Thread: Why the fear of GM Crops?
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Old 09-06-2003, 04:08 PM
wparrott
 
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Default Why the fear of GM Crops?
wrote:
jointed goatgrass is a close relative of wheat.
In between crop rotations you can kill goatgrass with round up.
What do you propose the farmers should use to kill
RoundupReady Jointed Goat Grass?
Should we use paraquat instead?
Show us some health or economical analysis please.

Jointed goat grass is a tetraploid species-- that is, a hybrid between
two species.

Wheat is a hexaploid, ie, a hybrid between 3 species. Jointed goat
grass and wheat share a common parent.

When and if wheat and jointed goatgrass hybridize, their chromosomes
from their common ancestor can pair and exchange genes. Chromosomes
from the other parents are disimilar, so they can't pair and exchange genes.

The RR gene of wheat was not placed in a chromosome that can pair with
the ones from jointed goatgrass. In effect, it is biological containment.

Finally for the record, if roundup resistant jointed goatgrass were ever
to evolve, it could be controlled by whatever farmers were using to
control it prior to the invention of Roundup.