|
|
Article: GM corn is killing butterflies in United States, says scientists
- Article from:
- The Scotsman
- Article date:
- May 20, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 1999 The Scotsman. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
|
SCIENTISTS claim they have the first hard evidence that
genetically modified crops can damage wildlife.
GM corn which produces its own pesticide has come under suspicion
after researchers in the United States discovered it could kill
butterflies.
Laboratory tests at Cornell University, New York, show that
pollen
from the GM corn, which contains an insecticide gene to protect the
crop from predators, kills the Monarch butterfly by making it
vulnerable to infection.
Scientists now fear that the butterfly which frequents the mid-
west corn belt of the US could come under threat.
If the research is confirmed, it would be the first substantive
evidence that genetically modified crops can cause ...