Bayer Cropscience is giving up attempts to commercialise GM maize - the only transgenic plant to have approval for widespread cultivation. The company announced its maize variety Chardon LL had been left 'economically non-viable' because of conditions Margaret Beckett, environment secretary, imposed when she gave it limited approval this month. This means GM crops are unlikely to be grown in the UK until 2008, when GM oil seed rape may be approved for cultivation.</p><p><a href="http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1079420034866">Financial Times: Beckett is blamed as Bayer bins GM plan</a></p><p><a href="http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/environment/story.jsp?story=506810">The Independent: huge blow to the genetically modified food lobby</a></p><p><a href="http://www.bayercropscience.com/bayer/cropscience/cscms.nsf/id/E45810F2575BF434C1256E6700645943?Open&ccm=400150000&L=EN&markedcolor=%23003399">Bayer Crop Science press release</a>