~ US research on the escape of GM crops into the countryside. ~

[Hattie the Hen]

Careless handling of seeds may be the reason for unintended spread of genetically modified crops. I was reading this article from one of our UK newspapers, about some research done in the US. I thought that you might be interested.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/dec/21/seed-sorting-gm-crop-escapes

We are lucky over here as very few GM seeds are allowed to be grown, even under the strictest security. There is a big movement though to get this situation changed. With our new government I am very afraid this situation will be reversed.

Hattie

 

[seedcorn]

Interesting human errors causing problem and not cross pollination. It opens up a lot of other questions that certain groups aren't going to like the answers to.

Depends on the type of crop we are talking about as to ways the GMO's are transferred.

 

[lesa]

Gmo's are just accidents waiting to happen. Nature has given us so much, I just can't understand messing with it, like this...

 

[PotterWatch]

Gmo's are just accidents waiting to happen. Nature has given us so much, I just can't understand messing with it, like this...

I need a "like" button!

 

[hoodat]

I suspect copping to careless scattering of seed is a cover up for transmision of GMO genes through cross pollination which could be a much bigger problem. It could end up infecting most of the wild plants on the earth.

 

[wifezilla]

Here ya go Potter...

 

[Ladyhawke1]

Interesting human errors causing problem and not cross pollination. It opens up a lot of other questions that certain groups aren't going to like the answers to.

Depends on the type of crop we are talking about as to ways the GMO's are transferred.

You have got to be kidding! :/

 

[wifezilla]

From the actual paper...

"Relatively little gene flow research focuses on cotton, although it is the third most abundant genetically engineered crop [6]. This is likely because it is a self-pollinating crop with low outcrossing rates. While the ability of transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cultivars of G. hirsutum to cross-pollinate non-Bt G. hirsutum is well-documented [15], [20][22], pollen-mediated transgene flow rates in cotton rarely exceed 1% of seeds at a distance of 10 meters into a field"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2994710/