GE Plant for landmine location

[Zeitgeist]

I found this really interesting.

A Genetically modified plant, which changes colour when exposed to NO₂ from decomposing organic nitrated HE's, is being developed to find landmines. Fascinating.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=585&e=1&u=/nm/20040127/sc_nm/arms_denmark_landmines_dc

[peterthesmart]

Oestergaard said the modified weed was infertile and unable to spread its seeds, meaning the risk was minimal that the plant would spread into unwanted areas.
Just a little weed killer around the mines and these plants are useless.

[Arkangel]

Ten, fifteen years down the line?

I don't think they are proposing it as a way of sneaking through minefileds, it would take a bit too long. But it could be really useful in all the places where people are being maimed long after the war has ended.

[vulture]

There's a Belgian team that used trained rats to sniff for mines. That's right, rats. Apparently they have a very sensitive nose.

Also, their small weight is not sufficient to set off mines.

Funny thing to see a rat on a line sniffing around a field.

EDIT: I have a very dumb question: Are they going to plant all countries full of this plant? Because I don't see you digging around a possible minefield to seed a plant that'll need a few months to grow...:rolleyes:

[tom haggen]

I'm sure they could just drop the seeds from a biplane, and fertilize them the same way.

[Chemical_burn]

I would think the plants would royally screw with the local ecology and all that.

[Arkangel]

Not substantially so if they are sterile, and in any case, that would not be nearly as damaging as a redundant, lost but active minefield