GMO Wheat

[wmoebis]

Charlie:

Could you explain more on this issue
and how it works today? You said:

"Given the separate varietal systems,
seed distribution
and grain handling systems in the US and
Canada,
there is almost no chance of this event
occurring in
no Canada."

Are you saying that RR wheat would have
different KVD. Unlike RR canola verses
****seed which are not readily
distinguishable?

[charliep]

I am just saying we have separate systems for
approving new varieties. yes some unregistered
varieties come across the border but our varieties for
the most part are developed in Canada. I realize
plant breeders could use genetic material but I
assume with new technology that there must be at
least some screening for unregistered genetic events.

In the case of the grain handling system, a US farmer
or otherwise cannot deliver into the western Canadian
primary elevator handling system.

So if the RR ready showed up in western Canada, it
would have to have been introduced from our own
breeding system. Triffid taught us some lessons. I
don't think at this point there is anything to indicate
the problems have been repeated in western
Canadian wheat. It is a question be be asked and
answered by tested for the gene/genetic markers. I
note from Tom's last comment the potential outcome.

So the question is how Canada approaches. More
complex than simply lining up for law suits.

[wmoebis]

Good topic;
I question on how the wheat was
detected in Oregon. Was it a random test
or politically motivated?

Reminds me of both the Percy Schmeiser
and the Hudye Farms cases. Were these
random checks or politically motivated
checks, to make a point in each case?

How many farmers randomly or regularly
test rogue plants that get past sprays?
Either on chem fallow or become
volunteers in say RR canola fields.

In Canada, KVD and our inspection
services used to govern and control
these issues. Today that is down loaded
onto producers through our varietal
declarations we sign at time of delivery
and we are personally liable for all
costs to the industry if we deliver
rogue seeds, whether we are aware of the
contamination or not.

[TOM4CWB]

Dear Charlie,

You asked; "Do you believe we have
the glyphosate tolerant gene in western Canadian
wheat?"

How was the 'rougue' triffid gene discovered?

If anyone had told you... this triffid gene that was so
carefully kept separate... could end up in the breeder
seed of 6 varieties of flax... and spread all over the
world... you would have said they were crazy 6 or 7
years ago.

Yet it happened... AND NO ONE is willing to even
discuss how this could have happened... with the
complex breeding and regulations we have to make
sure it couldn't happen.

It is beyond belief that triffid got spread everywhere...
and I question if it didn't mutate 'naturally' for it to so
completely contaminate everything in the flax world.

Now what about wheat? Did the same thing happen?

It did in the US!

Who is checking here? Would they admit the gene is
loose... even if it is in the system?

Want to place bets... that they would cover it up...
rather than have the cost and embarrassment of trying
to put the RR roundup wheat genie back in the bottle?

Cheers!

[charliep]

Tom,

A very complex issue. If the gene is in some wheat
varieties or for that matter, the genetic marker, it will
be found eventually. It is always a matter of who you
want to find it first. You or the customer.

wmoebis - A lot simpler that you suggest. A farmer
was trying to use glyphosate to spray a wheat crop
and there were plants that didn't die. They took the
plants to an expert to find out why. The gene for
herbicide tolerance was found to be present and this
has (from my understanding) been confirmed up the
line to USDA. In that sense, everyone here tests their
wheat for the gene every time they try to spray out
volunteers/use a as a desiccant - wheat plants that
don't die from an application of glyphosate may
contain the gene.

[wmoebis]

Thanks Charlie. I didn't realize that:

"everyone here tests their
wheat for the gene every time they try
to spray out
volunteers/use a as a desiccant - wheat
plants that
don't die from an application of
glyphosate "

That must take some time and be
expensive, given the hundreds of
thousands of acres to cover to look for,
pick and assess every plant that
escapes.

I've seen lots of samples of RR canola
that has a few wheat kernals in it after
harvest and delivered to elevators that
are just assessed as dockage.
Farmers/agents just think it is some
planets that didn't get hit with spray
or late volunteers. Maybe all these
kernals should be picked out and sent
away for gene testing just incase wheat
is becoming resistant like some of the
weeds.

[charliep]

Cottonpicken's article had a better description of
what happened. not sure of the source but you can
google and lots of articles. This section is posted
below.

Begin quote:

Bob Zemetra, the Oregon State researcher, said a
local farmer contacted the university in late April after
noticing that some wheat plants survived an
application of herbicide that was being used to kill off
unwanted plants in the fallow field.

Most plants died, but a few wheat plants
unexpectedly emerged after the spraying.
Researchers determined the wheat is a strain of
Roundup-Ready tested by Monsanto in Oregon fields
from 1999 to 2001.

GM crops tolerate certain pesticides, allowing farmers
to improve weed control and increase yields.

Zemetra said Monsanto had been field-testing spring
wheat, while the "volunteer" plants discovered in the
eastern Oregon field were winter wheat. The two
varieties pollinate at different times, making it
unlikely for the GMO traits to have been carried into
the field by wind.

"That's why it's a mystery," he said.


End quote.

[charliep]

Just to highlight.

it was chem fallow.

Some wheat plants survived an application of
glyphosate and were found to contain the gene
necessary for tolerance.

It happened on a winter wheat crop (soft white I
think) when the RR wheat developed in the early
2000's was spring varieties.

[oneoff]

Some mysteries can be best prevented by steering clear of any possibility of being responsible in the first place.

And for those who choose to be reckless; contemplate tha "It is not a matter of if it will happen; but rather only a matter of time when it will happen"

The genie is out of the bottle for Triffid. Was that a benefit in any way?Its now out for RR wheat. Smart move eh. Next alfalfa... we really need that to don't we. Its almost enough to make one say that there isn't enough maturity present to allow the children access to any matches.

[charliep]

Monsanto's website on the issue. They commit to updating it on a regular so maybe worth book marking.

[URL="http://www.monsanto.com/gmwheat/Pages/default.aspx"]Monsanto[/URL]

[oneoff]

Monsanto says "There are currently no biotechnology wheat varieties for sale or in commercial production."

And I understand it never was registered (in wheat).

One would think that narrows the possibilities down to Monsanto researchers failing to adequately look after their research material; inadequate security that resulted in the genie getting loose (stolen?? etc.); or protocol errors that lie at the feet of the Monsanto Corp.

Why are we allowing Monsanto to include farmers in what should be their clean-up problem. Do we really want ongoing bills for contamination (just like Triffid) that come straight out of farmers pckets and their reduced cash ticket net prices.
For once lets keep this on track; and not lose focus of where the responsibility lies. Keep it a Monsanto problem. Under no circumstances was Monsanto supposed to let the genie get loose.

[charliep]

What evidence do you have the RR gene is
in Canadian wheat varieties? If the
gene isn't present in our varieties, why
are we having this conversation?