ring competitor, further reducing plant diversity and replacing the natural species with transgenic organisms. Another major ecological risk comes from the release of transgenic crops into the wild. Gene-altered crops may transfer their cross genes to other plants, creating new weed species in the wild (Levin & Strauss 1991). Altieri (1998) refers to these new species as “super weeds.” The main concern of “super weed” growth is the hybridization between distinct plant species, which cannot be controlled in the wild. Many crops are grown near plants with some degree of cross compatibility, such as Raphanus raphanistrum and Sativus, a cross of wild radishes with genetically engineered radishes (Wright 1996). If release of transgenic crops continues, “super weeds” will eventually control the main population of wild and domestic plants, reducing biodiversity. Disease-resistant crops could also impact the ecological system. New pathogens might occur by the recombination between RNA virus and a viral RNA inside the transgenic crop, leading to even more severe disease problems (Rissler & Mellon 1996). Researchers such as Geweke et al. (1999) have shown that under specific conditions of recombination, new viral strains with altered host range have occurred in transgenic plants. This possibility that virus-resistant plants may widen the host range of some viruses or produce new virus strains in transgenic plants requires thorough experimental investigation under strict regulatory control (Paoletti & Pimentel 1996). The main focus of many scientists concerned with insect-resistant plants is the Bt toxin. Bt genes replace the synthetic insecticides so that fewer chemicals are used in controlling insect pests. Bt toxin mainly targets Lepidoptera species, the family classification for butterflies and moths in all metamorphic stages. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in New Zea...
