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Actually, no it doesn't. Since the green revolution the vast majority of farming has relied on first-generation hybrids, taking advantage of the phenomenon of h
by Blahah 14y ago
Actually, no it doesn't. Since the green revolution the vast majority of farming has relied on first-generation hybrids, taking advantage of the phenomenon of hybrid vigour, in which only the first generation show improved agronomic traits. That means it's economically more efficient for farmers to buy the seeds each year from a producer who focusses on breeding, while the farmer focusses on growing.
That's been the case since the early 20th century, and licensed GM seed continues the same practise of breeder-farmer relationship with licenses.
- vidarh 14y agoIf this is the case it makes Monsanto's eagerness to sue even more ridiculous, as farmers who choose to buy second-generation seeds should be at a commercial disadvantage, preventing it from becoming a major threat to their market share.
- Blahah 14y agoPerhaps I didn't explain clearly. With F1 hybrid seeds, farmers buying the second generation will lose the yield traits. But Monsanto's Bt crops are not necessarily F1 hybrids - the major beneficial trait is the engineered one, which is stable across generations. So with the Bt crops, they maintain the breeder-farmer relationship with licenses, because the biology doesn't require it anymore.