Genetically Modified Plant Goes Wild

What many of us have feared has finally happened - a genetically modified plant crossed with a wild plant (charlock) to create a "superweed" resistant to herbicides. Paul Brown's 7/25/05 article in the Guardian - GM crops created superweed, say scientists - reports the findings of scientists from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology tested genetically modified oil seed rape crossing with a weed, and found that even lethal herbicide application would not kill the hybrid.

Brown reports that the findings were posted on the Centre's website. Interestingly, that report has been removed.

This test was done in a laboratory, but there is no reason that natural cross-pollination could not (or has not) occurred, and "superweeds" created. Of larger concern to me than the creation of superweeds is that the other primary change in most GM plants might be passed - the terminator gene.

The terminator gene is (purportedly) placed into GM plants so that they can only grow one time, and that seeds from the plant are infertile (without application of a special chemical in many). The purpose of the "terminator" gene, or infertility without chemical application, was to limit the spread of GM in the natural environment. The "other" impact of this is to make farmers dependent upon agro-chemical companies. Farmers can no longer retain seed from one harvest to plant the next year - essentially killing subsistence farming which makes up most of global farming. The effect of the terminator feature in the wild environment would be the depopulation of the plant kingdom. Any wild or cultivated plant so contaminated would have infertile seeds, or not pollinate the next season. Essentially, this would mean the death of the planet. A risk that GM companies and their supporters >b>definitely do not want to talk about.

Cross-pollination of GM plants with others is nothing new. Organic farmers in North America have been fighting a losing battle with GM cross-pollination. The cross-pollination of a GM plant with another plant species is new, and raises frightening prospects of both superweeds, and of the passing on of the terminator gene.

The findings of the report point to this possibility:

"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"."

GM crops are touted as ultimately feeding an over-populated planet, and of reducing the amount of pesticide with which crops are treated. The are the "selling points" for GM crops. Another is the ability to use crops to inoculate against disease or to provide missing dietary nutrients to prevent disease. The risks however are very high, and the current report only accentuates what the costs may be.