2004 March Report of the Auditor General of Canada

"potential of the PNT to become a weed of agriculture or be invasive of natural habitats"

Weeds are usually defined as plants growing where they are not wanted.

Weediness may be increased by changing the "fitness" characteristics of a plant. These characteristics could help the plant outcompete other plants. Some examples include

• the ability of the plant to resist diseases or pests,
• the ability of the plant to resist cold or survive the winter, and
• the amount of seed a plant produces, or its ability to produce seed earlier than other plants.

"potential for gene-flow to wild relatives whose hybrid offspring may become more weedy or more invasive"

Plants spread their genes by pollen and seed dispersal. The extent of gene flow depends on the plant's biology, whether there are related plants growing in Canada, and the way the plant is managed when cultivated as a crop.

"potential for the PNT to become a plant pest"

Plants can act as hosts for diseases that can spread to other plants. For example, could genetic recombination in a novel virus-tolerant plant result in a plant virus with an enhanced ability to infect plants?

"potential impact of the PNT or its gene products on non-target species, including humans"

Plants that are grown in the environment will come into contact with a wide range of organisms, from soil microbes to humans. PNTs could have unintended, negative effects on some organisms.

"potential impact on biodiversity"

Biodiversity can be defined as the number and variety of organisms (species) within a geographic region. Organisms are linked in an ecosystem in complex ways, for example, through food chains. Therefore, changes in biodiversity could affect many other organisms.