Gmo Wheat???

[charliep]

Perhaps to ask the question again ( I know off the topic of GMO), is fursarium graminearium an issue in western Canada?

Are the only tools western Canadian farmers should be looking at the deal with the issue agronomics and fungicides?

Could there be planting breeding solutions starting with conventional techniques?

Are issues around mycotoxins/molds likely to come more to the forefront in consumers and food regulators minds in the future?

Improved ability to measure mycotoxins in food at lower levels? A trend that ties mycotoxins to a human health issue?

[farmaholic]

Charlie...

I don't think your off topic at all.

In my humble opinion I will answer your questions as I see it.

Yes, Fusarium Graminearium is an issue in western Canada. Agrinomics supposedly help when a proper crop rotation is adhered to and staggered seeding(seeding susceptible crops throughout the seeding window-sounds like fun, eh!) is used. As for fungicides, correct me if I am wrong, none of the registered products actually claim control-just suppression and we know what that can mean. I think conventional plant breeding techniques can achieve resistance in time but that is the problem, what can be done in the lab would reduce the time to achieve resistance. I agree also that consumers will be more vigilant when it comes to their food. In the end they will have to decide. How much is their food going to cost them, if we as producers don't have the tools to produce it at a reasonable cost, the costs will be passed on, simply because no one will grow it. We all see the trend already in wheat, simply based on net returns. The consumer will have to decide.

[Jagfarms]

"Is fursarium graminearium an issue in western Canada?"  

I think it is becoming an issue in Western Canada.

There is Goodeve and Unity Spring wheat now. They are not GMO. Can't they breed new varieties with out Gmo technology?


My guess is Monsanto will produce some Gmo Wheat that has some kind of health benefit like the Golden rice to try to gain world acceptance.

I do not know a whole lot about plant breeding or the Gmo technology.

My wife is a Scientist and she understands and can explain it a lot better than me.

[Jagfarms]

Found the info below
10 reasons we do not want Gmo wheat

1. Market loss The international customers that buy 82% of Canada's wheat crop say that they will stop buying if Canada introduces GM wheat. They are clear: they will stop buying all wheat from us: GM and non-GM alike. One customer, Warburtons (a large British bakery), received 6,000 customer inquiries in 2001 regarding food safety and GM wheat. GM wheat kills markets. 2. The end of organic agriculture GM wheat threatens to destroy organic agriculture in much of Canada. GM canola has made it nearly impossible for organic farmers to grow that crop: seed supply contamination and pollen drift mean that organic farmers cannot be sure that their canola will be free of GM seeds. The introduction of GM wheat and subsequent GM crops will leave organic farmers fewer and fewer crops to grow. Organic crop production will become nearly impossible and Canadians will lose access to locally-grown, organic food. GM wheat yes = organic no! 3. Lower prices for farmers GM wheat will dramatically decrease demand for Canadian wheat. Lower prices to farmers are easy to predict. On the other hand, producing GM-free Canadian wheat will give our farmers a marketing advantage if the U.S. and other nations introduce GM wheat. High-quality, GM-free Canadian wheat could be our competitive advantage, our premium product. Stopping GM wheat means higher prices for farmers. 4. Health concerns Many Canadians, like citizens around the world, question the safety of GM foods. Further, Canadians have grave doubts about Canada's food safety regulatory system-a system based, not on independent testing in government labs, but on reviewing data from Monsanto and similar companies. Finally, farmers and consumers cannot trust the government to regulate because it is too busy promoting the GM food industry. Why take a risk on GM foods? 5. Environmental damage GM wheat, once released, cannot be hauled back in. Once this life form is in the environment, it is there forever. Not only can we not recall GM wheat, we cannot contain or control it. GM canola is flow cross-pollinating with non-GM canola and with related wild species. Monsanto's wheat genes will similarly "flow" through the environment. Again, Canadians know that there has not been sufficient, independent testing done on the long-term ecosystem effects of genetically-modifying the planet's food crops. This is a completely unneccessary threat to the environment. 6. Agronomic costs Some farmers now grow GM Roundup Ready Canola. Spray that canola with Roundup, and the weeds die and the canola is unscathed. But introduce GM Roundup Ready wheat and the equation changes. Farmers will need additional chemicals to control volunteer Roundup Ready wheat in their RR canola and to control volunteer RR canola in their RR wheat. One agronomist estimated the additional weed control costs at up to $400 million annually. 7. Segregation won't work monsanto says that segregation systems are the solution to market rejection: keep GM and non-GM wheat separate from field to customer. But segregation systems will fail because GM varieties will soon contaminate our wheat seed supply. Tests on canola show that most 'non-GM' certified seed contains GM varieties. The same will happen to wheat. With Contaminated seed, it's impossible to run a segregation system. Further, our bulk, high-throughput grain handling system is ill-designed to segregate: with thousands of points where grain could be misrepresented, mixed, or mislabelled. Just one or two mistakes, just one or two customers demanding non-GM wheat and getting GM, could cost Canada its reputation for grain quality and cost farmers hundreds-of-millions of dollars annually. And even without mistakes, many customers regardless of whether we try to segregate. Ironically, the way that segregation will work in practice is that international wheat customers will segregate the world's wheat exporters into those who plant segregation systems will cost farmers millions. Segregation is costly and will fail. 8.Labelling Most Canadians want GM food ingredients labelled. But governments, processors and retailers, and corporations such as Monsanto oppose labelling. They oppose your right to know if you are eating GM food. These companies claim that the fate of GM foods should be left to "the market", and then simultaneously deny us the information with which we could make an informed decision at the grocery store. It is totally illegitimate, until we have mandatory labelling and an informed public, to introduce new AGM foods. What are they afraid of? 9. Corporate control Transnationals such as Monsanto, Cargill, and ConAgra are increasing their control over our food supply. Worse, Monsanto and others are taking control, not only of our seeds, but of the genes- the building blocks of life. And they use patents and courts to enforce that control. The tremendous market power that agri-biz transnationals already have, and their attendant ability to suck the profits out of farmers' pockets, is the real cause of the farm income crisis. GM wheat offers no net benefits to farmers or consumers but it dramatically increases corporate control of the global food system. Should Monsanto control our seeds and our food? 10. We don't need it. Farmers are told, rightly or wrongly, that there is too much grain in the world: we don't need GM wheat in order to grow more. Consumers will see no benefit from GM wheat: with or without it, bread prices wil still go up. GM wheat brings no benefits. GM wheat is not a solution: it creates problems reather than solving them. Let's say no to this turkey. One reason why you would want GM wheat 1. If you're a Monsanto shareholder Independent economists report that the financial benefits from GM wheat will go to Monsanto: farmers' costs will rise and consumers will not see lower bread prices. Monsanto lost $2.5 billion [Cdn.$] in 2002, mostly because of lower Roundup sales. Monsanto needs to return to profitability. Thus, it is pushing its GM Roundup Ready wheat. With GM wheat, the profits go to consumers and farmers.

[Jagfarms]

Wheat pollen is even more pervasive than that of canola.

[farmaholic]

Jag

Isn't wheat self pollenating? It pollenates itself before the flowers open, unlike canola.

[charliep]

Just curious on the source of the quote.

Also why the ideas always go the genetic engineering/transgenics
and Monsanto/roundup ready?

Genetic modification in different forms dealing only with genetic
material contained in the original plant are being done all over the
world including Europe. Gene mapping, knowledge of gene
functions, etc are developing at rapid pace. May scare some but it is
the new world that provides GPS/autosteer, internet access from your
tractor, etc. Are we going the right way or wrong way? Good
question but we are going there none the less. The "there" is more
than biotech and plant breeding.

Perhaps a challenge for Agriville participants is to keep up with the
new plant technologies. You likely know more about computer
technology than you do about the seed you plant. You are the front
line in communicating about your product with the consumer. Are
you knowledgeable?

[charliep]

an economist (not plant scientist) but from what people tell me, wheat is closed pollinator. There is out crossing rate of 1 to 5 % which is still a lot of seed.

[Ron]

http://www.topcropmanager.com/content/vi
ew/951/38/



The pollination factor. Wheat, barley
and oats are all close-pollinated. In
simple terms this means that pollination
leading to grain formation occurs before
the flower opens. Anthesis (protrusion)
of the anthers occurs after
fertilization has taken place:
pollination (fertilization) has already
occurred. Naturally in the field, wheat,
barley and oats do Not cross pollinate.
This is why cultivars of wheat, barley
or oats are grown side by side for seed.
There is no cross-pollination in the
field. Bread wheats in the field do not
cross with other wheats of any kind
(like durum or utility), even when grown
side by side. Rye on the other hand is a
cross-pollinated cereal and certified
rye crops grown for seed must be planted
miles away from any other rye crops.



I like the idea of just in Durum. Its a
small niche market that is grown in an
area where producers have lots of other
options so lets test it out there.

If it doesn't work out you can seed
something else or buy another truck.


END THE CWB. NOW

[Ron]

Sorry Charlie, you posted while I was
censoring my rant.

But still, if Canada (CWB) really
controls the export Durum market they
should still be able to extract their
premiums and if they can't?

Who cares? Its a niche crop and they
have other choices. If you don't want
to grow GMO Durum, then seed something
else. hahahahhahaha

END THE CWB. NOW

[parsley]

Jag and I both argue the same points.

He's a Board supporter and I am not, but we agree on the issue of food safely.

We agree and differ.

Ironic, isn't it.

The way I see it, the reason we differ on the CWB issue, is that he sees the Wheat Board as a farmer run institution looking out for him. He thinks farmers are boss. LOL

I read CWB legislation written as a government run institution with the Minister able to pronounce a LEGAL Ministerial order to overun farmers, any old time he feels a fluffy tickling his fancy.

ONE sole government owned monopoly institution is the easiest way for Biotech to get their way.

One negotiation. One % higher. Then another. One deal. One donation. One lobby. One report stalled.

Besides, "You can't squawk, Mr Smith,
farmers are running the CWB!" is the argument...

Institutions, with well oiled propoganda machines, are a proven way for 'government and industry partnerships' to introduce risky ventures, a way to pick out who will succeed in business, a way to gift largesse, and a way to reward loyalty. All quietly and legally.

Choices are not made with wise eyes. They are made with political eyes.

In 1988, I visited with a pseudo-farmer-scientist in Manitoba, growing GMO test plots who had been doing so for quite some time.

Neighbors had noticed,(ha ha, :<) no kidding) but it was all to be kept hush hush.

Transparency is absent in biotech
Accountability is absent in biotech.
It's doing business by stealth and that is never ever good for society.

Biotech will impact on food inventions becoming available, and food testing expenses:
ie from Food navigator
"Some of the $1.4bn cost of the bill is intended to increase the number of food safety inspectors by 2,000 to increase the frequency of inspections, ..."

"2010 saw some huge deals on the M&A front. Among a host of others, Kraft paid $21bn for Cadbury, making it the world’s largest confectioner; the European Union approved the €3bn buyout of Cognis by BASF; PepsiCo agreed to pay an eventual $5.4bn for Russian juice and dairy company Wimm-Bill-Dann; and a trinity of investment firms led a $5.3bn buyout of Del Monte Foods."

All chase dollars, but who is left to regulate with a clear eye? Government partners?

It is the reason I really hope farmers like Monte get to thinking about how they must take ownership of their own goals, their vision, their own statistics and their own financial rewards.

Most farmers I know shy from GM wheat, Yet, is growing all over the place.Has been for ever so long. And the CWB knows it. And consumers will ask.

Farmers can modify their farms out of business. pars

[charliep]

parsley

What is your definition of genetically modified? In time we have discussed this topic, I have never seen how you would define.

[Jagfarms]

" Wheat pollen is even more pervasive than that of canola."

Quote from web sites below.

http://gobeyondorganic.com/Weekly-News-Tips/gmo-wheat.html


http://www.organicconsumers.org/wheat.cfm

At the C to C they did a presentation on Gmo in wheat.

Something was mentioned that Gmo Wheat, the seed is effected differently than in. Gmo Canola.

Does anyone know about this?

[mustardman]

If it is herbicide resistant I want No part of it .
Glyphosate is a Huge part of our weed control now and look at the resistance that the Americans have from growing back to back ru ready crops.(beans and corn, beans and corn etc etc

I don't even think anyone should be growing ru ready canola all it does it create another weed

[BTOfarmall]

Ouch, Ron my ears hurt...

Yellin' & Screamin' like that ain't gonna end da Comedian Wit Bored. Might wanna try someting else, like, I don't know, maybe votin' wit yer drill???