GE "threat" to skylarks

The skylark, beloved in verse for its song, could become a rare bird in England if farmers adopt some new biotech crops, says a British study.

In the journal Science, researchers predict that the use of a genetically engineered sugar beet could reduce the skylark population up to 90 per cent.

William J. Sutherland, of the University of East Anglia, said the use of the sugar beets that were resistant to herbicides would allow farmers to use more powerful weed-killers. Weed seeds were an important part of the skylark's diet.

However, United States researchers said the study was heavily dependent on theory and assumptions.

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