A recent study at University of Maine finds that the risk of cross-pollination from GM Corn in plants in the field, whether produced by traditional breeding practices or by genetic engineering, is small for plants in close proximity to each other, and quickly drops to zero with increasing distance.

The study was conducted by John Jemison, an agronomist and water quality specialist with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, and Michael Vayda, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Molecular Biology.

Seeds from non-GM hybrid corn that had been grown near GM corn revealed about one percent cross-pollination in the first six rows within 100 feet of the GM corn. In the next six rows the cross-pollination levels dropped to 0.1 percent, and the last six rows contained only 0.03 percent. No cross pollination was found in corn 1,000 feet away, a common buffer distance. In addition, only plants immediately downwind from the GM corn exhibited any significant cross pollination.

The Associated press quoted Jemison as saying, "The conventional corn was grown only 100 feet away from the genetically engineered corn, plus it was downwind. We figured this was perfect example of the worst-case scenario."