Worms evolve to eat corn genetically designed to kill them, proving man cannot outsmart nature (or, well, rootworms). Are we still for the GM seeds and its introduction in India?
"Just when we thought it was possible to out-smart nature with science, nature proves once again that it's smarter than us. Corn rootworms have developed the ability to eat a genetically modified kind of corn specifically engineered to poison them - basically, evolving to destroy that which was made to destroy them. A new study published Monday says there needs to be a dramatic change in the way this resistance is managed if the agriculture industry wants to avoid serious detrimental effects. Nature - 1, Man - 0." <http://tinyurl.com/odvzavt> http://tinyurl.com/odvzavt "The hunter becomes the hunted <http://www.theverge.com/2014/3/18/5523262/insect-evolves-to-eat-poisonous-c orn> : When Bt corn was first engineered, it was hailed as the perfect weapon to fight off one of the most troublesome crop-devouring pests around: the corn rootworm. And since 1996, when it was first planted, Bt corn has helped US farmers kill rootworms and prevent billions of dollars in damages. Over the years, however, researchers have expressed concerns that the rootworm could become resistant to Bt corn. Unfortunately, those warnings were widely ignored by farmers and regulators." _______________________________________________ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
