British scientists from the Hertfordshire Crop Center are conducting the first experiments with genetically modified plants that can withstand the attack of aphids. The new wheat releases a pheromone that repels harmful insects. So far, 8 land plots of 36 square meters each have been planted with GM wheat.
Aphids are one of the main pests of wheat. Huge sums of money are spent on the treatment of fields with pesticides, including from this insect. Therefore, scientists all over the world have been trying for several decades to find a "cure" for the aphid invasion. The idea of creating a wheat variety that repels pests with a smell was first discussed in 1985. The goal of the scientists was to find a remedy based on natural processes without the use of pesticides.
Now the tests are being carried out behind a special fence that protects the experimental wheat from animals and protesters. Two varieties of wheat are being tested. One is developed using the mint gene, and the second is a synthetic gene. The experiment will be successful if the scientists are convinced that the GM wheat exudes the highly pure pheromone A-Farnesene. Previous experiments have shown that aphids have a very fine sense of smell and do not react to odors created in the laboratory.
The next stage of research will concern the main enemies of aphids - tiny parasitic wasps. Laboratory tests have shown that the smell has a double effect: it attracts wasps and repels aphids. Scientists are still arguing and wondering whether the scared aphids will switch to other crops. Now common wheat fields are treated with pesticides, and wild fields have their own defense mechanisms.
Scientists hope that GM plants will reduce pesticide use and become more widely used, although the technology remains controversial to date. Science even 10 years ago could not defend the advantages of GM products against the backdrop of negative information and public doubts. The wheat tests currently under way may be approved by the governments of various countries. Bioengineers are convinced that genetic modification is required to solve the nutritional problem of the world's 7 billion inhabitants.
The chief state sanitary doctor of Russia, Gennady Onishchenko, has also long been in favor of genetically modified foods, since "science cannot be stopped anyway." He believes that biotechnology makes it possible in a very short time to change living organisms in a way that is beneficial to humans. In addition, the transition to GMOs in the future is inevitable - even now, despite the bans, almost all soybeans in the world are genetically modified (40% of the meat on the Russian market is imported).