These trees are from the Forest Research Institute’s 2000 field trial of genetically modified trees. All the trees were sprayed with the same herbicide in varying amounts, from 1 kilogram per hectare to 4 kilograms per hectare. The trees at the bottom were genetically modified to make them resistant to herbicide. When sprayed, they survived, while the unmodified trees above died. Genetic modification remains a controversial issue in New Zealand.