Monsanto VS Percy

[lakenheath]

RR wheat is whole different story with vastly different implications. First the destruction of the industry. Secondly the management crisis. Volunteer canola, yes easy to manage (squirt of phenoxy). But how do you burn-off RR wheat before seeding? So much for $3.50/acre pre-seed burn-off.

[lakenheath]

Also, farmers do not want RR wheat. So how can some bully of a corporation come in and force technology on OUR industry.

[lornej]

Lakenheath : I agree , RR wheat IS a whole different story - and if it is not acceptable to farmers , the big multinationals have no hope of shoving it down anyone's throat . The only reason why RR canola has done so well is because it was very well accepted by farmers . I've heard stats that herbicide-tolerant canola comprises 90% of the total seeded acres in W. Canada !

[Freesaw]

To lornej and johnnytill. a question to the good managers, when I seed a pulse crop in no till how do I burn off rr canola? if I use a sniff of 24D I can hurt germination. I have used sencor which some times does more bad then good. so would you be so kind and tell me how to kill these man made weeds.

[JACKFLASH]

Freesaw

You can use 24D amine, with your preseed burnoff. Have to wait 3 to 7 days to seed. Depending on temp. and moisture levels.

There was some data from Indian Head research station a couple of years back showing no real damage doing this.

[lornej]

If it were me , I would use glyphosate in the spring burn-off , and venture/pursuit in crop very early . The use of phenoxy's has had variable results re. crop damage according to Darwent at CRS Beaverlodge .

[mhartman]

There are few herbicide choices for pre-seeding burnoff of RR canola volunteers in sensitive pulse crops like chickpeas and lentils, especially in dry areas with lower soil organic matter levels (and thus higher risk of residues affecting germination). Gramoxone PDQ will work, but I hear that this product is being phased out. Roundup Bromoxynil(Pardner)would work, although this isn't registered for pre-seeding application in pulses.

[cris]

Vol canola is a bad weed, it eats up N and H2O at an amazing rate, if it gets very big it takes a good shot of phenoxy to kill it. Bromoxinil is not really all that effective if the canola gets past the 3 leaf stage. This could easily happen with a cool wet spring. This is one of the reasons I refuse to grow RR canola. Clearfield canola in a pea rotation is also a problem, the field looks like hell and perpetuates the disease cycle. Sencor is very hit and miss on contolling canola especially if you miss the very small window.

RR wheat is another story, most of the wheat in our country get pre-harvest glyphosphate Half the time for weed control the other half for dry down to straight cut. Monsanto purposes that growers would use a product like Poast or Select at a low rate to control volunteers in a burnoff.

The thing that burns me is everytime you turn around you get dinged with another three or four bucks to contol another volunteer.

[lornej]

Cris : That is the wonderful thing about living in the free world . You can choose to take advantage of new technology , or you can choose not to .

[maltboy]

lornej roundup was one of the most important tools for no till farming now when you make a plant resistant to rondup it now becomes less use full. We have been rotating chemical groups to prevent weeds from becoming resistant then monsanto does the opposite is this good technology I don"t think so. The only one this is helping is monsanto

[Freesaw]

the bottom line is it going to cost more to control gmo volunters even 2to3$ acre is to much to control a man made weed. Cant wait till theres gmo wheat barley peas lentils and flax then maybe you figure out what im talking about.

[emiled]

For control of vol. RR canola prior to peas, take a look at Monsanto's newly registered (2003) R-up tank-mix with MCPA Amine (at low rates)

[rodb]

Just returned from California where we attended a conference. On one of the tours we had a gal who is making organic goat cheese and she started to talk about poor Percy. I bit my tongue but couldn't help but think how the Suzucki's of the world are spreading fear and half truths to make their point.

She talked about Percy lossing 50 years of breeding and selection. I am old enough to remember ****seed and it wasn't 50 years ago. If Percy was growing ****seed and dumping it in the system he should have been horse whipped. If he was growing Canola he didn't loss 50 years.

Only part of Percy's argument is worth saving and that is the ability to propagate and save your own seed. The minute you want to save and sell you are stealing. If farmers don't get this principle, we will lose all of our breeding programs as royalties, levies and TUA's all go towards bredding the next higher yeilding or more disease resistant variety.

If we all want to be like Percy and cheat the system it will cost us all a lot more in the long run.

RR Wheat, the jury is still out on this one but don't dismiss it on the lack of information. We were told that Canada produced the highest quality wheat in the world. This was true but technology has eliminated the need for all the high quality wheat we grow. If everyone respected the system and practiced good management we would not need to worry about RR wheat becoming the next frankin weed. If we are all like Percy then we have only our selves to blame when it comes to contaminating the non RR wheat system.

[lornej]

Thanks Rodb - very well put ! It is unfortunate that so many growers choose to put so much energy into trying to abuse new technology rather than trying to incorporate it in their farming practices .

[maltboy]

Then this must mean the seed growers themselves must not be practicing good managment,from what I here and read every seed lot of certified conventional canola seed is contaminated with gmo seed. So does this mean the seed growers themselves are not respecting the system or are not practicing good managment which is it?