Controversial Field Trial of GM Wheat fails to repel Aphid Pests

A field trial was carried out to know whether or not genetically-modified wheat can repel aphid pests. But the controversial trial has failed to prove that the GM crop can stop the pests, as it was claimed by scientists in earlier laboratory studies.

Scientists have modified the GM wheat with an extra synthetic gene for an insect pheromone used by aphids as an alarm signal.

For now, it is not known as to why GM crop did not work as was expected by researchers. Scientists have affirmed that there are chances that aphids might have become adjusted to the constant alarm signal.

Many protests were carried out by GM activists saying that trial should not take place. Scientists have expected that the modified wheat would help repel aphids and there would be no need of spraying the crop with pesticides. But the trial result did not turn out as expected.

It was a government-funded trial, which took place at Rothamsted Research in Harpenden, Hertfordshire between 2012 and 2013. In the trial, a lot of money was spent for security purpose like high fencing and 24-hour surveillance.

Researchers said that they are quite disappointed by the trial's results that have been published in the journal Scientific Reports. Though the results did not turn out to be as they were expected, the scientists have also said that the study was not a scientific failure.

"If we knew the answers to every question before we started, there would be no need for science and there would be no innovation", said study's first author Toby Bruce, a senior ecologist at Rothamsted.