FIELDS of herbicide-resistant sugar beet in eastern England are challenging the idea that genetically modified crops are bad for wildlife.
The experimental fields were alive with weeds and beetles, showing for the first time how GM beet might benefit the environment by supporting more insects than conventional crops without sacrificing yields.
But sceptics say the GM technology simply tempts farmers to “sterilise” their fields with herbicides, and that European consumers would reject sugar made from such beet.
A team led by Alan Dewar, Mike May and John Pidgeon at the Broom’s Barn Research Station in Suffolk grew GM beet varieties…
