Simulations of Pollen Transport by Wind

The document presents simulations of pollen transport by wind, highlighting that deposition is highly non-uniform and patchy, characterized by 'fingers' and 'islands'. It argues that setting separation distances to avoid crop contamination is difficult because pollen travel distance increases with wind strength and substantial deposition can occur at very large distances, including in the upwind direction due to high-altitude transport. The authors used a Cellular Automaton model, validated against historical observations of maize, to demonstrate these qualitative findings.

• Pollen deposition is characterized by extreme non-uniformity, appearing as 'fingers' and 'islands' of high density even when wind is steady and uniform. This patchiness makes it difficult to establish a reliable distance beyond which deposition levels will remain below a specific percentage.
• The distance pollen is carried is positively correlated with wind strength, which complicates the establishment of separation distances intended to prevent crop contamination.
• Pollen can be deposited at very large distances from the source, including in the upwind direction, because pollen drifts down to earth from higher altitudes. In the Northern Caucasus of the U.S.S.R., Salamov observed maize outcrossing percentages between 0.02% and 0.79% at distances of 400 to 800 metres in the direction opposite to the prevailing wind.

APA

Novotny, E., & Perdang, J. (2003). Simulations of Pollen Transport by Wind. Scientists for Global Responsibility. https://www.sgr.org.uk/sites/default/files/GM_SciRev_SGRresponse_30May03.pdf

Chicago

Novotny, E., and J. Perdang. Simulations of Pollen Transport by Wind. Scientists for Global Responsibility, 2003. https://www.sgr.org.uk/sites/default/files/GM_SciRev_SGRresponse_30May03.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Novotny |first1=E. |last2=Perdang |first2=J. |title=Simulations of Pollen Transport by Wind |publisher=Scientists for Global Responsibility |date=30 May 2003 |url=https://www.sgr.org.uk/sites/default/files/GM_SciRev_SGRresponse_30May03.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{novotny2003simulations, author = {Novotny, E. and Perdang, J.}, title = {{Simulations of Pollen Transport by Wind}}, institution = {Scientists for Global Responsibility}, year = {2003}, month = may, url = {https://www.sgr.org.uk/sites/default/files/GM_SciRev_SGRresponse_30May03.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }