GM corn set to stop man spreading his seed The Guardian ^ | 9/09/2021 | Robin McKie
Posted on 9/22/2021, 7:27:26 AM by hripka
"Scientists have created the ultimate GM crop: contraceptive corn. Waiving fields of maize may one day save the world from overpopulation. The pregnancy prevention plants are the handiwork of the San Diego biotechnology company Epicyte, where researchers have discovered a rare class of human antibodies that attack sperm. By isolating the genes that regulate the manufacture of these antibodies, and by putting them in corn plants, the company has created tiny horticultural factories that make contraceptives. 'We have a hothouse filled with corn plants that make anti-sperm antibodies,' said Epicyte president Mitch Hein.
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ..."
This is seriously bad, seriously badly thought out! If something like this gets out it could not only affect humans but wildlife and livestock. Its really time to start preserving seed. These people are evil!
Add to the list of risk factors, the fact that corn is infamous for its “pollen drift”.
With most plants, you have to grow a seed out in order to see traits from the pollinator, or “father” plant. Corn is different. Each individual kernel will show traits from both parents. This is easy to see if the parents are different enough from each other. If you were to grow, say, a white corn and a blue corn near each other, there would be some blue kernels in the white cobs, and some paler-blue kernels in the blue cobs.
Which means that, even if the corn you eat was from a non-GMO patch, it’s entirely possible that some of the kernels will have GMO traits, simply because of pollen drift. And corn pollen can travel quite a distance! I’ve had to turn down growing contracts for heirloom corn seed, because the seed companies want at least a mile between varieties, and my land just isn’t that big!
What’s more, because this contraceptive corn relies on antibodies, it’s entirely possible that the sterilizing effects on men might be permanent. Or at the very least, take years to wear off.
This is something that belongs in doomsday fiction.