They always picture someone in a lab with syringes and special machines to “modify DNA”. Most of the time it’s just a couple of potted plants under a lamp and a cotton swab. For fruit trees, you’re pretty much just replacing a branch with another branch. Tape and staples might be involved.
Genetically modified plants is very different from selective breeding. Selective breeding mimics the natural evolution process, removing natural selection and replacing it with human decisions.
Using a separate root stock from your fruiting trees isn’t genetic modification or breeding. It’s just taking desirable size features from a root stock and growing your desired fruit from that. It still remains two different plant, with two different DNAs. The fruit would produce a child of the fruit tree, the same as if it was grown from seed. If the root tree was allowed to flower it would create a seed the same as if it were never grafted.
GMO are an extremely useful technology. When well regulated and tested will help produce food for the growing world population. The big problems with it are the consequences of it. Plant have been modified to tolerate high doses of weed killer, pesticides and fertilisers. These all help increase the productivity of the land, but the impacts are terrible on the local environment. Residual weed killer and pesticide may pose a risk to human as well.
Thanks. Comments above yours are a bit disingenuous, trying to bunch up intrusive lab techniques with selective breeding. While the definition of GMO is pretty vague, let’s not pretend what Monsanto does is exactly the same as what Native Americans did.
It’s not. It’s more advanced, and yes, it’s better.
You know, more technology becomes available, you use it to make life better for everyone. Monsanto execta can go pound dicks, but in principle, GMO food is perfectly fine, safe, and healthy. If anything, it’ll be more healthy (more vitamins), more plentiful as new crops can withstand droughts better, etc. etc. etc.
So far the only counter argument to that that I’ve heard here is “nuh uh!”
When well regulated and tested will help produce food for the growing world population.
No. It won’t.
The Bill Gates/Monsanto Bootlicker Brigade wants to pretend that it’s (somehow) the actual foodcrops we have at our disposal that is (somehow) “flawed” and therefore requires unnecessary and (thoroughly patentable) meddling to “fix” - but, like all capitalist “solutions” to the problems caused by capitalism, it is merely a disasterous (but profitable) distraction.
And, of course, this is quite apart from the fact that the right-wing histrionics about “population growth” has turned out like all other right-wing histrionics - false. In a few decades’ time, you’ll see these same capitalist bootlickers peddling the dubious wonders of GMOs now whining about population shrinkage.
You realize that if you cross breed plants and come up with something new, you can patent it? The only point you actually made about GMO is not specific to GMO.
You realize that if you cross breed plants and come up with something new, you can patent it?
Yes… I can cross-breed plants. Hell, it’s happening right now in my garden - cross-bred avocados, chillies and mokapanos. And since I’m not a parasitic organisation that only exist to make “red arrow go up” at the expense of everybody and everything on the planet, I can easily decide to simply give it all away for free.
After all - I don’t benefit in any way when my fellow human beings live in a food insecure hellscape one paycheck away from starvation… but the parasites you lot are shilling for does.
They always picture someone in a lab with syringes and special machines to “modify DNA”. Most of the time it’s just a couple of potted plants under a lamp and a cotton swab. For fruit trees, you’re pretty much just replacing a branch with another branch. Tape and staples might be involved.
Genetically modified plants is very different from selective breeding. Selective breeding mimics the natural evolution process, removing natural selection and replacing it with human decisions.
Using a separate root stock from your fruiting trees isn’t genetic modification or breeding. It’s just taking desirable size features from a root stock and growing your desired fruit from that. It still remains two different plant, with two different DNAs. The fruit would produce a child of the fruit tree, the same as if it was grown from seed. If the root tree was allowed to flower it would create a seed the same as if it were never grafted.
GMO are an extremely useful technology. When well regulated and tested will help produce food for the growing world population. The big problems with it are the consequences of it. Plant have been modified to tolerate high doses of weed killer, pesticides and fertilisers. These all help increase the productivity of the land, but the impacts are terrible on the local environment. Residual weed killer and pesticide may pose a risk to human as well.
Thanks. Comments above yours are a bit disingenuous, trying to bunch up intrusive lab techniques with selective breeding. While the definition of GMO is pretty vague, let’s not pretend what Monsanto does is exactly the same as what Native Americans did.
It’s not. It’s more advanced, and yes, it’s better.
You know, more technology becomes available, you use it to make life better for everyone. Monsanto execta can go pound dicks, but in principle, GMO food is perfectly fine, safe, and healthy. If anything, it’ll be more healthy (more vitamins), more plentiful as new crops can withstand droughts better, etc. etc. etc.
So far the only counter argument to that that I’ve heard here is “nuh uh!”
No. It won’t.
The Bill Gates/Monsanto Bootlicker Brigade wants to pretend that it’s (somehow) the actual foodcrops we have at our disposal that is (somehow) “flawed” and therefore requires unnecessary and (thoroughly patentable) meddling to “fix” - but, like all capitalist “solutions” to the problems caused by capitalism, it is merely a disasterous (but profitable) distraction.
And, of course, this is quite apart from the fact that the right-wing histrionics about “population growth” has turned out like all other right-wing histrionics - false. In a few decades’ time, you’ll see these same capitalist bootlickers peddling the dubious wonders of GMOs now whining about population shrinkage.
You realize that if you cross breed plants and come up with something new, you can patent it? The only point you actually made about GMO is not specific to GMO.
Yes… I can cross-breed plants. Hell, it’s happening right now in my garden - cross-bred avocados, chillies and mokapanos. And since I’m not a parasitic organisation that only exist to make “red arrow go up” at the expense of everybody and everything on the planet, I can easily decide to simply give it all away for free.
After all - I don’t benefit in any way when my fellow human beings live in a food insecure hellscape one paycheck away from starvation… but the parasites you lot are shilling for does.
Your complaint seems to be with capitalism and is completely separate from GMO.
Who do you think is peddling the (alleged) “need” for GMO food crops, genius? The tooth fairy?
I’ve seen lots of scientists pushing the need for it: decreased land use, decreased pesticides use, drought tolerance, etc.
Gmo is just a tool. Sure capitalists will take advantage of it for profit, but again, separate from the tool.
You mean that thing we can already do without the need for GMOs?
Once more… you mean that thing we can already do without the need for GMOs?
And finally… you mean that thing we can already do without the need for GMOs?
You exist in a capitalist society - nothing can be separated from it, genius.
The types like you are funny. On the one hand you complain that we can’t use efficient food, but on the other we must feed everyone. Which is it?
Being anti science may be cool but it won’t save this world.
Yes yes, Monsanto is evil and things need to change and improve, but don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater
Yet more liberals whose only intelectual exercise comes from taking incoherent logical leaps? Do they churn you out in a factory somewhere?
Oh, look at you - protecting the status quo while pretending to criticize it!