MacRaven - Dave Haxton's Weblog

Fri, 31 Mar 2006

If you wonder why us "natural" or "organic" farmer types are generally terrified by bio-engineered crops, read this article. If this grass were to get loose in our pastures it would be an unmitigated disaster. My carefully mixed and cultivated forages would be obliterated by this alien invader - and the article doesn't say if it's palatable to ruminants or no. But I can certainly assure you that it isn't as tasty to a cow as alfalfa. Let's hope that reason prevails. But the fact that we're even discussing implementing something to make golf courses easier to maintain that also has the potential to destroy the livestock industry means I'm not holding my breath.

Jim Hagedorn wants to sell you the pest-proof, no-mow, genetically engineered lawn of the future. But first he has to head off a grass-roots rebellion. By David Wolman from Wired magazine.

(link) [Wired News: Top Stories]

/Agriculture | 5 writebacks | permanent link

On 4/1/2006 10:55:46
Arwin Roe wrote

Non-digital article

A very balanced article. I think both sides of the genetic engineering can find reason to like this article.

On 4/2/2006 07:41:29
schiller wrote

GM lawn grass will "obliterate" forages like an "alien invader?" Apparently this farmer has seen his forages wiped out by GM corn, soybeans, canola and cotton. I don't think so, and I don't believe the blog author is a farmer. A cozy greenpeacer urbanite might make this claim, but a farmer would know better. Schiller.

On 4/2/2006 08:31:13
Dave H wrote

Cozy Urbanite?

Really? Hmmm... yep, you must be right! All those photos of my livestock - stolen! All the work I've put into fencing and barns - naw, just a daydream. As to the facts at hand - well, read the article cited. This "cozy ubanite greenpeacer" has some pretty educated company. But of course, if you actually read the cited piece, or if you were involved in actually growing anything, you'd see where my concerns lie. And just for the record - out here in the Hoosier countryside, GM soybeans and corn haven't taken over my pastures because those particular crops require a step called "planting", a step which you may have heard of. You might also be aware that both of those (and rape, which you also cited) are annuals, but most forages (including the bentgrass discussed) are perennials. They stick around. Like kudzu - ever heard of that? That didn't even require genetic modification to take over the South. So I'd wager you're no farmer either, just a silly schill[er] for Monsanto... Dave H.

On 4/2/2006 13:23:21
schiller wrote

Well we know annuals and perennials don't have a rep for wiping out crops, and kudzu "took over the South" *without* genetic modification, so your point is that lawns will consume your forages somehow?

On 4/2/2006 13:47:40
Dave H wrote

The point

is simply that we're putzing around in areas that are very dangerous - for little gain. You're precisely right about kudzu - which is why I used the moniker 'alien' in reference to these creations in my original post. You don't have to be GM to be 'alien', nor do you have to be a plant. You just have to be non-native to the eco-system. Look at the problems with cane toads Down Under or with nutria closer to home. Nor am I particularly concerned with this particular species of bentgrass causing the damage. What concerns me is the possibility of cross-pollination and the breeding of a new superweed. You're also right that weed infestations have not heretofore wiped out crops - but we're moving into new territory with genetic engineering. Roundup Ready™ Johnson grass, anyone? Betcha that'd "wipe out" a few fields, or at least lower the productivity significantly. This also concerns me from an intellectual property standpoint: I have a real philosophical issue with patenting lifeforms, and am concerned about overspread, seed saving and lawsuits (and a noted case in Canada validated some of those concerns with the spread of GM canola). I'm not necessarily opposed to *all* genetic modifications to plants and animals - we've been doing it for thousands of years via breeding programs. I just believe that we've picked up a bad case of "Hammer Syndrome" regarding genetic engineering: you know, when the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. For a little fuller exposition on these thoughts see 'Strawberries by Design' at: http://www.haxton.org/weblog/2006/03/13/ Thanks for the comment, and Be well, Dave H.

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MacRaven
Dave Haxton's Weblog
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