its a GMO world afterall....

September 21, 2004

Genetically modified plants spreading hither and thither

Genes from genetically modified grass can spread much farther than

previously believed, according to a new study in the journal

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study focused

on a new strain of creeping bentgrass -- commonly used on golf

courses for its resilience -- developed by two companies, Monsanto

and Scotts, to be resistant to the common herbicide Roundup.

Critics, including enviro groups, the U.S. Forest Service, and the

Bureau of Land Management, have worried that the pollen from

bentgrass, which is extremely light, will spread where it's not

wanted and possibly create herbicide-resistant " superweeds. " In the

study, scientists at the U.S. EPA found that the GM bentgrass

pollinated plants as far away as they measured, up to 13 miles

downwind. The new results could set back plans by biotech companies

to develop GM grasses for residential use. In other creepy news,

Chinese scientists have complained that the millions of GM trees

planted to combat desertification are essentially untracked and are

so widely planted that, in the words of one scientist, " pollen and

seed dispersal cannot be prevented. " It's a GM world now, folks!

straight to the source: The New York Times, Andrew Pollack, 21 Sep 2004

straight to the source: New Scientist, Fred Pearce, 20 Sep 2004

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