Transgenic Crops and Weeds

Genetically Modified Crops Pass Benefits to Weeds

Herbicide resistance and other genetic modifications could confer an advantage on plants in the wild

By Jane Qiu and Nature magazine

 

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Weedy rice can pick up transgenes from genetically modified crop rice through cross-pollination.Image: Flickr/John B.

A genetic-modification technique used widely to make crops herbicide resistant has been shown to confer advantages on a weedy form of rice, even in the absence of the herbicide. The finding suggests that the effects of such modification have the potential to extend beyond farms and into the wild.

Several types of crops have been genetically modified to be resistant to glyphosate, an herbicide first marketed under the trade name Roundup. This glyphosate resistance enables farmers to wipe out most weeds from the fields without damaging their crops./.../