Unprecedented Escape Of Genetically-Modified Crops Contaminating Into The Wild
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Heaven soon
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Aug 11, 2010, 4:23:47 PM8/11/10
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to Heavensoon
Unprecedented
Escape Of Genetically-Modified Crops
Contaminating Into The Wild Genetically-modified
canola has been breeding undetected in the
American wilds for at least "several
generations," say scientists. The escaped
GM canola has already mutated into a
never-before-seen strain, and now it may be
modifying other plants too. Canola is a yellow
flowering plant that is used to make oil.
Researchers working in North Dakota, found
strains of transgenic canola growing wild on
roadsides far from local farms - meaning the
GM plants had spread quite far. They found two
strains of transgenic canola. According to Nature:
"The extent of the escape is
unprecedented," says Cynthia Sagers, an
ecologist at the University of Arkansas in
Fayetteville, who led the research team that
found the canola (Brassica napus, also known
as rapeseed). Sagers and her team found two
varieties of transgenic canola in the wild -
one modified to be resistant to Monsanto's
Roundup herbicide (glyphosate), and one
resistant to Bayer Crop Science's Liberty
herbicide (gluphosinate). They also found some
plants that were resistant to both herbicides,
showing that the different GM plants had bred
to produce a plant with a new trait that did
not exist anywhere else..." So why
does this matter? Because if the transgenic
canola starts swapping genetic material with
weed populations - something that is not
unlikely - it could spread herbicide
resistance to weeds. And that would leave
farmers with no way to fight plant pests - and
potentially massive crop failures as a result.