GMO studies???

[Joel_BC]

The more I hear about it, the more I lean toward heirlooms. I used very few GMO's last year. I hope to use none this year.

Rhoda, I was a little unsure of this part of your post. Maybe you realize that GMOs are different from hybrids?

Both hybrids and GMOs are different from heritage seeds, yes.

Hybrid seeds have been available for a long time. A hybrid comes from two different parent stocks, and they're bred by pollination, and then the seed is saved. And the hybridization (or "crossing") process does happen in nature.

GMOs are created by a different process, one that was developed in laboratories. It's a much more recent thing. So far as I know, the result is different from something that would happen in nature. But maybe someone here knows more and better than this.

 

[Hinotori]

Yup, you can't normally crossbreed corn and bacteria. GMO isn't the same as hybrid no matter what the people who don't understand that difference say.

 

[~gd]

I should NOT post! I have recently been warned by Niffty that even when my facts are right my tone offends so please skip this post if you are easily offended.
Let me start with sex, things that reproduce by sex includes many plants and insects and I think all animals. It is natures way of exchanging genes. During this process sometimes accidents happen the result is a mutant. Usually the mutant dies because it cannot compete with the normal, but sometimes the mutant wins. If Man likes the mutant he might step in to help the mutant survive. [Often mutants are sterile] the Apple is a good example of "extreme heterozygote", in that rather than inheriting DNA from their parents to create a new apple with those characteristics, they are instead significantly different from their parents. For example the Red Delicious originated at an orchard in 1880 as "a round, blushed yellow fruit of surpassing sweetness". That does not sound like the apple in your supermarket? That is due to mans messing with natures product [in the1980s these were of the Washington state apple crop. They were useless except for their good looks. The market crashed and Congress and Bill Clinton bailed them out in 2000.]
Sorry Rhoda, I couldnt find anything on lettuce, I am not a fan. But I think bitter greens are still available just not bitter Iceberg, try some leaf lettuce and I am sure dandelion leaf is bitter and grows easily.
Commercial hybrid seed is produced by removing the male pollen producer and replacing it with pollen from a different cultivar.
Heirloom heritage seeds are grown in isolation from other plants that could provide pollen so only heritage seeds and a few mutant seeds are produced
Hinotori- I think you will find that insects were not used, the genes that are used in GMO were taken from other plants that had already developed resistance. Trans-kingdom GMO is a future project not current state-of-the art
If I have offended. you all know where the Report botten is but I will be back~gd

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Good info ~gd! (you done good, lol)

 

[moolie]

But I know I have read news articles about GMO food that has been created by using genes from a different species to achieve certain qualities. Of course I can't name any of them now, but seems like I recall fish genes being used in some fruit for some quality. Are these experimental only? Or just fairy tales maybe?

There is one well-documented try at creating a transgenic genetically modified organism (GMO) in the early 90s--many people refer to the "fish tomato" when they talk about how GMO is messing with nature and evil, however the fish tomato never made it to market: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_tomato

Most genetically modified organisms are modified in order to resist herbicides/pesticides and for disease resistance and longer keeping qualities.

There is a partial list at this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_crops#Examples_of_genetically_modified_crops the rest of the article is a good read as well.

 

[~gd]

But I know I have read news articles about GMO food that has been created by using genes from a different species to achieve certain qualities. Of course I can't name any of them now, but seems like I recall fish genes being used in some fruit for some quality. Are these experimental only? Or just fairy tales maybe?

Nope I was dead wrong, some idiot managed to transfer a gene from a flounder into a tomato so the tomato could be kept refrigerated to extend its shelf life. The USDA jumped on that pretty hard and it wasnot even allowed to be field tested, it changed the direction of most research projects. The next generation of GMO will not have the transgene in the pollen that could be blown around and it will give the seed producer long term control. A patent is only 17 years but a trade secret is as long as you can keep it secret [KFC, Coke etc]
I am sorry about the mistake I posted, The fish story was before I became interested in GMOs and frankly I thought that it was an anti- GMO 'fish story'. Thanks moolie for the correction and reference.

 

[Hinotori]

Everything I've read has said they isolated the genes from BT bacteria and added them to the corn to make BT corn. That was the only thing that had popped into my mind right away since we are talking about crops.

No I'm not offended or anything. I just can't find anything that says otherwise even.



ETA. Please if you have something that says otherwise I'd love to read it.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Sorry, so late Joel.....but yes, I do realize what GMO and hybrid means.

 

[~gd]

Everything I've read has said they isolated the genes from BT bacteria and added them to the corn to make BT corn. That was the only thing that had popped into my mind right away since we are talking about crops.

No I'm not offended or anything. I just can't find anything that says otherwise even. Well I am in over my head but It seems strange to me that BT is considered ORGANIC when applied by man but Frankenfood if the plant makes it's own! ~gd



ETA. Please if you have something that says otherwise I'd love to read it.

 

[Beekissed]

http://www.hahealthnews.com/health/gmos-and-you-are-you-roundup-ready/

http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/grocery_shopping/crops/