Biotech and policy making

SEAVERSG (GEOFF.SEAVERS@bbsrc.ac.uk)
Wed, 24 Jul 1996 14:49:32 +0100

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It is not just the potential problems of herbicide resistant crops per se which
concern me.
The herbicide resistance gene is also being used as a marker gene in the
development of other traits such as resistance to pathogens. Breeders have
said that these 'markers' will be unlikely to be removed prior to marketing
(for reasons of cost presumably) and there are no regulations (here in the UK
at least) which require such seed be labelled as herbicide resistant.
It would thus be possible for a farmer to buy this seed for the crop's
resistance to a certain pathogen for example, and be unaware that it also
contained herbicide resistance genes.

G. Seavers
IACR-Long Ashton Research Station
Bristol
UK
geoff.seavers@bbsrc.ac.uk

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