Modified genes from crops in a GM crop trial have transferred

[aquitaine]

Something I recently discovered

*

Modified genes from crops in a GM crop trial have transferred into local wild plants, creating a form of herbicide-resistant "superweed", the Guardian can reveal.

The cross-fertilisation between GM oilseed rape, a brassica, and a distantly related plant, charlock, had been discounted as virtually impossible by scientists with the environment department. It was found during a follow up to the government's three-year trials of GM crops which ended two years ago.

The new form of charlock was growing among many others in a field which had been used to grow GM rape. When scientists treated it with lethal herbicide it showed no ill-effects.

Unlike the results of the original trials, which were the subject of large-scale press briefings from scientists, the discovery of hybrid plants that could cause a serious problem to farmers has not been announced.

So in some cases it appears that crosspollination between roundup ready gmo crops and some types of weeds has been happening. So other than sending out hordes of illegal immigrants with hoes to dug them all out, what possible solutions are there for this problem?

 

[Ygggdrasil]

From the article:

he frequency of such an event [the cross-fertilisation of charlock] in the field is likely to be very low, as highlighted by the fact it has never been detected in numerous previous assessments.

What is not clear in the English case is whether the charlock was fertile. Scientists collected eight seeds from the plant but they failed to germinate them and concluded the plant was "not viable".

Horizontal gene transfer between species is a rare event. Hybrid between different species are generally sterile and cannot breed, as seems to be the case here. However, when widely used, the probability of rare events such as these increase and it becomes more likely that a fertile hybrid will emerge and produce a resistant strain of weed. This is a serious concern that should be monitored and studied further, so that these resistant weeds do not eliminate many of the economic and environmental benefits of using herbicide-resistant crops.

Resistance, however, is also an issue whenever herbicides and pesticides are used, whether on GM or conventional crops. For example, in the US the prevalent use of glyphosate herbicides has led to the evolution of resistant weed strains thorough natural selection (see http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/business/energy-environment/04weed.htm ), just as drug-resistant forms of bacteria and viruses emerge when we use drugs to combat them. So, one issue that needs to be studied is whether horizontal gene transfer will be expected to accelerate the emergence of herbicide resistant weeds. If natural selection leads to the development of resistant weeds just as fast or faster than rare crossbreeding between the crops and weeds, then it is not as big of a concern.

 

[aquitaine]

Ok, so if a viable hybrid weed strain does somehow appear, how can we exterminate them?

 

[Ygggdrasil]

You'd have to use a different type of herbicide.

 

[Andy Resnick]

Maybe this is OT, but Kudzu is/was considered a superweed a few years ago- there were a few proposed ideas to deal with it. Does anyone know any recent work?

 

[Quantum-lept]

""-So other than sending out hordes of illegal immigrants with hoes to dug them all out, what possible solutions are there for this problem?-""

""Ok, so if a viable hybrid weed strain does somehow appear, how can we exterminate them?"""

Send in the ho's!..;)

 

[Quantum-lept]

""-So other than sending out hordes of illegal immigrants with hoes to dug them all out, what possible solutions are there for this problem?-""

""Ok, so if a viable hybrid weed strain does somehow appear, how can we exterminate them?"""

Send in the ho's!..;)