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Post by Rebsie on Dec 16, 2008 18:23:35 GMT -5
I had a question on my blog today from a reader who is visiting America soon and wants to pick up some sweetcorn seeds while he's there. But he wants to be certain it's completely free from GMOs.
Can anybody recommend some reliable sources of "clean" corn?
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Post by canadamike on Dec 16, 2008 20:26:16 GMT -5
I honestly doubt there is much GMO contaminated corn around, Rebsie. Sweet corn is soo different that any field corn contamination would visually show, and sweetcorn breeding is a very precise process. The safety measures for non contamination by ANY other corn are very strict.
Does she wants heirlooms or hybrids? The heirloom crowd is utterly disgusted by GMO's so there won't be any problems there for sure.
This is not something I would worry about at all. The simple fear of the backlash from people is more than enough to safegard the process.
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Post by Rebsie on Dec 17, 2008 7:28:39 GMT -5
OK Mike, thanks. I didn't know what the situation was in the US regarding GMOs in sweetcorn, whether it was an issue or not.
At the moment we don't have any GMOs in the UK and we want to keep it that way. Many of us here are nervous about buying seed from the US for that reason.
We are a bunch of Cassandras when it comes to GM. Eeeeeeek, contaminated seeds! Pass the flame-thrower!
I'm not sure whether he wants hybrids or OPs but if you think we're worrying about nothing I'll pass that on. ;D
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Post by Alan on Dec 17, 2008 9:03:32 GMT -5
Regarding Open Pollinated Sweet Corn:
I wouldn't be so sure of absolutely no GMO contamination in sweet corn as there are GMO sweet corns on the market here in the U.S. such as the BT enhanced sweet corn that many market gardeners do grow around here, that pollen is floating around during the growing season and rouging out those seeds will be impossible. The only thing that keeps my farm safe is that we are 3-5 miles away from the closest corn field and there are a ton of hills and trees between here and there and I hope that it stays that way.
As much as it pains me to say this Rebsie, ordering from Baker Creek is probably the best option given that they have tested their seed stock , SSE might be safe as well, but really it is hard to say.
Regarding Hybrid Sweet Corn:
Short of BT hybrids, there shouldn't be any GMO floating around in the seed trade given the strict standards of hybrid production, but this is about as good as a note of good faith from a big seed company as one can get.
Hope this helps.
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Post by canadamike on Dec 17, 2008 11:10:49 GMT -5
Alan: There is some BT sweet corn?  ? |
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Post by Alan on Dec 17, 2008 15:51:37 GMT -5
Yes, there are BT sweet corns on the market and in the food supply. I believe Rogers and Siegers and most definitely Rupp (garst/syngenta) offer them for sale. I know one guy who grows them around here despite being warned of the dangers. He knows to keep that shit as far away from me as he can, least I go out and personally vandalize that crap before it pollinates, we've talked about it to say the least.
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Post by Rebsie on Dec 17, 2008 18:43:20 GMT -5
Thanks Alan, that does help a lot.
You'd like it here in England. The strength of anti-GMO sentiment here is so strong they can't even do field trials without 10ft fences and 24 hour security guards. And that ain't very economical, so it's not worth their while trying to push it here. But this brick wall of public opposition is the only thing keeping Britain free from contamination, 'cause the government are dead keen on letting it in.
I assume my friend on the blog is looking for an assurance that the corn is 100% GMO-free and not just within any given tolerance limit.
It's really useful for us over here to know the extent (or not) of GM-spread in the US. The uncertainty about this puts a lot of Brits off sourcing seeds from the US, which is a shame.
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Post by PapaVic on Dec 18, 2008 14:56:57 GMT -5
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