3. Does the gene for resistance confer a specific type of resistance or a greatly enhanced degree of resistance that is not found in feral populations or sexually compatible wild relatives in the United States? ⁸

   1. Yes or More data needed—go to 4.

   2. No—exempt from weedy-relative considerations.

4. Is it reasonable to expect that this trait could have a substantial impact on the population dynamics of feral plants or wild relatives and will lead to increased abundance?⁹

   1. Yes or More data needed—subject to weedy-relative considerations.

   2. No—Exempt from weedy-relative considerations.

In addition to the recommendations in section 3.1.4, the committee recommends that

USDA should research, publicize, and periodically revise lists of plant species with feral populations or wild relatives in the United States in order to evaluate the impacts of outcrossing.

The committee realizes that there remain some uncertainties regarding the use of pest-protected plants, including transgenic pest-protected plants. These uncertainties can lead to ambiguities in regulation and often force agencies to base their decisions on minimal data sets. Additional research should continue to refine and improve the risk assessment methods and procedures and continue to develop additional data on both conventional and transgenic pest-protected plant products. Research along the following lines should be given priority to aid in decisionmaking. These categories have been chosen on the basis of the discussions in chapter 2 and this chapter. Many of these research needs are also highlighted in the executive summary (section ES.5).