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

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.

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.

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:

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

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

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