Fears about the potential dangers of cross contamination of indigenous plants with GM crops have been realised.
Modified genes from GM rape trials in Britain have crossed into local wild plants; all members of the cabbage family, (Cruciferae) creating what scientists term a potential ‘Super Weed.’
Although scientists with the British Environmental Department had dismissed previous fears as virtually impossible, these fears have now unfortunately been realised.

A new form of Charlock has been found growing where previous trials were. This sport is proving resistant to herbicides. The original trials featured rape plants that were modified to be resistant to herbicide sprays, so allowing both crop and weeds to be sprayed and leaving only a weed free crop. Five Scientists from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, a British Research Station at Winfrith in Dorset have released their findings of these hybrid plants that are herbicide resistant.. These were found in a follow up to the trials which spanned three years and finished two years ago.
Scientists had originally said that it is virtually impossible for cross fertilisation to occur. This claim has been disproved.
Now it remains to be seen if these hybrid plants can produce viable seed, i.e. seed that will be fertile and capable of germinating. So far seed taken from these hybrids has not germinated, but as each plant produces so much seed it takes only one viable seed to unleash an agricultural horror. Charlock and rapeseed can remain viable in the soil for some 20-30 years so it is not inconceivable that there are more seeds waiting to germinate, even if all rogue plants are now destroyed. Once one GM contaminated plant sets seed, it will become impossible to contain the resulting contamination. The consequences of this GM leakage in environmental terms are horrifying. Natural plants could be altered and possibly crowded out by these new super weeds. Farm crops could find themselves also competing with these weeds.
Even GM crops would themselves become defunct, having lost the advantage that scientists thought to engineer.

The GM debate is emotive. Whereas many with vested interests may seek to tell us public that GM crops are here to stay, and are good for us, a force to combat world hunger, it might behove these same interests to remember that nature is not a laboratory. All variables cannot be controlled, nor contained. What works in a lab. may not work in real situations.

Already research has shown that GM crops are worse for biodiversity than conventionally grown crops. These contaminated plants are a second serious black mark against GM crops, without taking into account consumer concerns.