Attacks of transgenic plants

2000/03/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Genetika

A Swiss company, which leads the GM market, has just patented a cocktail of pesticides that protect GM crops, since the genetically modified cob to protect it from corn has been attacked by another insect. The genes introduced to produce Bt are not effective against the new pest, so Novartis researchers are forced to use pesticides.

According to them, the pesticide cocktail is not harmful to the environment and is valid for corn, but for transgenic products such as soybeans, cereals, potatoes or rice. But there are also very harmful pesticides that, in addition to destroying insect pests, affect the nervous systems of other animals. In addition, one of the main arguments of pro-transgenic companies is that transgenic crops do not need pesticides, will it not be more beneficial for the environment to return to conventional systems?