Genetically Modified Rice Brings Benefit To Wild Neighbors

Rice containing a transgenic modification that makes it resistant to a common herbicide can pass that genetic trait to weedy rice, prompting powerful growth even without a weed-killer to trigger the modification benefit, new research shows. Previously, scientists have found that when a genetically modified trait passes from a crop plant to a closely related weed, the weed gains the crop's engineered benefit – resistance to pests, for example – only in the presence of the offending insects.  This new study is a surprising example of gene flow from crops to weeds that makes weeds more vigorous even without an environmental trigger, the researchers say.  read more

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