Here Comes the "Superweed"

The manufacturers said it couldn't happen, but apparently it has. Genes from oilseed rape plants (from which canola oil is derived) that had been genetically modified to resist certain herbicides, have transferred into wild charlock plants in England, creating what scientists fear could become a "superweed." According to this report in the Guardian, when scientists sprayed the new hybrids with "lethal herbicides," they showed no ill effect. The newspaper further reports that, "Since charlock seeds can remain in the soil for 20 to 30 years before they germinate, once GM plants have produced seeds it would be almost impossible to eliminate them." A government geneticist explained the significance of the finding, saying: "You only need one event in several million. As soon as it has taken place the new plant has a huge selective advantage. That plant will multiply rapidly." It remains to be seen whether the new hybrid is in fact fertile. Spreading of so-called "superweeds" would mean that farmers would have to resort to stronger herbicides to control the resistant strains. As yet, no GM crops are grown commercially in the UK, but in the US, Canada and Argentina, extensive GM plantings, especially of soya, are common.