The GMO wheat discovered growing wild in a Washington State field this spring actually sprouted from two different strains developed by Monsanto, the USDA announced.
Genetically engineered wheat is not approved for cultivation anywhere in the world, yet volunteer herbicide-resistant plants have been confirmed four times in the U.S. Northwest more than a decade after field trials ended, reports Successful Farming.
In the latest case, USDA said “thorough testing” identified the wheat as Monsanto strains MON 71300 and MON 71800.
A test kit will be offered to U.S. trading partners to identify MON 71300, said USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
