Mutant Grass taking over Portland

Ok, so maybe it's not quite that dire, yet. Environmental activists have been preaching the dangers of genetically engineered crops for years, with little effect on the giant money making agribusiness corporations. Perhaps today's news of a herbicide resistant grass growing in the wild in Portland will lend credence to the cause.

Grass that was genetically engineered for golf courses is growing in the wild, posing one of the first threats of agricultural biotechnology escaping from the farm in the United States, a new study says.

Creeping bentgrass was engineered to resist the popular herbicide Roundup to allow more efficient weed control on golf courses. But the modified grass could spread that resistance to the wild, becoming a nuisance itself, scientists say.

...Such resistance could force land managers and government agencies like the U.S. Forest Service, which relies heavily on Roundup, to switch to "nastier" herbicides to control grasses and weeds, Ellstrand said.

Although, the Mission Tortilla mishap (when genetically modified corn, not fit for human consumption, was used to make tortillas sold all over Texas) did little to dent the pervasive growth of agribusiness. African Killer Bees are also a bi-product of genetically engineered crops, but the public seems to be woefully unaware or unconcerned with the threat agribusiness can pose.

posted by Sarai @ 2:25 PM 0 comments