Six scientists at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and the National Commission for Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO) have come up with the alarming finding that Wild cotton in Mexico has been contaminated with genetically modified material.
Wild cotton that harbors transgenes undergoes rapid evolution, with unpredictable consequences. The genetic diversity of wild populations is very high, and that of cultivated cotton is very low. Gene flow can reduce the differentiation between populations the scientist warn
Although seed migration out of fields of genetically modified crops may be low, once a single or a few transgenic individuals are dispersed into particular wild populations, they produce pollen that may fertilise local wild plants. Since transgenes are inserted within the nuclear genome, they can be dispersed both via pollen or seed.
The scientists warn that genetically modified organisms are going to contaminate all the varieties we have, and then we will have to depend on seeds from the big companies. Once we lose our native seeds, we won't have seeds to plant and the multinational seed companies are going to plunder us.
Journal reference
Recent long-distance transgene flow into wild populations conforms to historical patterns of gene flow in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) at its centre of origin
A. WEGIER, A. PIÑEYRO-NELSON, J. ALARCÓN, A. GÁLVEZ-MARISCAL, E. R. ÁLVAREZ-BUYLLA, D. PIÑERO
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