 
in her reply to Dr. Alexander's comments she had suggested that the following 
language be added to item C-2: 
"...ecological factors that would be likely to affect the potential success, 
such as soil etc . , should be monitored . " 
Dr. Fedoroff questioned whether the working group should be concerned with the 
success or failure of the field test. Dr. Gottesman replied that if the plants 
grew well in the testing environment, one might then be concerned that they 
would survive well in other environments. Should they grew well, one would 
evaluate the potential for spread of the engineered plant into the environment. 
Dr. Gottesman asked if ecological aspects or conditions might be important in 
controlling potential environmental spread; for example, would conditions such 
as humidity favor persistence. Dr. Lacy felt the language should emphasize 
factors which might affect "containment" of the plant. 
Dr. Fedoroff said Appendix L applies to cultivated crcps dependent on humans 
for propagation. She said the most important consideration in evaluating 
experiments involving field testing of plants is hew the engineered plant 
differs frcm the non-engineered parent. She felt there would be little differ- 
ence between engineered and non-engineered crcp plants dependent upon man for 
propagation. Genetic engineering will not convert tobacco into kudzu. 
Dr. Arntzen suggested the following compromise language should be included in 
item C-2: 
"If applicable for the trait under study, ecological information on factors 
such as water , soil , etc . , should be provided . " 
[4361 
