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 Does this come as a suprise to anyone?
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filthy
SFN Die Hard

USA
14408 Posts

Posted - 07/26/2005 :  06:21:36  Show Profile Send filthy a Private Message
If it does, then you haven't been paying attention.
quote:
GM crops created superweed, say scientists

Modified rape crosses with wild plant to create tough pesticide-resistant strain

Paul Brown, environment correspondent
Monday July 25, 2005
The Guardian

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.

The Theory of Evolution couldn't have predicted this any plainer with a TV infomercial -- it was right there for all to see.

So, in the short term, which is about as far as these profit-motivated morons can see, we get more and bigger yields; but in the long term, they may and probably will become more expensive to grow due to weed proliferation. And of course, this will also affect ordinary crops.

And the sterility argument won't float, either. I must remind that there have been viable mules -- not many, but a few none the less. And how many viable individuals might it take for an aggressive, fast-growing plant to become a species of it's own?


"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)

"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres


"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude

Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,

and Crypto-Communist!

Plyss
Skeptic Friend

Netherlands
231 Posts

Posted - 07/26/2005 :  06:50:12   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Plyss a Private Message
quote:
Originally posted by filthy

If it does, then you haven't been paying attention.




Actuallly this does surprise me. I'd have dared to bet against it for a lot of money.
Lateral gene-transfer (if that is the mechanism involved) in higher eukaryotes is, after all, probably a very rare event.

My guess would have been that this couldn't happen in any realistic scenario. Guess i stand corrected
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BigPapaSmurf
SFN Die Hard

3192 Posts

Posted - 07/26/2005 :  07:00:53   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send BigPapaSmurf a Private Message
Actually they were expecting this, its just some group in an uproar. The whole point of the study was to see about the resistant mutation potential.

Im not saying this might not bite them in the ass.

"...things I have neither seen nor experienced nor heard tell of from anybody else; things, what is more, that do not in fact exist and could not ever exist at all. So my readers must not believe a word I say." -Lucian on his book True History

"...They accept such things on faith alone, without any evidence. So if a fraudulent and cunning person who knows how to take advantage of a situation comes among them, he can make himself rich in a short time." -Lucian critical of early Christians c.166 AD From his book, De Morte Peregrini
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Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie

USA
4826 Posts

Posted - 07/26/2005 :  09:13:03   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Valiant Dancer's Homepage Send Valiant Dancer a Private Message
quote:
Originally posted by filthy

If it does, then you haven't been paying attention.
quote:
GM crops created superweed, say scientists

Modified rape crosses with wild plant to create tough pesticide-resistant strain

Paul Brown, environment correspondent
Monday July 25, 2005
The Guardian

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.

The Theory of Evolution couldn't have predicted this any plainer with a TV infomercial -- it was right there for all to see.

So, in the short term, which is about as far as these profit-motivated morons can see, we get more and bigger yields; but in the long term, they may and probably will become more expensive to grow due to weed proliferation. And of course, this will also affect ordinary crops.

And the sterility argument won't float, either. I must remind that there have been viable mules -- not many, but a few none the less. And how many viable individuals might it take for an aggressive, fast-growing plant to become a species of it's own?





Lord and Lady help us if it gets transferred to Kudzu.

Cthulhu/Asmodeus when you're tired of voting for the lesser of two evils

Brother Cutlass of Reasoned Discussion
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BigPapaSmurf
SFN Die Hard

3192 Posts

Posted - 07/26/2005 :  09:44:39   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send BigPapaSmurf a Private Message
I know some stoners who woke up when they heard the word superweed.

"...things I have neither seen nor experienced nor heard tell of from anybody else; things, what is more, that do not in fact exist and could not ever exist at all. So my readers must not believe a word I say." -Lucian on his book True History

"...They accept such things on faith alone, without any evidence. So if a fraudulent and cunning person who knows how to take advantage of a situation comes among them, he can make himself rich in a short time." -Lucian critical of early Christians c.166 AD From his book, De Morte Peregrini
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