Greeny News

Recent field testing could begin in March 2012, after research by creating crops resistant gene found in the synthesis of mint

A controversial field trial of an experimental genetically engineered wheat will begin in March next year, when officials give the go-ahead for the crop planted.

One of the UK 's leading plant engineering research centers, has applied for government approval to the trial of the GM crops that are modified to begin to resist infestation by aphids. If approved, it would be only the third GM field trial is to be in the UK, the others at the John Innes Centre in Norfolk and at the University of Leeds, to test different varieties of genetically modified potato. The project is expensive 24-hour security, anti-GM protesters to destroy the crop to prevent.

No GM crops are currently grown commercially in Germany, although GM varieties are grown extensively in other parts of the world - especially the U.S., South America, China and India.

The proposed study will run from March 2012 to October 2013. Anyone can raise an objection to the proposals by 19 August this year.

Professor Maurice Moloney, director of Rothamsted Research, which conducted for the permit, said the study was applied, \ The Institute's chemical ecologists - that the natural connection between plants and pests study - was a way of aphids landing on to avoid wheat and discovered to destroy it.

"If aphids are under stress, it leaves a chemical that transmits a signal to other aphids to be found on the site version" says Moloney. "It turns out that path exists in plants, for example in mint. If this route is activated, the aphids don 't land on this system \."

The chemical, as (E)-beta-farnesene (EBF) is known, is also found in beer, because they occur naturally in hops. Documents submitted to the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (Acre) (the advisory body to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) lists more than 300 plants known in the EBF, of course, will happen. Common mint is one of those plants.

The new genes are similar to the versions that appear in peppermint, but they were not directly taken from a different species, but chemically synthesized, such as wheat genes to function. The genetically modified variety containing two other genes, probably bacteria.

"Everyone thinks, the wheat is now like mint flavor, but it won 't because it' s just a very small part of the plant," Moloney said.

Dr. Shawn McGuire, a food safety researcher at the University of East Anglia, who was not involved in the work, called GM wheat a "pretty new development". He said that since wheat pollinate themselves, the risk of outcrossing much smaller than in other GM plants were.

"There are no wild relatives [wheat] in this country, so that it doesn 't have a variety of risk in any way. Wheat far less promiscuous than rapeseed and canola, so that the questions of pollen and gene flow are less pronounced said "McGuire.

According to McGuire, the pheromone is effective only on aphids, the risks are very different from those represented by brutal GM crops like Bt-wheat. "I can not think of the main reasons for alarm at this," he said.

Rothamsted Research emphasizes that the project is in the planning stage and subject to approval. "As required by law, a public notice appeared in today 's Times and this leads Acre' s consultation" a declaration. "We do not want to give the impression that we assume the study is to get the go-ahead, no question. We can not be sure what will not permit acre or \."

Professor Dale Sanders, director of the John Innes Centre, noted that GM was the component of wheat already common in nature. "Although these tests are cultures that are never eaten, EBF by a variety of plants such as mint and hops, so the product creates something that people are eating often," he said.

Moloney dismissed concerns over GM trials, particularly in relation to accidental cross-contamination of genetic material.

"The species boundaries don 't allow gene jumps occur on something other than an evolutionary time scale," he said. "If we get a bit of mint and we move, in the wheat, it will not move into things other than wheat. If this could happen without a GM, then it would have already happened."

Claire Oxborrow, a foods campaigner at Friends of the Earth, questioned the value of the research, saying that there was no demand for GM wheat. "Given the fact that wheat is a staple crop, the development of GM varieties is particularly controversial. We're concerned that public money is being spent on research where there's no public acceptance or market," she said.