Would non-GM crops such as Grains, Fruits, & Vegitables retain their non-GM make up if they were to be re-planted in soils that have been made entirely of composted GM plants and GM plant matter? Or would the GM plant matter still retain those properties enough mutate the transplanted or planted crop?
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The process of genetically modifying crops is performed in a lab. Genes would not leak into planted organic crops from compost any more than they would move from decomposing soil nematodes, earthworms, or manure. So no, organic plants would not be genetically modified. However, the labeling of a crop as "organic" is not always standardized, so it could be a cause of concern for some people who do not understand the process.
Karl Kjer
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This is called horizontal gene transfer. In general, it's quite difficult to get a plant or animal to pick up foreign DNA and integrate it into its own genome, requiring special reagents and laboratory conditions. That's why we didn't have GMO fifty years ago. Note that you will spend your entire life consuming plants and animals for food, but you won't integrate cow, apple, or potato DNA into your own genome.
However, some viruses and bacteria can and do swap DNA with each other, and with their host organisms. In particular viruses can carry DNA into eukaryotic cells, and can even integrate the DNA into the host genome. Specially engineered bacteria and viruses are typically used as the vectors to create GMO in the first place. There has been concern about horizontal gene transfer from GMO organisms, but it's widely thought that it would be rare enough to not be a significant hazard. As far as I know there in nothing about GMO that would make them more susceptible to horizontal gene transfer in your compost pile than non-GMO.
Charles E. Grant
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It has been brought to my attention through further research on this subject matter that it is possible to obtain " DNA into your own genome" http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.503.7552&rep=rep1&type=pdf. As specified from minute 23:00 to 23:38 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjNtyFtJdho " the aleuts are so dependant & so integrated with the marine ecosystem that in fact their tissues the same carbon 14 molecule reservoir as the sea lion." – Jeffrey Boettger Dec 05 '17 at 19:45
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Neither of those references say anything about integrating non-human DNA from food into human DNA. The thesis by Rubicz is just tracing the influences of surrounding human populations on Aleut genetics, that is, determining to what degree they are intermarrying with Russian and other neighboring native populations. The YouTube video doesn't say anything about integrating DNA either. Integrating carbon molecules from your food into your body tissue is very different from integrating their DNA into your genome. Carbon in itself doesn't carry any genetic information. – Charles E. Grant Dec 05 '17 at 20:17
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Should I remove comment and question all together? And ask the question of “How do carbon molecules enter human body tissue from a food source.” – Jeffrey Boettger Dec 05 '17 at 20:33
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That's up to you. That's certainly a very different question from the one you originally asked here. – Charles E. Grant Dec 05 '17 at 21:47
Or would composted GM plant and non organic plant matters still retain those properties enough mutate the transplanted or planted crop?. It is unclear to me – Remi.b Dec 03 '17 at 17:05[eartheasy.com guide to compost][1] [wisegeeks.org definition of flash freezing][2] [wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_fortification][3] – Jeffrey Boettger Dec 03 '17 at 18:08
Can plants absorb DNA from the soil and integrate it into their genome?. If you think it is not a goo reformulation, can you explain why? – Remi.b Dec 03 '17 at 19:54