Roundup Ready Alfalfa

[Daybreak]

Howdy,
The organic folks have held up the roundup ready alfalfa plantings. California injunction March 12, 2007 halts sales.

http://monsanto.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=469

 

[tytower]

The organic folks ?

Seems to me the people making buying and planting this stuff ought to be called a name too. Classify them all as ........earth poisoning folks?

 

[Bluestem]

Thanks tytower. You said it nicer than I would have. Some people don't have a clue.

 

[ENNOT]

Not just organic people helped postpone the use the use of RR Alfalfa. The majority of alfalfa is sold export and all the Pacific ring countries are against it. That is what I have heard is the major reason.

 

[3MR]

Not just organic people helped postpone the use the use of RR Alfalfa. The majority of alfalfa is sold export and all the Pacific ring countries are against it. That is what I have heard is the major reason.

Thats not true, Japan is a major pacific ring country and they have said its safe.

Regardless of that, who cares? Why woudl the pacific ring not wanting it have anything to do with a ban on it in this country. They dont want our beef right now, should it be banned as well.

I am curious as to what people think is wrong with it as far as "earth poisoning folks"?

Its genetically modified seed, much like other genetically modified seed out there. How does it poison the earth?

I could see an arguement regarding how can you get rid of it if you dont want it, but calling it poison is a little far fetched for me, unless I am missing something.

Many wheat growers think the same thing about Rye grass and should we jump in on anybody planting fescue.

Just curious.

 

[Earl Thigpen]

I missed something here. Are you saying the Alfalfa is being banned because it has been genetically modified to be Round Up resistant or are you saying that the folks are upset with the Alfalfa that has had Round Up applied?

(I hate coming in on the middle of a conversation)

 

[Dave]

The arguement I heard being made said that for every 100 pounds of Roundup ready alfalfa you have a small amount (I forget the amount) of roundup ready weed seed. The alfalfa seed and the weed seed is very near the same size so it is tough to seperate them. The result is the spread of Roundup ready weeds which nobody wants.

 

[dun]

I thought there was already roundup ready corn and I think beans. Don;t understand the big deal.

dun

 

[alabama]

I can't wait until we have round-up ready garden seeds. No more weed pulling.

 

[tytower]

I can't wait until we have round-up ready garden seeds. No more weed pulling.

Short term (1-2 years)Yep
Longer than that a big NO

A field of any Genetically Modified (GM) crop where a weed survives for any reason ( and some surely will) spreads that survivor wherever the crop goes.

It builds up until you have just as many weeds in each crop but roundup don't kill them any more.

BTW Japan don't like to take anyones beef or anything else for that matter. They follow an isolationist policy where they can to ensure they look after their own producers first.

They only buy in what they cannot produce enough of themselves. China is very much the same way . They are not driven by crooked politicians lining their own pockets giving out privileges.

It makes sense to me to preserve your own producers but it just isn't happening for us.

 

[IluvABbeef]

I kinda see how folks are saying it "poisoning" the earth...the RR alfalfa would be able to spread its anti-herbicide genes to other species of the same genus (Medicago sp.) via cross-pollination, which would pose a bit of a problem for folks who see alfalfa as a weed....maybe I missed out on it completely, but that's how I see it...

 

[Earl Thigpen]

OK, I see a lot of you folks have the same question. Some of the answers (or questions) even make sense, especially about the weeds becoming RU resistant.

I thought the original statement had to do with GM seed and that's not or shouldn't be an issue for cattle feed. After all we've GM corn since I was a puppy - well, maybe not quite that long.

 

[Bez>]

Well, perhaps I am hijacking this thread and perhaps I am not. But here is my take on Round Up Ready.

As a person who has grown a fair amount of rape seed, I have almost always used "farmer seed" - in other words "bin run". Every now and then I would mix up the genetics a bit by using some from a distant neighbour.

Then one year I used generic bin run seed and across the fence line someone else grew Round Up Ready.

That fall after harvest we put everything to bed. Next spring we went out to kill any volunteer rape with Round Up. No luck. The pollen from the other field had created Round Up Ready volunteer seed in our bin run seeded field. Not the whole field, but certainly a singnificant portion.

Now that may seem small and not note worthy.

But - to grow Round Up Ready seed, you have to PAY for the seed and PAY the seed company a license fee.

Because of laws and because of courts and because of money, if we are not careful we will not have the right to plant our own seed.

Simply because - right or wrong - it has become Round Up Ready seed - through what I call genetic pollution. Patents allow those companies to prevent you from planting your own seed - because it is now genetically modified.

Now that in itself may not bother many folks. But when you are FORCED to go to a seed company to buy seed to plant a crop - you WILL pay THEIR price!

Beware of this.

Then add in the terminator gene - so that every crop you grow will produce seeds that will not germinate if you keep them and plant them next season.

If you use bin run and the pollen from terminator seeds hits your field YOU WILL HAVE terminator seed genetics in your crop - reducing the likelyhood of a successful use of bin run seed in the future.

There is more to this than many realize.

I watched my brother have his bins inspected and vaccuumed with a dust buster by Monsanto reps after growing Round Up Ready rape one year. I thought he was going to bust a gasket. He cleared them off and will not have them back

I have also seen Monsanto employees or reps take samples from fields in the area - and test it to ensure that field is not producing Roubd Up Ready rape seed. The fields they were testing were supposed to be bin run fields and they were not afraid to step into that field and take a sample.

Those businesses are going to be big trouble to the producer down the road - especially when they own ALL the seed and you HAVE to buy from them because there is no more bin run seed available.

It is because of the above there is now a growing number of seed banks around the world. People actually collect seeds that are not modified and store them in order to maintain a genetic diversity. Someday we may thank them for this.

RR corn has been around for years and I do not know many who plant "bin run" corn. In fact I do not know anyone who does this. But I do know a lot of folks who plant bin run rape seed, wheat, oats and barley. When this ability disappears I think there will be many who realize we have lost something very important.

Just my two cents.

No RR for me thanks.

Bez>

 

[IluvABbeef]

Well, perhaps I am hijacking this thread and perhaps I am not. But here is my take on Round Up Ready.

As a person who has grown a fair amount of rape seed, I have almost always used "farmer seed" - in other words "bin run". Every now and then I would mix up the genetics a bit by using some from a distant neighbour.

Then one year I used generic bin run seed and across the fence line someone else grew Round Up Ready.

That fall after harvest we put everything to bed. Next spring we went out to kill any volunteer rape with Round Up. No luck. The pollen from the other field had created Round Up Ready volunteer seed in our bin run seeded field. Not the whole field, but certainly a singnificant portion.

Now that may seem small and not note worthy.

But - to grow Round Up Ready seed, you have to PAY for the seed and PAY the seed company a license fee.

Because of laws and because of courts and because of money, if we are not careful we will not have the right to plant our own seed.

Simply because - right or wrong - it has become Round Up Ready seed - through what I call genetic pollution. Patents allow those companies to prevent you from planting your own seed - because it is now genetically modified.

Now that in itself may not bother many folks. But when you are FORCED to go to a seed company to buy seed to plant a crop - you WILL pay THEIR price!

Beware of this.

Then add in the terminator gene - so that every crop you grow will produce seeds that will not germinate if you keep them and plant them next season.

If you use bin run and the pollen from terminator seeds hits your field YOU WILL HAVE terminator seed genetics in your crop - reducing the likelyhood of a successful use of bin run seed in the future.

There is more to this than many realize.

I watched my brother have his bins inspected and vaccuumed with a dust buster by Monsanto reps after growing Round Up Ready rape one year. I thought he was going to bust a gasket. He cleared them off and will not have them back

I have also seen Monsanto employees or reps take samples from fields in the area - and test it to ensure that field is not producing Roubd Up Ready rape seed. The fields they were testing were supposed to be bin run fields and they were not afraid to step into that field and take a sample.

Those businesses are going to be big trouble to the producer down the road - especially when they own ALL the seed and you HAVE to buy from them because there is no more bin run seed available.

It is because of the above there is now a growing number of seed banks around the world. People actually collect seeds that are not modified and store them in order to maintain a genetic diversity. Someday we may thank them for this.

RR corn has been around for years and I do not know many who plant "bin run" corn. In fact I do not know anyone who does this. But I do know a lot of folks who plant bin run rape seed, wheat, oats and barley. When this ability disappears I think there will be many who realize we have lost something very important.

Just my two cents.

No RR for me thanks.

Bez>

Good post Bez. :nod:

 

[Txwalt]

Is this a state or federal thing?

Walt

 

[The Bachelor]

Well, I plant Open Pollinated (OP) corn to feed my livestock. I think its what you refer to as "Bin run". The reason is two fold. Seed costs are too high, and the RR arguement.

Right now, RR corn people are reclassifying weeds. Their afraid to call them round up resistant, but the amount of roundup needed to kill these weeds is getting prohibitive.

I think your right Bez, as we get further down the road, we might actually have to go back to mechanical cultivation for weed control again...... So I guess I'm a visionary with this OP stuff

 

[Bez>]

Well, I plant Open Pollinated (OP) corn to feed my livestock. I think its what you refer to as "Bin run". The reason is two fold. Seed costs are too high, and the RR arguement.

Right now, RR corn people are reclassifying weeds. Their afraid to call them round up resistant, but the amount of roundup needed to kill these weeds is getting prohibitive.

I think your right Bez, as we get further down the road, we might actually have to go back to mechanical cultivation for weed control again...... So I guess I'm a visionary with this OP stuff

Yup my bin run is your open pollinated

Bez>

 

[Bluestem]

Here is another reason not to RR crops. http://www.biotech-info.net/fungi_buildup2.html

 

[IluvABbeef]

Is this a state or federal thing?

Walt

Fed.

 

[Bluestem]

Interesting link. I don't think they answered the question yet. Missing bees is not good. http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa.ex ... =0&P=13795