GENETICALLY modified grass can contaminate other plants over 20 kilometres away, raising new questions about just how far modified plant genes can spread.
Few studies have investigated gene flow from crops, GM or otherwise, at distances of more than a few hundred metres. Radish and sunflower genes have been found to travel 1 kilometre, squash (or marrow) genes 1.3 kilometres, and canola (oilseed rape) genes up to 3 kilometres.
Now researchers from the US government’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have found that creeping bentgrass modified to resist herbicides such as Roundup can pollinate other grasses up to 21 kilometres away.…
