Re: Study reveals first evidence that GM superweeds exist

[Les Schaffer <schaffer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I looked at the online table of contents for Science, but I did not
> see the reference to this article.

its in the Science Express section, not sure if its available for
non-subscribers, but here's the link:

  http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/1088200v1

Hybridization Between Brassica napus and B. rapa on a National Scale
in the United Kingdom

Mike J. Wilkinson et al.

Measures blocking hybridization would prevent or reduce biotic or
environmental change caused by gene flow from genetically modified
(GM) crops to wild relatives. The efficacy of any such measure depends
on hybrid numbers within the legislative region over the life-span of
the GM cultivar. We present a national assessment of hybridization
between rapeseed (Brassica napus) and B. rapa from a combination of
sources, including population surveys, remote sensing, pollen
dispersal profiles, herbarium data, local Floras, and other floristic
databases. Across the United Kingdom, we estimate that 32,000 hybrids
form annually in waterside B. rapa populations, whereas the less
abundant weedy populations contain 17,000 hybrids. These findings set
targets for strategies to eliminate hybridization and represent the
first step toward quantitative risk assessment on a national scale.

les schaffer



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