Agricultural scientist Peter Day knows that if he wants to plant his genetically engineered eggplant in southern New Jersey by 1992, cultivating relationships with local planning boards, homeowners associations, and farmers is as important as nurturing the seedlings in the greenhouse.
So he and his Rutgers University team of scientists at the Ag/Biotech Center in New Brunswick, N.J., have put together a committee of representatives from these community groups. The scientists keep the committee informed of their progress as they move closer to a field test. "We know that we are going to be the first group, most likely, to do field tests in New Jersey so we couldn't just spring these plants on the community," says Laura Meagher, a consultant to the center. "Those companies and universities in other states that have had success in the past with field tests made the public comfortable with what they were doing ...
