question about GMO seed

[hedgeapple]

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[Danaus29]

Some of the older hybrid field corn seed could be saved for a season, but the next season's seed would be worthless. Grandpa used to save seed every other year. Bought new seed in alternate years.

Just reread the post. I haven't heard of a modification to reduce storage and seed viability time. Wouldn't a shorter viability time also mean a shorter shelf life for those products? And seed viability varies between types of seed (tomato vs bean) and method of storage.

IMO, we each need to produce and save as much of our own seed as possible. My radishes are blooming now, ones I left just for the seed.

[highlandview]

I don't know how to insert a link. But in the survival and emergency preparedness forum there is a thread entitled Disturbing Video. The link takes you to one part of a five part series of videos on You Tube about Monsanto. Once there you can watch all five parts. It talks about genetically modified suicide seeds that cannot be saved from year to year.

[hedgeapple]

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[pixelphotograph]

No its a Monsanto product and its corn and soybean at the moment i dont know if they have any other products that they have put it in as of yet.
I would have to check again I read it in a local print farm magazine I get so I dont have a internet link. You could try Monsantos website though.

[rambler]

Originally Posted by pixelphotograph

No its a Monsanto product and its corn and soybean at the moment i dont know if they have any other products that they have put it in as of yet.
I would have to check again I read it in a local print farm magazine I get so I dont have a internet link. You could try Monsantos website though.

The Terminator thing worked in the lab to some extent, but was not practical for real use. Never left the testing stages.

There is no other similar thing being used on any seeds of any type, from that company or any other at this time.

Research my be ongoing - if that is what you meant?

--->Paul

[steader]

Originally Posted by highlandview

I don't know how to insert a link. But in the survival and emergency preparedness forum there is a thread entitled Disturbing Video. The link takes you to one part of a five part series of videos on You Tube about Monsanto. Once there you can watch all five parts. It talks about genetically modified suicide seeds that cannot be saved from year to year.

YouTube

or you can visit their site and buy the DVD.

[pixelphotograph]

The Terminator thing and the time delay die off thing are two different things.
The terminator was buy and plant cant use seed next year.
The time delay thing would render the seed useless not immediately like the terminator but would render it useless a year or two from now.

[Windy in Kansas]

Sadly all of this was brought on by a bunch of lying, cheating farmers that promised NOT to save seed and even signed contracts stating such, then did anyway.

One bad apple spoils it for all as always.

[hedgeapple]

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[steader]

Windy in Kansas, I'm not a farmer and this is our first year of doing a garden so excuse the possibly stupid question. So company XYZ develops this terminator seed that crosses with a seed that another farmer developed. Over a couple of growing seasons couldn't this create some serious issues?

[rambler]

Originally Posted by pixelphotograph

The time delay thing would render the seed useless not immediately like the terminator but would render it useless a year or two from now.

I'm trying to figure out the reason for wanting to develop such a trait. I'm not doubting you at all, just wondering the logic for it. I know some will say for greed & meaness, but seriously, why a 2-3 year time delay. Would it help them develop & grow seed stock this way?

--->Paul

[Danaus29]

steader, can and has. Monsanto has sued and won against farmers that saved their seed, which unknown to them was contaminated by wind pollination and cross bred with Monsanto GM and patented crops. The farmers were found to be violating patent laws and ended up paying huge fines.

[steader]

Originally Posted by Danaus29

steader, can and has. Monsanto has sued and won against farmers that saved their seed, which unknown to them was contaminated by wind pollination and cross bred with Monsanto GM and patented crops. The farmers were found to be violating patent laws and ended up paying huge fines.

Thanks Danaus29, let me clarify as I was aware of some of that through watching the video first and then informal personal interviews I've had the opportunity of doing. The point I was trying to make was entire groups of farmers who have had their own seed for generations now having the terminator seed mixed in which would result in smaller and smaller harvests each year. This falls back on my ignorance of farming but unless there is a way to tell the difference of the terminator seed and the regular seed they'd be planting seed that would never grow. Carrying this process out over time it would eventually force the farmers into using a company's seed within just a generation, right or wrong?

[pixelphotograph]

The time delay seed had something to do with corn mostly. I would have to search for the old article but it had something to do with storage of the grain or seed and you could store it for a year and then if you decided to use it you could plant it and it would grow but if you waited two years or three whatever they choose as the time delay then it would not grow.
As for why anyone would want to put a kill of date or terminator gene in seed......The seed companies would love this because the farmers cant save seed every year they make more money selling more seed each year.

[hedgeapple]

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[hedgeapple]

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[tooltime]

Originally Posted by pixelphotograph

The time delay seed had something to do with corn mostly. I would have to search for the old article but it had something to do with storage of the grain or seed and you could store it for a year and then if you decided to use it you could plant it and it would grow but if you waited two years or three whatever they choose as the time delay then it would not grow.
As for why anyone would want to put a kill of date or terminator gene in seed......The seed companies would love this because the farmers cant save seed every year they make more money selling more seed each year.

Most field corn currently planted is hybrid (hybrid corn constituted 95%+ of planted acreage since 1960), so who would be saving that corn anyway? Nowadays, most farmers plant hybrid, so they buy seed corn every year anyway.

To my knowledge, OP corn varieties don't come under PVP protection, so it can be saved.

Methinks you are a tad confused on this issue.

[hedgeapple]

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[steader]

Originally Posted by tooltime

Most field corn currently planted is hybrid (hybrid corn constituted 95%+ of planted acreage since 1960), so who would be saving that corn anyway? Nowadays, most farmers plant hybrid, so they buy seed corn every year anyway.

The farmer I spoke with whose family runs thousands of acres in Texas said that the biggest issue with patented seed was with wheat, he reinforced what you are saying about corn and they're using a hybrid each year.

It would be interesting to hear from people that are running operations of less than 200 acres with a 'focus' on a particular market and what impact this would have on them.

Originally Posted by tooltime

To my knowledge, OP corn varieties don't come under PVP protection, so it can be saved.

If that is true about OP corn wouldn't the cross pollination cause the corn to come under patent dispute? That seems to be the crux of the arguments that companies like Monsanto are providing.