Physicochemical, Enzymatic, and Microbial Responses to Phosphofructokinase Overexpressing Transgenic Potato Cultivation: A Pot Experiment

Abstract

The risk associated with genetically modified (GM) plants has sparked considerable debate. This study assesses the influence of transgenic phosphofructokinase overexpressing potatoes (pfkB-potato) on the soils of three major potato-growing Pakistani districts, by studying effects on the soil properties, enzymatic activities, and microbial abundance. There were no significant differences in soil properties or major/minor nutrients between GM and wild potatoes. The nitrogen content of transgenic potato plants in Sahiwal soil increased by 5.7% at all stages. At the flowering stage, 6–7% more available phosphorus in wild-type potato was noted in Mansehra and Sahiwal soils. Dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, and urease activities peaked at flowering, while were lowest at harvest stage. Actinobacteria (86.06%), Proteobacteria (10.37%), and Firmicutes (3.57%) were the most abundant phyla. Potato cultivation, regardless of wild-type or transgenic, increased the Firmicutes bacteria abundance, compared to non-vegetative soil. In conclusion, cultivating pfkB-potato can only slightly alter soil enzymes/properties, albeit not significantly.