Government watchdog gives stark warning over GM weeds5 February 2002
Super weeds, resistant to a number of herbicides, are already resulting from the growing of GM crops, warns a new report from the Government's nature watchdog. The findings will increase fears about the threat posed by GM crop trials growing in the UK to neighbouring crops and the environment.
English Nature carried out research into a herbicide-tolerant oilseed rape crop in Canada. It discovered that "genes from separate GM varieties can accumulate (this is known as gene stacking) in plants that grow from seed spilled at harvest (volunteer plants)...these plants are now resistant to several widely used herbicides, with farmers regularly resorting to old herbicides to control them" . This may lead farmers "to use different, and more environmentally damaging, herbicides to control them".
English Nature is also concerned that the GM industry's planned separation distances for commercially grown GM crops in the UK are "probably inadequate to prevent gene stacking
happening in Britain".
"English Nature's vital research shows that we now face a stark choice. Either we keep the current separation distances between GM and non-GM crops, in which case contamination and gene stacking looks certain. Or we can have an effective separation distance - of at least three miles - in which case GM crops have no commercial future in the UK. There is no third way," said Friends of the Earth GM Campaigner, Adrian Bebb. "The Government must choose between continuing its support for the biotech industry or backing the British public who have clearly said they don't want GMOs.."
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