For whatever it's worth.....
Have there been any other studies that have shown similar or different
results?
Study finds little cross-pollination
from altered crops
Jan. 21, 2000
ORONO, Maine (AP) -- Researchers hope a study
showing very little
cross-pollination between genetically engineered and
natural corn plants
will ease fears that altered crops could taint
conventionally grown
crops.
A study done at the University of Maine's Cooperative
Extension farm
showed a small amount of cross-pollination with
nearby conventional
plants and no cross-pollination with conventional
plants that are farther
away from the altered ones, said James Jemison, an
agronomist.
``This will give farmers information they can
definitely use,'' Jemison
said.
The study was launched after a group calling itself
``Seeds of
Resistance'' destroyed about 1,000 stalks of
genetically engineered corn
being used for a herbicide study last August.
Genetically engineered crops are a source of
controversy because many
individuals, organizations and countries question the
long-term
environmental and health effects.
``Those who oppose growing GE crops made it look like
there was going
to be a cloud of genetically engineered pollen flying
all over the state,''
Jemison said.
Seeds from conventional corn grown near the altered
corn were grown
in a greenhouse to determine if any cross-pollination
occurred before
harvest, Jemison said.
``The conventional corn was grown only 100 feet away
from the GE
corn, plus it was downwind,'' he said. ``We figured
this was a perfect
example of the worst-case scenario.''
Jemison said most corn breeders use a set distance of
about 1,000 feet
from other corn plants to ensure genetic integrity.
``Organic farmers are concerned about having their
product not meet
organic standards and potentially losing their
organic certification if
pollen from GE corn cross-pollinates their non-GE
corn,'' he said.
The study showed there was a cross-pollination rate
of about 1 percent
in the first six rows when hybrid corn was grown
about 100 feet
downwind from genetically engineered corn, Jemison
said. In the middle
six rows, the rate of cross-pollination dropped to
0.1 percent. It
dropped to 0.03 percent in the last six rows. No
cross-pollination was
found in corn planted 1,000 feet away, Jemison said.
-- Steve Groff"Enhancing the Environment" http://www.cedarmeadowfarm.com/ Cedar Meadow Farm 679 Hilldale Road Holtwood, PA 17532 USA
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