The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) published today a report on genetically modified (GM) weeds and their potential impact on farming practices and the environment.

The study was commissionned by Defra to examine the agronomic and environmental consequences of GM herbicide-tolerant crops and their possible gene transfer to wild relatives.

The study shows that the common use of herbicide in agricultural environments may give herbicide-tolerant weeds a selective advantage.
Therefore crop management practices need to be changed.

The research considers a number of possible changes farmers might implement to manage GM herbicide-tolerant weeds, such as using a different herbicide product or monitoring adjacent crops.

In terms of environmental impact, the use of herbicide and the altered soil management may have an impact on plants, invertebrates and birds.