Once genetically modified (GM) crops mix into non-GM fields, it is very difficult to detect and remove them using existing technologies. This is because identifying GM crops in a field usually requires complex molecular biology methods for sampling inspections; taking a few samples from tens of thousands of plants does not guarantee that the GM plants will be among those sampled. Therefore, even if a small number of foreign GM crops are found mixed in the field, it is very difficult to selectively remove them unless all crops are destroyed.
Shen Zhicheng's research team has taken a unique approach by preemptively placing a "restraining spell" on the GM rice. In this way, if any "escape" of the GM rice is detected, it can be more easily controlled.
The specific method involves adding an additional step while researching insect-resistant rice or lactoferrin-containing rice and other GM rice varieties. Using RNA (ribonucleic acid) interference technology, they introduce a "defect" in the GM rice that conventional rice does not have—making the GM rice lose its resistance to the herbicide bentazon.