Scotts Testing Genetically Modified Grass

[Wonk]

Fri Apr 9, 3:05 PM ET
By RUKMINI CALLIMACHI, Associated Press Writer

GERVAIS, Ore. - In an unmarked site on the edges of this community of berry farmers, Bob Harriman puts one foot on the world's most controversial grass. It's a blanket of brilliant green — as thin as a piece of paper and as uniform as cellophane. If it sounds unnatural, that's because it is.

The turf is a genetically modified version of the creeping bentgrass popular on golf course greens and fairways, and it is being tested here by Scotts Co., which hopes its creation will be resistant to a common weed-killing chemical.

(snip)

"Our concern is that if it was to escape onto public land, we wouldn't know how to control it," says Gina Ramos, senior weed specialist for the Bureau of Land Management.

Her words conjure an image of a golf course gone berserk — a state park, for example, blanketed in acres of perfect putting green turf, with no biodiversity.

more...

[DAGDA56]

1. Maybe they could...

...feed it to cloned sheep.

[Poiuyt]

2. Sounds like a great "B" movie

Attack of the Creeping Fescue

[tridim]

3. All we'd need is a trippy baby face in the sun

and it'll be Teletubby land.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

4. Now we need genetically modified people...

who will be resistant to those common weed-killing chemicals...

[seemslikeadream]

5. Genetic Engineering

Genetic Engineering
Vast majority of crops discovered to have been involved in genetic modification program spanning centuries: Greenpeas calls for ban on all agriculture

http://www.greenpeas.org/

[seemslikeadream]

6. Help Save The Tree Octopus From Extinction!

http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus.html

[Frangible]

7. Yay, no more mowing?

I never understood the human fascination with grass, but think of how much less pollution there would be if people didn't mow their laws.

[Buns_of_Fire]

8. We already have something similar in the south...

We call it Kudzu.

WARNING: Do not stand still for over 30 seconds in one place. The unfortunate owner of the above car stopped at the local Kwikee-Mart for a giant Slurpee, and spent too much time perusing the magazine rack in the store. Upon returning to his car, the vines had already eaten his Big Mac, his shotgun, and his favorite Bluetick hound. He tried to move the car, but the Kudzu was too fast for him. The family requests donations in lieu of flowers, since good Bluetick hounds are expensive to replace.

[AZCat]

9. An argument for literacy, if I ever saw one!

From the caption: "...and spent too much time perusing the magazine rack in the store."

Sounding out the words really does kill your reading rates, huh?
And your dog, apparently...