4 ms·

GMOs have very little to do with weed killers.

soufron 12y ago
Well not when it comes to Round-up Ready. It's Roundup Resistant GMO + Roundup = we kill everything in the field except the crops.
- thomasfoster96 12y ago
  Your first comment seems to suggest that people who are pro-GMOs will be going against these findings. GMOs and weed killers are two parts of Monsanto's business model, but as far as the science behind the two goes there is virtually nothing in common.
  - fit2rule 12y ago
    .. except the marketing of Roundup as safe to use only in combination with other GMO products from Monsanto, that is.
- cromwellian 12y ago
  Well, BASF sells an herbicide resistant rice + herbicide combo developed using completely natural breeding techniques: http://agproducts.basf.us/news-room/press-releases/current-press-releases/2014-basf-announces-new-herbicide-tolerant-rice-system-in-development.html http://agproducts.basf.us/news-room/press-releases/current-p...
- pdkl95 12y ago
  Monsanto's "Roundup Ready" crops are not the only place roundup (glyphosate) is used. If engineering herbicide resistance into plants is such a bad thing, what's your alternative? Do you want to return to the methods we used before we discovered modern genetics? Monsanto has done some nasty things in the modern era, but their genetics (including their "Roundup Ready" products) are not one of them. If you want to complain about Monsanto, I suggest starting with the changes that Romney (Bain & Company) made to the companies business practices.
DanBC 12y ago
The entire point of roundup is that you use a GMO that has been modified to make it resistant to the weedkiller. In theory this allows you to use less weedkiller earlier in the growing cycle.
- robbiep 12y ago
  You got that around backwards. The entire point of certain GMOs is to enable roundup to be used to kill weeds in the crop without affecting the crop itself. Ie Roundup-ready Cotton (and other Roundup-ready crops that are grown in the US - My family grows Roundup-ready cotton and it has been awesome in terms of improving productivity) You can't use weedkiller at all in the growing cycle unless you modify the organism against it.
  - ptaipale 12y ago
    Depends on how you define "cycle" though. It's quite possible to use Roundup on the ground to first kill the weeds, then wait some time for the glyphosate to disintegrate, then plant the crop. Or just use weedkiller on areas outside the planted crop, in order to stop weeds from spreading from outside.

Well not when it comes to Round-up Ready. It's Roundup Resistant GMO + Roundup = we kill everything in the field except the crops.

thomasfoster96 12y ago
Your first comment seems to suggest that people who are pro-GMOs will be going against these findings. GMOs and weed killers are two parts of Monsanto's business model, but as far as the science behind the two goes there is virtually nothing in common.
- fit2rule 12y ago
  .. except the marketing of Roundup as safe to use only in combination with other GMO products from Monsanto, that is.
cromwellian 12y ago
Well, BASF sells an herbicide resistant rice + herbicide combo developed using completely natural breeding techniques: http://agproducts.basf.us/news-room/press-releases/current-press-releases/2014-basf-announces-new-herbicide-tolerant-rice-system-in-development.html http://agproducts.basf.us/news-room/press-releases/current-p...
pdkl95 12y ago
Monsanto's "Roundup Ready" crops are not the only place roundup (glyphosate) is used. If engineering herbicide resistance into plants is such a bad thing, what's your alternative? Do you want to return to the methods we used before we discovered modern genetics? Monsanto has done some nasty things in the modern era, but their genetics (including their "Roundup Ready" products) are not one of them. If you want to complain about Monsanto, I suggest starting with the changes that Romney (Bain & Company) made to the companies business practices.

DanBC 12y ago

The entire point of roundup is that you use a GMO that has been modified to make it resistant to the weedkiller. In theory this allows you to use less weedkiller earlier in the growing cycle.

robbiep 12y ago
You got that around backwards. The entire point of certain GMOs is to enable roundup to be used to kill weeds in the crop without affecting the crop itself. Ie Roundup-ready Cotton (and other Roundup-ready crops that are grown in the US - My family grows Roundup-ready cotton and it has been awesome in terms of improving productivity) You can't use weedkiller at all in the growing cycle unless you modify the organism against it.
- ptaipale 12y ago
  Depends on how you define "cycle" though. It's quite possible to use Roundup on the ground to first kill the weeds, then wait some time for the glyphosate to disintegrate, then plant the crop. Or just use weedkiller on areas outside the planted crop, in order to stop weeds from spreading from outside.