GM grass linked to Texas cattle deaths

[Ghost of Huey Long]

The grass is a genetically-modified form of Bermuda known as Tifton 85 which has been growing here for 15 years, feeding Abel's 18 head of Corriente cattle. Corriente are used for team roping because of their small size and horns.

"When we opened that gate to that fresh grass, they were all very anxious to get to that," said Abel.

Three weeks ago, the cattle had just been turned out to enjoy the fresh grass, when something went terribly wrong.

"When our trainer first heard the bellowing, he thought our pregnant heifer may be having a calf or something," said Abel. "But when he got down here, virtually all of the steers and heifers were on the ground. Some were already dead, and the others were already in convulsions."

Within hours, 15 of the 18 cattle were dead.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57459357/gm-grass-linked-to-texas-cattle-deaths/

[Mnemosyne]

1. The grass started producing cyanide gas?! WTF! No worries... nt

[applegrove]

2. I did a thread on this a few hours ago. Turns out lots of types of grass can turn into cyanide.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002848609#post22

[FarCenter]

3. I doubt that Tifton 85 is genetically modified

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1993/v2-294.html

African Grasses

'Tifton 85' is a tall, coarse, dark green F1 hybrid between PI 290884 from South Africa and 'Tifton 68'. 'Tifton 85', 2n = 45, is sterile but its large stolons and rhizomes make vegetative propagation easy. In a three-year replicated grazing trial, 'Tifton 85' has produced 47% more liveweight gain than 'Tifton 78'. It will be released officially in 1992. It is a little less winter hardy than 'Tifton 78', but should survive most winters in Florida and the southern half of the gulf states.

'Tifton 68', an F1 hybrid between PI 255450 and PI 293606 both from Kenya, is the most digestible bermudagrass in our collection of 500 introductions (Burton and Monson 1984). It is a hexaploid, 2n = 54.

So it is the product of normal plant hybridization and selection.

The PI 290884 selection from South Africa is stargrass and possibly stargrass produces more cyanide than bermudagrass.

There are quite a number of grasses that produce cyanide.
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/210800.htm

There's a discussion of this topic on slashdot. http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/06/23/2147245/cyanide-producing-gm-grass-linked-to-texas-cattle-deaths?utm_source=rss0.9mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

[NWmomma]

4. thanks

for the information. It's good when you can speak with confidence.

[Brickbat]

5. Many forage and grazing plants can turn deadly for animals. Drought and frost are two causes.

[hilly7]

6. Tifton cover up

The Tifton 85 is made in part by crossing the Tifton 68, which was already known to be dangerous. I haven't checked into the other ones, this one is the smoking gun. They apparently forgot to take this down in time. The Tifton 68 was created in part using Stargrass. Link http://www.mendeley.com/research/behaviour-of-the-cyanogenic-potential-of-star-grass-cynodon-nlemfuensis-vii-final-part-experimental-acute-intoxication-with-aqueous-extracts-and-forage-with-high-cyanide-content

I meant to say. I grew up around cattle and have had cattle all my life, 4th generation of farmer. We never had cows or even a cow die from that yet.