GMO Wheat

[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?

[charliep]

I would also encourage you to look at the USDA/APHIS websites as they indicate their approach to investigating the problem.

[URL="http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/2013/05/ge_wheat_detection.shtml"]APHIS[/URL]

[wmoebis]

Once again you bring up good points Charlie:

The reason we need to have this discussion is:
http://www.grainscanada.gc.ca/wheat-ble/ds-sd/declaration/dedgo-dalgo-eng.htm

We have to sign this before delivery and put ourselves liable for all deliveries even if we don't know or are lead to believe that there is no chance of genes being in Canada but they happen to show up in our produce.

Monsanto should have to sign a dock that says if any genes show up in my product that they will take all liability. They are the only ones that have the tech to produce it.

[oneoff]

Because dear charlie "It is a small world".

It amazes me how easily we can all forget that the same Monsanto, and wannabes Syngenta, Bayer and everyoneone else, also do business around the world; and would "copy and literally paste" applicable GMO technlogy that fits in the particular country of the moment.

Now as to why we are having this conversation......who says we are having any meaningful discussion. The die was cast long ago. This is just a perpetual filling of the mould to make billions of dollars and create "monocultures" that initially were sold as solving hunger problems; creating production filled with scarce and expensive nutrients and providing extraordinary benefits for both producers annd consumers.

But $75.00 for a few pounds of seed per acre is more like squeezing every dollar out that the market will bear. And how to those who need to produce food for their own needs benefit? And in such cases as flax we find out that breeder seed at the University level is widely contaminated; and all costs that are possible get hived off onto anyone who will stand for it.
And charlie, all those points apply to Canada as well as the USA (and everyone but some "rogue" nation that might be charging their people 15 cents a gallon for their plentiful petroleum.) I suspect such countries are not very popular with the logos of the same multi-national companies that we also recognize.

And finally we are/are not having this conversation, because we are affected by world grain prices; and like Triffid; it may lieterally ruin the economics of a crop over many years; then require ongoing proof that we are not yet contaminated by the "Oregon experience"; and will still not have solved the "mystery" of how something only Monsanto could have created....has escaped into the wild.
Do you not subscribe to the theory that "six or seven bullets (or applications)"is all it takes to select for very rare non-typical events; to turn them into a population of the majority.

That is a very good question for you to ponder deeply; instead of apologizing for; running interference with; and spreading the line of supporting propaganda that enables lack of accountability and responsibility of the largest players; and downlading the fallout on those who will not object sufficiently.

Oh and yes each and every farmer is affected; some to the point where they must totally change or exit; and some sectors more than others. Look at the inability to grow uncontaminated canola/****seed and connect some dots. And I guess some people missed the unregistered US varieties that have been grown as early as some three decades ago. I doubt if the first hand bragging also involved simultaneous lying those thirty years ago...or in between.

Has human nature and desire to make an extra buck (at any cost and with no thought about consequences) changed to a fully honorable and noble occupation of food production since then?

[charliep]

Whatever. The companies you name also do business
in Europe with a different set of rules and more
funding. They also use biotechnology although not
genetic engineering. The world you ask for becomes
a lot more complicated with only limited numbers of
companies who can make the investments required -
the situation today.

Just trying to keep the discussion focused on the
situation at hand. You highlight the negative side.
There could be positive outcomes as well. It may
prove to be nothing or it may change the world and
cause the discussion you want. The outcome of that
discussion may be new international rules around
introducing new plant breeding technologies. That
would be a good thing.

Mean while, we need a better understanding as to
how a technology brought forward in spring wheat
moved to a soft white winter wheat. I guess I would
like to know the full facts. But I am a practical and
not a politician.

I stand by my comment that the RR wheat gene is not
in Canadian wheat. Do you believe it is? What is your
evidence?