Superweeds are interesting.

[oxbowfarm]

Been noticing a lot of chatter about the new "superweeds" lately. I partly suspect it is a push from Monsanto and other agribusiness interests designed to drum up support for the new resistance technologies they want approval to add into the crops now that glyphosate resistance is on its way out. The main new resistance technology that I've seen mentioned is 2,4-D resistant crops although I'm fairly certain there are a few other chemistries they have in the pipeline.

As an "organic uncertified" farm, we don't use herbicide, so the superweeds, if they were here, would be undetectable among all the other weeds we have. Since our weed control we have is done by mulch or cultivation, herbicide resistance genetics in a weed is moot. A superweed would likely become less and less super the longer it stayed on the farm, since those genes would not provide it with any selective advantage.

The amusing thing to me about these weeds is that anyone with a basic high school biology familiarity with natural selection could have seen this coming. The weeds already had resistant individuals in the population, along come glyphosate resistant crops, and those individuals become the ancestors of the superweeds. Given that most common annual weeds produce thousands or millions of seeds, it didn't take many generations to have those weeds covering the landscape, especially given the complete takeover of conventional agriculture in the US by this technology. Glyphosate resistance is a few years away from complete obsolescence only two decades after it was introduced. It's really kind of fascinating, probably the most powerful real-time experiment in natural selection ever conducted, and I hope it is making it into the biology text books.

[philagardener]

I guess most folks have forgotten about Agent Orange. Some big chemical company (hint, hint) could even market a household cleaner with that name at this point. Unfortunately, recent batches of 2,4-D from China apparently contain more dioxin contamination than the stuff the US Military dropped on Vietnam in the 60's . . .

[trixtrax]

Agent Orange is essentially 3 different 2,4-D molecules linked together. Can't wait until giant agri-business crops are intrinsically loaded with 2,4-D.. it all just makes so much sense. </sarcasm> Horse pucky

[steev]

I'm not worried about "superweeds"; there's never been industrial ag on my farm, so there aren't even traces of the crap that would give them an edge. Further, there's a range of hills between me and the Central Valley, so that doesn't impact me, and the valley I'm in is really only range-land, so far as the locals use it, so no herbicides/pesticides there, of which they are generally proud.

[12540dumont]

I worry about superweeds, superbugs, super oligarchy government, superstorms, superweapons, and some days just everything being superfluous.

I worry about superweeds because as they infiltrate crops, more herbicides will be used. Doesn't matter if I don't have them on my farm...it's a small planet.

Of course we didn't learn that round-up creates superweeds, Dow AgroSciences makes Enlist Weed Control System, the third leading herbicide, but whose constituent component -- 2,4-D -- is perhaps also best known as one half of the deadly Vietnam War-era herbicide Agent Orange. Both Monsanto and Dow were the two primary government contractors that manufactured the deadly defoliant, though scientists think its extreme health risks were due more to the dioxin found in its other component, 2,4,5-T.

Like the Roundup Ready seeds that Monsanto genetically modified to withstand an application of its herbicide, the Agriculture Department wants to deregulate corn and soybean seeds that have been genetically modified to resist 2,4-D. Although they acknowledge it will likely lead to the creation of new superweeds down the road, their logic is that because we're overusing the herbicide as it is -- farmers who grow genetically modified crops typically use 25% more herbicide than those who grow traditional seeds -- we'll get superweeds sooner or later anyway, so there's no need to regulate the seeds anymore.


Now, the government can come to my farm and tell me that I can't call my produce organic, because I did not use "certified" organic seed. The world makes no sense. Like someone caught in a revolving door, the industrial farming complex keeps going round and round developing new chemicals to kill off the weeds and insects that grew resistant to the last batch that was applied.

And though we're promised that these genetically modified seeds able to withstand the application of powerful herbicides and insecticides but still keep growing are safe for human consumption, it hardly seems a prescription for a healthy diet, let alone a sustainable future.

But hey, my "non-certified" organic seeds are dangerous. (Run for your lives...these peas and potatoes are dangerous! I traded an uncertified organic farmer for them!)

Good grief.

[steev]

It's remarkable that we've come to the point that food and seeds grown as they have been since "ever", have become a threat to "business" and "government", in only two or three human generations.

It's worth noting, from an ecological/evolutionary viewpoint, that the harder an organism is hammered, the more the gentle, defenseless, inoffensive ones disappear and only the tough, fierce, mean ones survive.

[12540dumont]

Steev, Quit casting aspersions on me. You know I'm like a bacteria/weed....but don't tell. I want folks to think I'm a marshmallow.

[steev]

No aspersions cast, whatsoever, Holly; you are are a remarkably inoffensive weed. Oops! Didn't mean to "out" you; my bad.

[templeton]

On a similar note, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vavilovian_mimicry. Agriculture itself selects for weeds. worth a read.
T
T

[Joseph Lofthouse]

A weed grows in one of my fields which when young looks for all the world like a corn plant. It matures to be a short grass.

[blueadzuki]

Apr 24, 2014 21:34:17 GMT -5 12540dumont said:

Steev, Quit casting aspersions on me. You know I'm like a bacteria/weed....but don't tell. I want folks to think I'm a marshmallow.

which in this day and age, some people would consider a weed Althaea officinalis

[bunkie]

Apr 24, 2014 11:27:44 GMT -5 12540dumont said:

I worry about superweeds, superbugs, super oligarchy government, superstorms, superweapons, and some days just everything being superfluous.

I worry about superweeds because as they infiltrate crops, more herbicides will be used. Doesn't matter if I don't have them on my farm...it's a small planet.

Of course we didn't learn that round-up creates superweeds, Dow AgroSciences makes Enlist Weed Control System, the third leading herbicide, but whose constituent component -- 2,4-D -- is perhaps also best known as one half of the deadly Vietnam War-era herbicide Agent Orange. Both Monsanto and Dow were the two primary government contractors that manufactured the deadly defoliant, though scientists think its extreme health risks were due more to the dioxin found in its other component, 2,4,5-T.

Like the Roundup Ready seeds that Monsanto genetically modified to withstand an application of its herbicide, the Agriculture Department wants to deregulate corn and soybean seeds that have been genetically modified to resist 2,4-D. Although they acknowledge it will likely lead to the creation of new superweeds down the road, their logic is that because we're overusing the herbicide as it is -- farmers who grow genetically modified crops typically use 25% more herbicide than those who grow traditional seeds -- we'll get superweeds sooner or later anyway, so there's no need to regulate the seeds anymore.


Now, the government can come to my farm and tell me that I can't call my produce organic, because I did not use "certified" organic seed. The world makes no sense. Like someone caught in a revolving door, the industrial farming complex keeps going round and round developing new chemicals to kill off the weeds and insects that grew resistant to the last batch that was applied.

And though we're promised that these genetically modified seeds able to withstand the application of powerful herbicides and insecticides but still keep growing are safe for human consumption, it hardly seems a prescription for a healthy diet, let alone a sustainable future.

But hey, my "non-certified" organic seeds are dangerous. (Run for your lives...these peas and potatoes are dangerous! I traded an uncertified organic farmer for them!)View Attachment

Good grief.

Here, here!

Apr 25, 2014 8:09:40 GMT -5 Joseph Lofthouse said:

A weed grows in one of my fields which when young looks for all the world like a corn plant. It matures to be a short grass.

We have that same weed here Joseph! Really confused me when we first moved here, and still does...

[12540dumont]

Nikolai Vavilov is my hero. Thanks for the mimicry info. I thought it was just me. We have these huge malva that look just like Hollyhocks. Imposters!

[MikeH]

Apr 24, 2014 11:27:44 GMT -5 12540dumont said:

I worry about superweeds, superbugs, super oligarchy government, superstorms, superweapons, and some days just everything being superfluous.

I worry about superweeds because as they infiltrate crops, more herbicides will be used. Doesn't matter if I don't have them on my farm...it's a small planet.

Of course we didn't learn that round-up creates superweeds, Dow AgroSciences makes Enlist Weed Control System, the third leading herbicide, but whose constituent component -- 2,4-D -- is perhaps also best known as one half of the deadly Vietnam War-era herbicide Agent Orange. Both Monsanto and Dow were the two primary government contractors that manufactured the deadly defoliant, though scientists think its extreme health risks were due more to the dioxin found in its other component, 2,4,5-T.

Like the Roundup Ready seeds that Monsanto genetically modified to withstand an application of its herbicide, the Agriculture Department wants to deregulate corn and soybean seeds that have been genetically modified to resist 2,4-D. Although they acknowledge it will likely lead to the creation of new superweeds down the road, their logic is that because we're overusing the herbicide as it is -- farmers who grow genetically modified crops typically use 25% more herbicide than those who grow traditional seeds -- we'll get superweeds sooner or later anyway, so there's no need to regulate the seeds anymore.


Now, the government can come to my farm and tell me that I can't call my produce organic, because I did not use "certified" organic seed. The world makes no sense. Like someone caught in a revolving door, the industrial farming complex keeps going round and round developing new chemicals to kill off the weeds and insects that grew resistant to the last batch that was applied.

And though we're promised that these genetically modified seeds able to withstand the application of powerful herbicides and insecticides but still keep growing are safe for human consumption, it hardly seems a prescription for a healthy diet, let alone a sustainable future.

But hey, my "non-certified" organic seeds are dangerous. (Run for your lives...these peas and potatoes are dangerous! I traded an uncertified organic farmer for them!)

Good grief.

Be careful what you say. Some of Richard's NZ plant police may pass your name onto the US Plant Police. Sort of a quid pro quo thing among Global Plant Police network. Oh damn, now I've peed in your soup. Sorry.

[richardw]

Apr 26, 2014 7:30:38 GMT -5 MikeH said:

Apr 24, 2014 11:27:44 GMT -5 12540dumont said:

I worry about superweeds, superbugs, super oligarchy government, superstorms, superweapons, and some days just everything being superfluous.

I worry about superweeds because as they infiltrate crops, more herbicides will be used. Doesn't matter if I don't have them on my farm...it's a small planet.

Of course we didn't learn that round-up creates superweeds, Dow AgroSciences makes Enlist Weed Control System, the third leading herbicide, but whose constituent component -- 2,4-D -- is perhaps also best known as one half of the deadly Vietnam War-era herbicide Agent Orange. Both Monsanto and Dow were the two primary government contractors that manufactured the deadly defoliant, though scientists think its extreme health risks were due more to the dioxin found in its other component, 2,4,5-T.

Like the Roundup Ready seeds that Monsanto genetically modified to withstand an application of its herbicide, the Agriculture Department wants to deregulate corn and soybean seeds that have been genetically modified to resist 2,4-D. Although they acknowledge it will likely lead to the creation of new superweeds down the road, their logic is that because we're overusing the herbicide as it is -- farmers who grow genetically modified crops typically use 25% more herbicide than those who grow traditional seeds -- we'll get superweeds sooner or later anyway, so there's no need to regulate the seeds anymore.


Now, the government can come to my farm and tell me that I can't call my produce organic, because I did not use "certified" organic seed. The world makes no sense. Like someone caught in a revolving door, the industrial farming complex keeps going round and round developing new chemicals to kill off the weeds and insects that grew resistant to the last batch that was applied.

And though we're promised that these genetically modified seeds able to withstand the application of powerful herbicides and insecticides but still keep growing are safe for human consumption, it hardly seems a prescription for a healthy diet, let alone a sustainable future.

But hey, my "non-certified" organic seeds are dangerous. (Run for your lives...these peas and potatoes are dangerous! I traded an uncertified organic farmer for them!)

Good grief.

Be careful what you say. Some of Richard's NZ plant police may pass your name onto the US Plant Police. Sort of a quid pro quo thing among Global Plant Police network. Oh damn, now I've peed in your soup. Sorry.

LOL ,but jokes to one side,i believe they are doing exactly that.