http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/environment/story.jsp?story=453163

The Independent

14 October 2003 01:54

GM crops unlikely to remain contained, study shows

By Danielle Demetriou
14 October 2003

Genetically modified crops may not remain self-contained, according to a 
Government study published yesterday which revealed bees are able to carry 
pollen up to 16 miles away, .

Stringent regulations are likely to be enforced on future GM crop trials, 
after the study discovered that pollen could travel eight times further than 
previously thought.

A second report found that after GM oilseed rape was grown, it would take 16 
years before conventional crops could be grown without fear of breaching the 
maximum 1 per cent contamination threshold.

The findings, published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural 
Affairs, coincided with protests from about 1,000 anti-GM campaigners who 
marched through central London.

The first study, conducted by the Scottish Crops Research Institute, raises 
question about previous research in Canada and the UK which claimed the 
pollen of GM crops could travel only 2.5 miles.

Using "bait plants", it found that contamination could take place as far 
afield as 16 miles from the original site. While long distance transfer was 
described as rare, and resulted in a dilution gene flow, the study revealed 
that bees were the key culprits. They carried the pollen back to the hive 
then swapping it with other pollen, resulting in the fertilisation of plants.

The second study revealed that unless weeds from GM crops were stringently 
controlled, there was a risk of contaminating conventional crops for up to 16 
years. To ensure crops were not contaminated, weedkiller would have to be 
sprayed regularly.