Seed traits best suited for an area’s climate factors and soil conditions are generally evaluated when selecting seeds. Traits such as days-to-maturity, plant height, and seed/grain weight were also considered. Agriculture Pro Source strongly encourages planting non-GMO seeds. Hybrid varieties are usually non-GMO seeds and are not the same as genetically engineered (“GE”) seeds. To support this assertion, consider the following brief description of natural seed production. Seed traits are coded in the genes of each seed. A combination of genes cluster within a seed and form chromosomes. Each species contains a set number of chromosomes. For example, barley and rye each have 14 chromosomes. Cultivated alfalfa has 32 chromosomes, and wild alfalfa has only 16 chromosomes. Corn and maize contain 20 chromosomes, while wheat and oats have 42 chromosomes. Soybeans and other dry beans each have 22 chromosomes. Humans have Peanuts have 40 chromosomes in each peanut seed. Cotton has 52 chromosomes. (Humans have 46 chromosomes). Genetic engineering is done by humans deliberately altering the structure of genetic material in a living organism. Usually, genetic engineering involves cutting up DNA molecules and splicing fragments from more than one molecule. Natural breeding involves breeding one variety of corn with another to produce the desired traits from each variety in the resulting corn. When employing genetic engineering, corn’s DNA molecules are spliced and combined with DNA molecules from a bacterium, or some other organism with which corn was never intended to be crossbred. Extra chromosomes cannot be added to corn or any other genetically engineered species; instead, they are arranged species. Instead, a chromosome that is naturally part of the species is thrown out for each trait spliced into the subject species. Often, the discarded chromosome from the species being manipulated is a chromosome that supports and bolsters that species’ immune system. The more traits spliced into a variety of corn or other species; the more natural chromosomes are discarded. Thus, genetically engineered corn, soybeans, alfalfa, or any other species usually have a compromised immune system. Genetically engineered crops were first introduced in 1996. Traits spliced into seed genetics such as corn, soybeans, cotton, or alfalfa, usually include herbicide tolerance and insect resistance. Active ingredients applied most often on herbicide-tolerant crops are glyphosate and glufosinate-ammonium. The name brand most familiar with glyphosate is Roundup, and the name brand most likely familiar with glufosinate is Liberty Link. The modes of action for each herbicide are very different from the others. Glyphosate is an organophosphorus compound from the herbicide chemistry Group 9. It inhibits the EPSP synthase pathway. In effect, it functions to block essential amino acids required for photosynthetic processes. Glufosinate ammonium is also an organophosphorus compound, however, it is from Group 10. It inhibits a plant’s ability to use nitrogen as is necessary for healthy maturation and production. Glufosinate ammonium in a plant that is not genetically engineered to tolerate it causes ammoniumin in that plant to become toxic and weaken or kill that plant. Glyphosate weakens plants’ natural immune functions and increases the virulence of root-associated pathogens (see page 157 in Chapter 10, authored by Robert J. Kremer, Synthetic Pesticide Use in Africa, for further details and explanations). Glyphosate enters soil by applications for herbicide purposes, and it also enters soil via root exudates from GE plants and the decomposition of crop residue from GE crops. When in soil and within GE crops, glyphosate limits the availability of micro-nutrients such as manganese and zinc. Its accumulations in soil and plants eventually immobilize other nutrients with a positive charge, such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium. GE crops are designed to produce insecticidal compounds known as cry toxins that originate from the bacteria bacterium Bacillus chemical, Bacillus the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. These insecticidal compounds are carried into the soil by GE crops’ root exudates, and they damage beneficial soil organisms in the rhizosphere (root zone) of GE crops. Including applications of the Biological Products Agriculture Pro Source represents, as recommended, as well as other soil management practices such as crop rotation, cover cropping, applying composted manure, or otherwise involving livestock in crop production cycles, helps restore healthy micro-organisms, arthropods, and macro-organism diversity and activities in soil. These beneficial organisms’ activities dilute the accumulations of glyphosate, its metabolite (AMPA), glufosinate, and other harmful chemical, thereby reducing residuals and their harmful effects on soil life and crop production.
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Written by Agriculture Pro Source
September 1, 2023