In other news, Monsanto Bt Corn is a Fail.

[truedelphi]

Last edited Sun Sep 1, 2013, 09:25 PM - Edit history (1)

The Bt corn was supposed to totally stop pests from destroying the corn crop. But apparently, it is not working out that way in Illinois. The pests are destroying the corn.

http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/monsanto-developed-corn-foiled-by-pests/article_5243e458-5c97-56fb-80e3-0c7f12a8c98a.html
From the above article:
Gray said, in a report this week, that producers across a wide swath of the state will face a “formidable insect foe” capable of overcoming both crop rotation and the protein. He and Spencer collected corn rootworm not just in the damaged corn but in adjacent soybean fields. “The density of the western corn rootworm adults in both crops … was additional evidence that the Bt hybrids had failed to offer the necessary root protection,” Gray said in a statement.

The western corn rootworm costs American growers an estimated $1 billion a year in crop losses and preventative products. “The corn rootworm is one of the most devastating pests to the U.S. corn yield,” said Luke Samuel, who’s in charge of corn insect traits for Monsanto, in an email response Wednesday. “Similar to years past, we’ve seen pockets of heavy corn rootworm pressure in isolated areas of Illinois and have been closely working with those farmers to address those issues through a series of best management practices.”

Spencer and Gray say that rotation-resistant rootworm is found, not just in Illinois, but in parts of Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Iowa. That might mean farmers in a larger area could see similar problems in years to come. “This is a pretty new situation,” Spencer said. “We won’t know how big this area is.”

Gray and Spencer say that growers will have to switch to a product that has “multiple modes of action” against corn rootworm — such as Monsanto’s Genuity SmartStax line, which kills the worms with an additional protein. Those growers who don’t plant the product with the additional protein may have to use soil insecticides — the very practice that the Bt hybrids were intended to curb.

[NYC_SKP]

1. Solution to midwest corn growers. Stay the fuck away from all Monsanto products.

Forever.

[mike_c]

2. resistance is the single most compelling reason to NOT use transgenic Bt crops....

I don't buy much of the hysteria about GMOs, but Bt is an organic farming dream come true, and development of insect resistance to Bt is the worst possible outcome. We have known from the very beginning that increasing exposure will hasten population level resistance.

[Billy Love]

3. Monsanto needs to be sued out of business.

by many angry farmers...

[reformist2]

4. Farmers who grow heirloom/organic should sue Monsanto whenever their plants cross-pollinate.

Turnabout is fair play. Get your GM pollen away from my plants!

[City Lights]

5. We need to drive a stake through the heart of Monsanto.

Once and for all.

[n2doc]

6. Nature finds a way

[Berlum]

7. Mutant GMO crapola is an ugly evil corporate Ahrimanic Trojan Horse, Inc. (R)

I'm just sayin...

[Vincardog]

8. In a related story I read that Roundup ready crops are spreading their roundup tolerance to weeds.

So to get right to the point, Monsanto fucking around with plant genetic has been shown to have NO positive effects and demonstrated TREMENDOUS negative consequences.


I am so glad that the USDOA is out there protecting us.