In sci.agriculture Mooshie peas wrote:
On 17 Aug 2003 12:53:23 GMT, Brian Sandle
posted:

Why do you think the NZ
Royal Commission recommended education about refuges before releasing GM
crops?

The NZ RC has a bad taste in it's mouth after that lady professor lied
to them with phony evidence.

No she didn't.

And the refuges are mandatory in the US. But the seed companies may not be
insistant that they are applied since it means they only sell half the GM
seed.

Aren't the refuges for pest predators? Why would you want refuges for
the pests?

So there is a refuge of non-resistant pests to breed with resistant ones
to reduce overall resistance.

With organic Bt spray it is applied in years when the pests are a problem.
In the intervening time when Bt is not being applied having Bt resistant
genes is not an advantage, so the non-resistant ones increase and the next
application of Bt when needed will cut them well back again.