Genetically engineered crops

[DanG]

There are all sorts of factors to be considered.  What about the chemicals that can now be used on the plants because they are immune to it?  That would be an indirect result of GE, wouldn't it? 

[Gary_C]

DanG, there are two reasons why that is not a factor.

First a plant gene that has shown resistance to say Roundup is not necessarily resistant to any other chemical. In fact it is most likely not resistant to other chemicals. And there are severe financial penalties for chancing it.

Second, there are restrictions on applying chemicals on crops and just random use is not permitted. And yes there are a few mistakes made but they are so costly to the person making the mistake that mistakes are not a factor. Plus most of the mistakes made have been in applying Roundup to fields of non Roundup resistant corn. Then you get to start over again if it's not too late in the growing season.

And yet another reason for the advantage of the higher use of Roundup resistant crops. Roundup is what's called a contact herbicide. If the weed that you want to eliminate is not germinated at the time of application, it escapes the effects of the Roundup. There is no residual soil activity or persistance. So right after you spray a field with Roundup, you could go back and plant any non resistant crop without any fear of residual effects.

And that's nothing but good for the environment.

Plus as I said in an earlier post, Roundup is no more toxic when eaten than table salt. I've even heard of Monsanto salesmen drinking a bit of it as a demonstration of the non toxicity of Roundup. 

[DanG]

Plus as I said in an earlier post, Roundup is no more toxic when eaten than table salt. I've even heard of Monsanto salesmen drinking a bit of it as a demonstration of the non toxicity of Roundup. 

Have you had any contact with them lately? :D :D :D  Are their kids allergic to peanuts?  All I'm saying here is that until y'all show me what it is, I'm not going to be sure what it ain't.  What about BT corn?  Is it too far of a stretch to imagine that if it is poisonous to bugs, it might have some affect on humans?  I'm not blaming GE crops for all of these new ailments, but they did come along about the same time.

[Don_Papenburg]

DanG , I can remember in the late 70s hearing of kids being allergic to peanuts .  I was thinking how can anyone be allergic to peanuts?
GMO seeds were developed after roundup was in use for several years.

[Dodgy Loner]

DanG, peanuts are among the many crops that are not available as GMOs. So I don't see how peanut allergies are related.

[DanG]

I thought they were, since most or all of the commercial peanuts are "Roundup Ready."  Nevertheless, I was just using that as an example of the many ailments that have mysteriously cropped up in recent decades.  As I've said several times already, my concern is that the causes of these problems have not been found, and I will suspect everything until they are.

[red oaks lumber]

if you are looking for what ails people look into the processing of what we eat. the additives,  chemicals god only knows what else.thats where the problems are.        not whats grown >:(

[DanG]

You are most likely right, Red Oaks, but we need to continue looking at everything.

[BaldBob]

Nevertheless, I was just using that as an example of the many ailments that have mysteriously cropped up in recent decades.  As I've said several times already, my concern is that the causes of these problems have not been found, and I will suspect everything until they are.

No argument from me on the need to be somewhat suspicious, however the notion that many of the ailments, that we now recognize, mysteriously cropped up in recent decades is in large part fallacious. Several factors are at play here, including but not limited to:
1. Medical science continues to progress and allows us to identify diseases and conditions which have long been with us but which we didn't suspect existed or which we attributed to other causes. Heck, forensic archeologists studying ancient mummies and even fossils have discovered that the ancients often had diseases and conditions that we had formerly considered to be of recent origin.
2. People who formerly died of diseases and conditions that we can now cure now survive to get other diseases that they are susceptible to, but used to die before those diseases could impact them.
3. Many people who formerly died before producing offspring and passing on the genes that made them susceptible to certain conditions now are contributing to the gene pool.

[Dodgy Loner]

I thought they were, since most or all of the commercial peanuts are "Roundup Ready."

Hmmm. Unless something has changed since I was a county agent, there aren't any Roundup Ready peanuts on the market ???. I just did a Google search and couldn't come up with anything.

[DanG]

Well I always reserve the right to be wrong. :D  However, I'm pretty sure I have seen a number of ads in ag publications touting herbicidal solutions to weed problems in peanuts, and most of them are from seed companies.  Perhaps they aren't using the term "Roundup Ready". ???  I do know I see some awfully clean peanut fields these days.  Starting tonight, I will be on a hi-speed connection for a few days.  I'll do a little research and see what I can find.

[Dodgy Loner]

DanG, I just confirmed with my brother (a row crop breeder in Tifton) that Roundup Ready or any other GMO peanuts do not exist commercially. He said that peanuts are very easy to modify, but because they are a smaller crop that does not have the same financial backing as cotton, corn, soybeans, etc. there has never been a strong push for legislation that would allow GMO peanuts. Also, he mentioned that there are many excellent herbicide chemistries for peanuts that allow farmers to get excellent weed control in conventional peanut varieties. That would explain why you see such clean fields

[Dodgy Loner]

Here is a link that my brother sent me after our conversation. Looks like genetic modification could be a solution to - rather than a cause of - severe peanut allergies. The researcher in the article was his biotech professor at UGA Tifton.

http://m.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/11/peanuts-with-le/

[DanG]

That's pretty interesting stuff, Justin.  It would be neat if they could fix the problem with GMO.  It would be even neater to find out what caused it in the first place.  As I said, it could be anything, even something not connected with peanuts.  We have changed a lot of things in this old world in the last half-century, and there have been unanticipated results of most of those changes.  As somebody said, it could be that changes in human physiology are just breeding a weaker strain of people.  Folks who aren't able to reproduce are now assisted by chemical means so that they can have a baby.  Some people who wouldn't have survived childhood in the past are now living longer and bearing children, passing those genes on down the line.  Chemicals that didn't exist in my childhood are all around us, as is all kinds of radiation.  Everything we do has to be questioned, and not just when it is brand new.  The long-range results of seemingly innocuous actions can be devastating.  When I was a kid, we played with mercury and licked lead based paint.  Did that somehow modify our genes that we passed on to our kids and grandkids?  Who knows?  Milk used to come in glass bottles and water came in iron pipes.  Now they come in plastic made from no telling what.  One thing is for sure, we'll never run out of things to question and study! :P