杏吧原创

A freak event in south-west England has transformed a lowly weed into a 鈥渟uperweed鈥� capable of fending off herbicide attacks. Or has it?

杏吧原创s at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) in Dorset, UK, tested the herbicide glufosinate ammonium on weeds growing in fields of oilseed rape modified to carry a herbicide resistance gene. A single charlock plant carried on growing, triggering concerns that the resistance gene had jumped from the GM crop.

But this is not proof that gene transfer has taken place, says Les Firbank, head of land use systems at CEH. 鈥淎nd even if it did occur, it鈥檚 not a superweed, because there鈥檚 no sign it can produce viable seeds.鈥�

Lab tests show that gene transfer is possible between GM oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and closely related field mustard (B. rapa). But there is no proof that it has happened between oilseed rape and the more distantly related charlock, Sinapis arvensis. Charlock may instead have evolved its own resistance.

鈥淐ontrary to some media reports, the so-called hybrid has not been confirmed by researchers as a cross between oilseed rape and charlock,鈥� says UK environment minister Elliot Morley, 鈥渂ut it is a finding we cannot ignore.鈥�

In the wake of the media attention the German biotech company Bayer has withdrawn its application to grow GM oilseed rape in the EU. It was the only company to have applied for permission to grow GM rape commercially in Europe.