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Post by spacecase0 on May 21, 2010 18:09:49 GMT -5
farmwars.info/?p=2927monsanto developed an aluminum resistance gene this story gets me wondering why they would be doing this, does anyone know of aluminum resistance in natural plants ? or do you think that this is a "tinfoil topic" that will never turn into real news and there is nothing to worry about here ?
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Post by DarJones on May 21, 2010 19:07:38 GMT -5
I get seriously bothered when reading a flower child's writing. The writer of that article is pretty far along the trail to becoming a blooming idiot.
Aluminum is all around us, all soils contain it. Some soils have more than others. Soil acids make it mobile and if enough is in the root zone, plants are seriously inhibited if not killed. Plants that are tolerant to aluminum can grow in more acid soils with higher concentrations of aluminum. So this tells you the commercial aspect that Monsanto is trying to exploit.
But the rub is... Modern farming methods tend to make aluminum go into solution in the soil and can concentrate it to a level that is seriously bad news to plants. Read about the San Joaquin valley and the effect of many years of irrigation to support commercial farming. There are toxic ponds laden with metals like selenium that are deadly enough to kill birds that land.
So from my perspective, Monsanto is well within reason to look for aluminum tolerance. After all, we can't let modern exploitative agriculture go down the tubes.
DarJones
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on May 21, 2010 19:20:18 GMT -5
farmwars.info/?p=2927monsanto developed an aluminum resistance gene this story gets me wondering why they would be doing this, does anyone know of aluminum resistance in natural plants ? Aluminum toxicity in plants is normally only a problem in areas with a very low soil pH, for example in the tropics... and in some more northerly areas with very acidic soil due to the nature of the underlying bedrock. Any location that has troubles with acid rain might also be an area in which aluminum toxicity could be a problem. The normal treatment for aluminum toxicity is liming the soil to get the pH above 5.5. Tolerance to excessive amounts of aluminum seems to be a trait that is easily expressed in many species of plants. My garden will never have an aluminum toxicity or acid rain problem since the soil is derived almost exclusively from limestone. But from a marketing standpoint you might as well use every angle possible to sell your product... I can hear it now "Our plants tolerate excess aluminum... But wait... These amazing plants also convert sunlight into energy". Regards, Joseph |
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