Hybridization Between GM and Non-GM Plants Inevitable,

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Hybridization Between GM and Non-GM Plants Inevitable, Study Finds

 

Confirming the fears of opponents of genetic modification, cross

pollination between modified and wild plants cannot be prevented and

could lead to the creation of hybrid "superweeds," according to

Britain's first national study of how genes pass from crops to weeds.

The findings differ from earlier research on gene flow, which found

minimal danger of hybridization. By contrast, the current study,

which analyzed satellite images of the British countryside and

patrolled 180 miles of river banks, found that hybridization is

widespread, frequent, and not well contained by physical barriers

such as buffer zones. If hybridization involved a genetically

modified gene that was advantageous to weeds, the hybrid could

quickly spread and pose a major agriculture threat, they found.

 

straight to the source: London Independent, Steve Conner, 10 Oct 2003

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