momoese

RobG7aChattTN

I ran down through some of the comments and it looks like the "Dangerous Pathogen" aka "microfungus" may not even really be an organism. So, there is definitely lots of speculation linking the possibility of this "microfungus" to the spontaneous abortion problem. It is a bit of a leap to say that something might cause a negative effect when you really don't know what the thing is or even if it is a thing. Still, well worth investigating.

Nicolas Naranja

The more and more I have read about round-up, the less I like the product. It's better than some of the alternatives, but not nearly as safe as monsanto claims.

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momoese

Exactly the point, It should be looked at.

lkailburn

Ugh that makes me sick. And M will just strong arm their way above the law.

-Luke

Worm_Farmer

GreenFin

Not good.

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Richard

While Monsanto deserves a lot of criticism, if you want to effect change you're going to have to get more specific about the chemicals, manufacturers, and usages that are at the heart of the matter. Because as long as people are focused on "Roundup", the owners of the Spectrum Brands and other companies are laughing all the way to the bank.

Let's understand that "Roundup" is a brand and not a specific chemical, although once it was.

So half a century ago, the Monsanto patented "Roundup" product was the chemical Glyphosate. It was available to to consumers in quart and gallon bottles, and to agriculture in 55-gallon drums.

Then when the patent neared expiration decades ago, Monsanto began to put "value-added" enhancements in their product -- some of which were only available to persons with a chemical applicators license. I refer to it as "the nasty version".

After the patent on Glyphosate expired, other companies were slow to come out with generic glyphosate -- partially because Monsanto had such a recognizable name brand. Nowadays there are several consumer-grade and agricultural-grade products containing glyphosate. In fact Monsanto is no longer the largest producer of this chemical.

The problem with glyphosate in agriculture and landscape maintenance companies has always been over-application. The "non-enhanced" version breaks down quickly into minerals that would have negligible effect on the environment -- except that over-use sends an abundance of the by-product downstream. Monsanto's development of glyphosate-resistant GMO crops actually encourages over-application. It is no wonder that there numerous side-effects such as those speculated at in the article Mitchel posted.

The reality is that if you as a homeowner buy the generic version of glyphosate sold under the "Remuda" brand -- and follow the detailed directions for your situation -- then the implications for the environment are much better than a single drop of oil leaking from your car. You will also notice that the dosages on Remuda are very small compared to the "broad band" sort of instructions on the "Roundup" brand product.

As for "the nasty versions" of "Roundup" and other herbicides containing glyphosate, wow! I've seen consumer products on the shelves at garden centers that contain the glyphosate as a root poison, another herbicide that targets cell structure, plus a defoliant. What a cocktail -- and most of these are not Monsanto products.

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Nicolas Naranja

My problem with it, and it has been documented, is that glyphosate is a strong chelating agent and can tie up micronutrients. Look up soybean manganese deficiency and glyphosate and see what you get.

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Richard

Kinda makes you wonder about roundup-ready soybeans.

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RobG7aChattTN

On a slightly brighter note...I did hear that Monsanto was not allowed to release their "Roundup-Ready Lawn Grass". Even I'd be tempted to buy that grass seed. Almost every person in America would be regularly spraying their whole lawn with roundup knowing that only the weeds would be killed and their grass would be fine. So, at least some products are being held back...for now, anyway.
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I guess I spoke too soon. It crossed my mind after that I should do a google search.
Wait, Did the USDA Just Deregulate All New Genetically Modified Crops? | Mother Jones
I guess we are all doomed now.

Richard

I think roundup is better for lawns when they are not roundup resistant!!!

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momoese

Good one!

Nicolas Naranja

One thing about round-up ready crops though is that they have saved a tremendous amount of top soil. My wife and I own some property in Alabama that hasn't been tilled since the late 90s. The farmer puts out chicken litter, plants it, sprays it and comes back in the fall to harvest it and then sends us a check. It's like that through a lot of the southeast.

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barnetmill

Genetically modified crops are not necessarily bad and of course good judgement has to used over what is modified and then applied.

Grass perhaps deserves a separate thread, but lawns and especially their maintenance are one of the greater negative impacts upon our environment. The most I have done to grow grass is to plant seed and not mow until it gets at least 6 inches high and set my mower at the highest setting. I do not fertilize or weed except to pull up briars or young trees. Most of it does not look that bad and the cost and maintenance is cheap.

harveyc

Dr. Mercola Interviews Dr. Huber about GMO

As much as you'd like to think that Monsanto controls our government and the majority of scientists and universities, that's just not the case.

Dr. Huber's claims came out at least a year ago or earlier and you've recycled them twice this year. I don't believe it merits more attention unless some other credible scientists reach similar conclusions.

A large San Joaquin Valley dairyman (9,000+ cows plus as many heifers) farms several thousand acres of Roundup Ready alfalfa and corn adjacent to my farm. The only time he's had problems is when he fed non-GMO hay that had rain damage that had become a little moldy. For decades I've read of cases where various dairymen have had disastrous results when some of their silage had developed toxic bacteria (in one case it was because a few feral cats had wandered into the hay stack and got ground up!).

Witch hunt.

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RobG7aChattTN

I'm actually not against GMO plants except that they tend to lead to a monoculture and may also lead to Monsanto having a monopoly. I am a bit concerned that in the very near future many home owners may be spraying every inch of their lawn with round-up on a regular basis. I'm even more concerned that I might feel the need to join the heard as it just sounds all too tempting.

NANAMAN

For a pretty good understanding of what Glyphosate does, and how it does it, this article may be enlightening to some.

http://f1.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/YBBPTwH...teractions.pdf

The conclusions drawn sure seem to agree with many who grow nutrient dense foods. I'm told that after conservative usage of Glyphosate, on a food plot, it may never be possible to produce nutrient dense foods on that land again.

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Nicolas Naranja

The link went bad, but I am assuming this is discussing the powerful chelation of micronutrients that occurs.

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sunfish