Traits from GMO Grass Found Miles Away

Environmental Protection Agency researchers reported that traits from a genetically modified grass could be spread to plants miles away via wind-blown pollen. The GMO grass, developed by Scotts for use on golf courses, is resistant to Monsanto Roundup. The herbicide resistance was found in seedlings from plants as far as thirteen miles from the experimental plot.

The new grass will be kept off the market for at least a year while the EPA conducts an environmental impact statement investigation. This is the first genetically engineered perennial brought to the agency for approval. The plant in question, creeping bentgrass, Agrostis stolonifera, grows naturally in many areas and has other potential uses. Researchers are concerned by the possible spread of the engineered trait to wild populations of bentgrass and other grass species.

Link: Gene-Modified Grass Spreads Far, U.S. Study Finds from Planet Ark

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:15 PM on November 22, 2004