Just say no to GM wheat!

[chuckChuck]

Surely we have learned a valuable lesson with Triffid flax. Everybody should tell the folks at the Grain Growers of Canada and the Western Canadian Wheat Growers and all the other GM supporters out there, that untill all our major markets accept GM wheat, that we shouldn't even be considering registering GM wheat. Whether you agree with them or not, when customers say they don't want GM, then we should listen. Brian Rossnagel (CDC barley breeder) was right on the money last week at the Seed Growers meeting in Saskatoon when he said all the money is going into GM research making it difficult to find research money for conventional breeding. According to Rosnagel GM breeding is very expensive and is overstating the potential benefits. Many of the desirable traits can be inserted using conventional breeding without the potential loss of markets from GM varieties. Herbicide tolerant lentils for example, are going to soon dominate in lentil production but without being GM varieties. This makes much more sense becaues we don't lose market share.

Does anyone know if there are any lawsuits being considered/developed around the Triffid flax?

[frustrated1]

While I see the value of GM products such as extra protein in rice, we only need to look in our fields during the drought of last year. In harvest times our wheat fields started becoming green. With volunteer RR canola. But what to do with it? It won't dessicate with glyphos and some of the other options are either way to expensive or simply illegal. So we have a weed we cannot get rid of in a crop to short to swath. Wait for the killing frost and lose a wheat grade? Still there would be a rubbery mass left to deal with. We have chosen to use RR canola and therefore we have to take responsibility for this mess. But maybe we need to learn a lesson here and only deal with one crop we can't get rid of?

[charliep]

When you use the GM wheat, I assume you are meaning genetically engineered/transgenic wheat where a gene from another life form is inserted into a gene. This gene could be from a some similar species or could be something completely different type of organism.

For discussion, I would argue that Clearfield lentils or wheat for that are genetically modified - the difference being is that no new genetic material is introduced. Am I being fair?

Will note both of these technologies are just of the iceberg. I highlight again genenomics/gene sequencing/etc. will bring forward new ideas. Even the age old proven technology of breeding hybrids (barley in Europe) is creating new opportunities.

[chuckChuck]

Charlie, Your comments are well taken. I use GM as it is more commonly understood. However the most important thing is how the customer defines the variety or process. Is it acceptable or not? The registration process in Canada has to include economic and market impact. There is no use in registering varieties that cause or will cause irreparable damage to markets. Even if one or two markets accept GM varieties, there is no easy or reliable way to guarantee we won't contaminate all our supplies harming the rest of our markets. We have damaged our credibilty and given our competitors the chance to supply the market with non GM Flax. Don't blame the customer. It wasn't their fault we contaminated our supplies of flax with a trait they don't want. That was our stupid mistake. Let's not make the same mistake with wheat.

[Burbert]

They'll probably just mix it with our other wheat and voila, we have GM wheat. Nothin we kin do about it!!!

[grrrr]

GM wheat does not neccesarily mean Round-up Ready wheat. An inserted gene could have to do with moisture stress, frost tolerance, desease resistance or nutient efficiecy among others.

[shaney]

The CWB would definitely agree with the no-stance. I would suggest that we do not evaluate all GM traits with one broad brush swipe. I firmly believe the RR wheat will not be one of the first 5 traits commercialized.

Here is the video on what the CWB though about GM wheat.

>

[cottonpicken]

So captain seed grower fantastic,are you licking your
lips at getting rich and destroying wheat markets for
us to?

[frustrated1]

grrr, you are correct. See my note about the rice. My point is we need to be leary of the monsters we create. Flax fiasco? We also have an old boy here who has legitimatly not grown rr canola and yet has it in his field. While Percy may be suspect, this old boy I believe. We hold incredible opportunities in our hands. But with that we need to be responsible and cautious. I was one of the first to jump on the rr canola seed. I've become a bit leary of being the first on the next breakthrough.

[chuckChuck]

Grrr. I am aware of the possible variety trait options other than tolerance to Roundup. But untill they are widely accepted in the marketplace the same rule applies. If your customers don't want it, it has very little value. Definately we should be using gene sequencing technology to speed up and improve the breeding process but lets stay away from Recombinant DNA. "Recombinant DNA is a form of DNA that does not exist naturally, which is created by combining DNA sequences that would not normally occur together" Anyway many valuable traits can be bred in using conventional breeding techniques. Farmers in cooperation with end users should be setting the research agenda, as we are paying for the majority of this research through purchasing seeds, chemicals and user fees anyway. Why are we letting seed and chemical companies control the research agenda? They almost always narrowly focuss their efforts in ways that are going to generate the most revenue for them. Farmers need varieties and agronomic options that generate the most revenue and profit for us. The current research system is moving to a centrally, top down, controlled system where you will do what you are told to do or you will be shut out of the marketplace. It is no accident that most of the GM canola,corn, and soybeans varieties are controlled by just a few seed and chemical companies. We are seeing less and less real competition and a reduction in public funding to public breeding programs. The future looks grim for the independence of farmers if we continue on this path.

[shaney]

Cotton,
I understand your anger over the flax issue but you are trying to make it sound like this was the intention all along.

In regards to wheat, it is very clear that our current system is not set up for GM wheat. If Canada was to go with GM wheat it would take some time to ensure the proper systems and infrastructure were in place.

I think GM wheat will happen if there is a focus on traits like drought tolerance, fusarium resistance or a stepped change in yield. I do not think that GM wheat will happen under the preessure for RR tolerance.

[charliep]

I would note from that most Canadian organizations are not opposed to doing biotech research (listen to Shaun's interview link above with the CWB - thanks for posting). What is at issue is the market acceptance and from there market access.

No one wants to be on the bleeding edge of technology of breeding issues like transgenics. Having said, I don't think any one wants to be too far behind if there is acceptance. I note if you get beyond transgenics, Europe has a very active and progressive biotech breeding programs. On the transgenics front, I will bet money that if there is acceptance in the EU, there would be European transgenics varieties on the seen within a year.

The issue on plant breeding in Canada is and will continue to be interesting. Don't want to go there - enough controversy already in the threads.

I appreciate malleefarmer and ianbens participation. They can forward the different models in both Australia and Europe.

A place to watch is China and rice. Delayed on the decision on commericialization but full bore ahead (read funded) on research.

[charliep]

China is transgenic rice by the way.

[bucket]

shaney

Pretty hard not to believe the trffid issue wasn't intentional when the seed growers had close to a decade to solve the problem and farmers get less than 3 months to find seed for next year.

Was it a scam - I am beginning to think so. I know people that have grown Bethune flax for 4 years and kept it on land that never had flax and its showing up. No sense to it all. And the testing takes forever.

[oneoff]

The credibility of the present system is zero and deserves to remain there. I have seen no attempt at giving any chance of input from the sector of farmers that are shouldering the entire brunt of what must be a whole series of blunders.
We are still set up for repeats of history; as the seed development and monopoly growers complete their control plans for the world seed supplies.