Herbicide-Resistant Insects Are Destroying GMO Crops Like Never Before
So biotech tries to make even stronger toxic crops, chemicals
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Bt corn was originally created, or so Monsanto claims, to eradicate a farming nuisance known as rootworm. But as evidence from a GMO corn lab comes in, we are learning how the pests are living the lives in fields planted with GM Bt corn seed.
In 2011, a cornfield planted in Iowa with Bt corn was found to be completely decimated by rootworm. A study, just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, describes the western corn rootworm’s rapid evolution after dining on the engineered crop.
The study’s lead author, Aaron Gassmann, states that:
“The widespread planting of crops genetically engineered to produce insecticidal toxins derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) places intense selective pressure on pest populations to evolve resistance.
Western corn rootworm is a key pest of maize, and in continuous maize fields it is often managed through planting of Bt maize. During 2009 and 2010, fields were identified in Iowa in which western corn rootworm imposed severe injury to maize producing Bt toxin Cry3Bb1. Subsequent bioassays revealed Cry3Bb1 resistance in these populations.
Here, we report that, during 2011, injury to Bt maize in the field expanded to include mCry3A maize in addition to Cry3Bb1 maize and that laboratory analysis of western corn rootworm from these fields found resistance to Cry3Bb1 and mCry3A and cross-resistance between these toxins.
Resistance to Bt maize has persisted in Iowa, with both the number of Bt fields identified with severe root injury and the ability western corn rootworm populations to survive on Cry3Bb1 maize increasing between 2009 and 2011.”
Read: Rootworms Prevail as they Develop Resistance to Toxic GMO Crops
The authors also found that not only did the rootworm thrive in Bt corn fields, but the pest had the potential to “develop resistance rapidly” when Bt crops don’t produce a high enough level of Bt toxin, and therefore would require farmers to use more pesticides to eradicate the pest.
In short, Bt corn didn’t eradicate the pest it was meant to destroy; it only made it stronger, thereby causing even more pesticide use. Sounds like a perfect biotech creation made in cahoots with companies that sell chemicals for a living – and yet we trust them to make our food?
Additional Sources:
Photo by Joseph Spencer, INHS
 | Christina Sarich is a humanitarian and freelance writer helping you to Wake up Your Sleepy Little Head, and See the Big Picture. Her blog is Yoga for the New World. Her latest book is Pharma Sutra: Healing the Body And Mind Through the Art of Yoga. |
Herbicides kill plants. Insecticides kill insect. Pesticides can include both. Please, get your terminology correct before making out he headline of the article.
What about the gm’ed Diamondback moth and the gm’ed mosquitoes that where just released by the hundreds of thousands? If one of their larvae is found on an Organic farm,whooops-there it goes-certification and all. The two companies responsible for these super insects have reputations for short-cutting the “governmental” rules and regs. Again–single minded money-mongers strike!……………………………………….♥
An article about Bt corn with the leading picture of a soybean leaf!! Another great example of Christina’s lack of knowledge about what she is writing. She also didn’t care enough to dig into the real reasons it is failing either. The fact that farmers didn’t plant the refuge requirement and the government wouldn’t let the seed companies put the refuge seed in the same bag until recently. Now we have multiple proteins plus the refuge in the same bag, and they are still working. Naturally, Christina is several years behind in her story.
so tell me how scattered IN the bag non gm refuge seeds would make a damn of difference?
the idea of refuge was a clump of non gm..mixed in isnt going to do that!
crosspollination on non GM crops ensuring fees n charges for the unwanted contaminated grain produced went a long way to making farmers just give in n buy GMO seed.
either way thats what they ended up with anyway:-(
and all the extra seed n chem costs as well of course.
The refuge in a bag works fine and compliance is guaranteed. Further there are NO charges or fees for contaminated fields, the best thing you claim would be lost premium when selling, and even then most places accept a small percentage of contamination (some up to 5%). Next, you are wrong about the cost as well. Why the seed is more expensive it is offset by the LOWER chemical cost. As the insect traits have all but eliminated the need for insecticides and the herbicide traits have great reduced the acre cost for weed control.
ok where I am you now cop higher fees for storing and testing NON gmo since they allowed it here
IF they find gm traits you get levied
even if youre a gmo free contaminated land innocent.
and the organic premium is a fair bit higher than non.
since when is 5% a small contaminant level?
if you had that much weed seed your grain would be sold as feed or refused storage. the level is under 2% in Aus.
and thats overly generous.
not sure what lower cost is to you but multiple hundreds per 20 litre drums is the norm, some into the Ks.
and buying IN hybrid seed that doesnt breed true over saving your own old breed true varieties, that are area adapted is simply nuts.
as the above article states bugs are resistant, as are many weeds, so the GM traits are failing to protect therby requiring other different chem to knock them out
and then..the usal multiple chem resistance will follow.
You need to calm down as you are babbling and not really making much sense. Must be to much organic. As for insects being resistant to gm traits that is false. Rootworm is showing resistance to a single trait, not traits. That trait is Monsanto’s Yieldgard trait. Dow’s Herculex as well as Syngenta’s trait is still working fine. What is even better is the combination of the Herculex and the Yieldgard traits. Combine these with the refuge in a bag and they are working just as they are suppose to. As for your other comments now you are claiming organic instead of non gmo. You are changing arguments half way through. All organic is non gmo, but most non gmo is NOT organic. As far as your costs are concerned you didn’t say what costs multiple hundreds per drum? What is reality is that glyphosate can be sprayed for as little as $6 per acre vs. non gmo at $30+ dollars per acre. For saving your seed, there are multiple studies that show buying new seed will easily out perform saved bin run seed. As for what works in your area, sounds like you need better seed selection. Of course in this country we have multiple seed companies that specialize in certain areas.
“ow’s Herculex as well as Syngenta’s trait is still working fine. What is even better is the combination of the Herculex and the Yieldgard traits. Combine these with the refuge in a bag…”
–therein lies the exact problem! If the bugs can develop resistance, as in the BT/ringworm example, You keep having to add more and more components to stay ahead of the resistance curve, and the produce becomes more and more toxic.
Adding a second NON TOXIC trait doesn’t magically make it toxic. You need to step into reality.
they are ALL toxic!
Yes after twenty years with zero incidents you really have a strong argument on you side. LOL you are great entertainment please keep it up.
There are 2.4 million cases of celiac disease, and skyrocketing rates of Parkinson’s, dementia, Alzheimer’s, ADHD, suicide… all attributable to Roundup use and GMO crap…
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/10-Reasons-to-Avoid-GMOs
http://www.foodrenegade.com/link-between-roundup-ready-gmos-disease/
http://sustainablepulse.com/2014/02/19/roundup-linked-global-boom-celiac-disease-gluten-intolerance/
zero incidents my ass. keep dumping out lies, like the people you work for dump out toxins you paid troll.
There are 2.4 million cases of celiac disease, and skyrocketing rates of Parkinson’s, dementia, Alzheimer’s, ADHD, suicide… all attributable to Roundup use and GMO crap…
Read “10 Reasons to Avoid GMOs” on IRT
REad “THE LINK BETWEEN ROUNDUP READY GMOS AND DISEASE” on FoodRenegade.
Read “Roundup Linked to Global Boom in Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance” on SustainablePulse
Read the studies these articles link to!
zero incidents my ass. keep dumping out lies, like the people you work for dump out toxins you paid troll
Wait I have to wait before I can reply to this one!!! I can hardly stop laughing. You blame gmos for suicide? These diseases have all been around long before gmos and they will be here even if they go away. Do you work for the Enquirer? LOL, people here are loving the entertainment you are putting out. They think you are lying, because no on can be this stupid.
what part of “skyrocketing rates” don’t you understand moron. I didn’t say GMO created these problems… just exacerbated them. But keep on ignoring the scientific studies that prove these assertions… you are doing a fantastic job proving yourself to be thoughtless tool.
Let’s see if we had one million at three billion people and now we have two million at six billion people, OH MY GOS IT MUST BE THE GMOS RATES ARE SKY ROCKETING!! Give me a break Buxley you are off your rocker.
the “rate” of disease incidence is defined as the number of cases per thousand population. total population has nothing to do with it. You are so desperate to save your lies, you are grasping at the frailest lamest straws… but keep on ignoring the science.
“people here are loving the entertainment you are putting out. They think ”
–Who are ‘people here’ ? Are you referring to your co-workers at the Monsanto ‘troll factory’? Why are all these people not up-voting your posts if they think you are so smart? Maybe they are imaginary friends of yours???
Are you wandering around toxic gmo cornfields all day with ‘these people’ while commenting on the internet? I’m thinking your assertion that you are “out in the field everyday” was also a LIE.
Yes these people are at “MY” work. My work is an ag retailer. We buy zero off of Monsanto. You won’t believe that but we don’t. Yes some of our seed money ultimately ends up in their hands, but we do not pay them directly. You only assume that everyone works for Monsanto when in reality Monsanto is in the minority. Most glyphosate today is bought on the generic market, not from monsanto. With all all this you still dodge the offer to actually GO TO A FARMING COMMUNITY, pick a state, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio. Kentucky, Minnesota pick one it really doesn’t matter. The farmers will be happy to educate your ignorant self if you are open to learning.
I am getting a plenty good education watching relatives and friends suffer and die from of unnecessary diseases, thanks in part to people like you selling toxins into the food supply system, and making up obvious lies in your sales pitches, to pretend they are safe. typical snake oil salesman.
It is sad that you are so gullible to believe that everything bad is thanks to gmos, when in reality there is nothing wrong with them and it has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt.
So celiac disease ‘just happened’ to pop up among the population at the same time as use of Roundup on food crops and gmo use were taking off around the country…. RIGHT. Sell me another one of your lies Robert.
This is pretty easy to look up you really are making a fool of yourself here.
What is the origin of Gluten-Related Disorders?
Celiac disease (CD) was first described in the second century, but the cause wasn’t identified until the 20th century. Terminology has changed as research confirmed that celiac disease diagnosed in children was the same disease as non-tropical sprue diagnosed in adults. The term “celiac disease” is now most commonly used. Another term for the same condition includes “gluten sensitive enteropathy.” Dermatitis herpetiformis also known as Duhring’s disease and gluten ataxia are generally considered specific manifestations of celiac disease. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity symptoms and treatment are just like celiac disease without HLA similarity. Only recently gluten sensitivity has been separated from the celiac disease umbrella.
CD was born over 2000 years ago. In 2008, the “case of Cosa”, revealed a skeleton of a first century AD young woman at the archaeological site of Cosa, southwest of Tuscany, Italy. She was a 18-20 year-old woman, with signs of failure to thrive and malnutrition. The skeleton showed typical celiac disease damage and the presence of HLA-DQ2.5. Gasbarrini G, Miele L, Corazza GR, Gasbarrini A. When was celiac disease born?: the Italian case from the archeo-logic site of Cosa. I Clin Gastroenterol 2010; 44: 502-503
Hey look, I can copy clip too…. unlike you I know how to cite sources and not commit plagarism.
“Celiac disease, and, more generally, gluten intolerance, is a growing problem worldwide, but especially in North America and Europe, where an estimated 5% of the population now suffers from it. Symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, skin rashes, macrocytic anemia and depression. It is a multifactorial disease associated with numerous nutritional deficiencies as well as reproductive issues and increased risk to thyroid disease, kidney failure and cancer. Here, we propose that glyphosate, the active ingredient in the herbicide, Roundup®, is the most important causal factor in this epidemic. Fish exposed to glyphosate develop digestive problems that are reminiscent of celiac disease.” – Anthony Samsel and Stephanie Seneff
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3945755/bin/ITX-6-159-g001.jpg
“Glyphosate disrupts the synthesis of tryptophan and tyrosine in plants and in gut bacteria, due to its interference with the shikimate pathway (Lu et al., 2013; María et al., 1996), which is its main source of toxicity to plants. Glyphosate also depletes methionine in plants and microbes.” – Anthony Samsel and Stephanie Seneff
“Gluten sensitivity is currently estimated to affect as many as 18 million Americans.[1] Reactions to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley, are becoming increasingly common. Gluten sensitivity can range in severity from mild discomfort, such as gas and bloating, to celiac disease, a serious autoimmune condition that can, if undiagnosed, result in a 4-fold increase in death.[2] Genetics alone cannot explain the rapid rise in gluten-related disorders, and experts believe that there must be an environmental trigger. There continues to be much debate about what that environmental trigger may be. Some assert that a higher gluten content of modern wheat is to blame for the rising prevalence of gluten-related disorders.[3] But a 2013 review of data commissioned by the United States Department of Agriculture found no evidence to support this.[4] Others blame increased consumption of wheat overall,[4] age of wheat introduction,[5] cesarean birth,[6] breastfeeding duration,[7] or alterations in intestinal microflora.[8] All of these do offer some explanation, but they cannot completely account for the drastic increase in gluten sensitivities that we have seen in recent years.” – By Jeffrey M. Smith, Executive Director, Institute for Responsible Technology
Hey look, I can copy clip too…. but unlike you I actually cite my sources.
“Celiac disease, and, more generally, gluten intolerance, is a growing problem worldwide, but especially in North America and Europe, where an estimated 5% of the population now suffers from it. Symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, skin rashes, macrocytic anemia and depression. It is a multifactorial disease associated with numerous nutritional deficiencies as well as reproductive issues and increased risk to thyroid disease, kidney failure and cancer. Here, we propose that glyphosate, the active ingredient in the herbicide, Roundup®, is the most important causal factor in this epidemic. Fish exposed to glyphosate develop digestive problems that are reminiscent of celiac disease.” – Anthony Samsel and Stephanie Seneff
“Glyphosate disrupts the synthesis of tryptophan and tyrosine in plants and in gut bacteria, due to its interference with the shikimate pathway (Lu et al., 2013; María et al., 1996), which is its main source of toxicity to plants. Glyphosate also depletes methionine in plants and microbes.” – Anthony Samsel and Stephanie Seneff
“Gluten sensitivity is currently estimated to affect as many as 18 million Americans.[1] Reactions to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley, are becoming increasingly common. Gluten sensitivity can range in severity from mild discomfort, such as gas and bloating, to celiac disease, a serious autoimmune condition that can, if undiagnosed, result in a 4-fold increase in death.[2] Genetics alone cannot explain the rapid rise in gluten-related disorders, and experts believe that there must be an environmental trigger. There continues to be much debate about what that environmental trigger may be. Some assert that a higher gluten content of modern wheat is to blame for the rising prevalence of gluten-related disorders.[3] But a 2013 review of data commissioned by the United States Department of Agriculture found no evidence to support this.[4] Others blame increased consumption of wheat overall,[4] age of wheat introduction,[5] cesarean birth,[6] breastfeeding duration,[7] or alterations in intestinal microflora.[8] All of these do offer some explanation, but they cannot completely account for the drastic increase in gluten sensitivities that we have seen in recent years.” – By Jeffrey M. Smith, Executive Director, Institute for Responsible Technology
Let’s see since none of the cereal crops are gmo then that shoots yet another hole in your gmo theory now doesn’t it. Oh I guess that was a fact you didn’t come across yet now wasn’t it? Yes that did require research now didn’t it.
there is a ton of gmo wheat planted in the US. what outrageous lie are you trying to spin now?
LOL a ton of wheat plants about 18 acres, and even that isn’t planted in this country. You really need to learn something before you comment.
You’re lying, Robert.
You are just mad because more people are learning the truth that the gmos horror stories you promote are the real lies.
You are just mad because the lies you have promoted are being proven false and because your employer Monsanto is going to get their pants sued off and you are going to be out of a job (if they don’t fire you for being such a terrible dumb lying lousy troll first).
It never ceases to amaze me that people like yourself think that if anyone defends gmos, they must work for Monsanto. What’s it like to go through life with blinders on?
You already admitted you sell their products. remember? or was that a lie too and you forgot which lie you told me? the evidence against roundup and GMO is voluminous and mounting. who is wearing blinders?
I never once said that I sell Monsanto products. Once again you either can’t comprehend or you simply twist words to fit your own perverted ideas. It may come as a surprise to you, but I really don’t even care much for Monsanto. I did say that I sell to farmers. I do sell fertilizer, chemicals, and seed. Dow, BASF, Sygenta and others. We have not sold a Monsanto product in probably ten years. We have seen the agriculture landscape change greatly over our 106 years in this business. The gmos are the best thing to come along in a long time. Farmers are very happy with them and everyone is happy that we no longer have to handle the truly dangerous chemicals that gmos have helped us replace. Once again quit getting your information from the internet and actually get out and see what is going on in the world. Or are you just scared that it will shatter your horror stories and then you will have to find something new to whine about and blame everything on? How sad.
“Yes some of our seed money ultimately ends up in their hands, but we do not pay them directly.” … “I never once said that I sell Monsanto products.”
Keep prevaricating Robert…. just digging your hole deeper.
Aldous, please find me on Google+ and add me to your circles. I would like to keep contact with you if possible. This is an issue I feel strongly about.
No.
As I said nothing we sell is Monsanto. The seed company that we do sell for must pay Monsanto royalty fees, but that is as far as it goes. You do seem to get things confused don’t you. Have you been tested for dementia?
As far as I am concerned, if it is based on a Monsanto patent, its a Monsanto product…. I don’t care how many shell companies they set up, and how many brand names they register, to do their end run around monopoly trade laws…. duh!!
Well you know, you actually don’t care about the truth either so thank you for playing. Your opinion is in the increasing minority as the facts outweigh your lies.
your the one who obviously doesn’t care about the truth, or that the products you hawk are poisoning people.
Well lets see I haven’t lied once proved multiples yours wrong. While the product we sell are poisons (especially for weeds) they need to be treated with respected and used properly. This is no different than house hold items many are poisonous and must be handled with care, but when done so can be used safely.
you haven’t proven anything, other than your tremendous propensity for lies.
the difference between your poisons and other household chemicals is that yours are embedded in stuff sold as food. duh!
That is why there are restrictions on when and what you can spray — DUH!! Of course someone like yourself wouldn’t know this because you don’t care about the truth. All you want is to spread you misinformation.
“Under very specific climate conditions a small number of farmers may apply this herbicide [glyphosate] to hard spring wheat (bread flour wheat) at the end of the growth cycle as a last resort to speed harvest. Applying glyphosate to speed harvest is costly and not economically sound except in extreme cases where it is the only way to bring in a crop.” – King Arthur Flour Rep.
“Once again quit getting your information from the internet and actually get out and see what is going on in the world. ”
–I’ll get my information from wherever I dam well please.. Last I checked this is still a somewhat free country and corrupt corporations like Monsanto haven’t destroyed all our freedoms yet. I always fact check my own information, and you are the one failing the fact check here Robert, not Christian Sarich or any of the other sources I have referred to. I don’t trust people making their living selling, using, implementing the products in question… of course they are biased because their livelihoods depend on convincing people their products are safe.
You’re an idiot.
Oh yes excellent response, shows you have no real reply.
You have no real intellectual sense.
This coming from you has no real meaning.
We have been explaining to you many times why we wouldn’t eat GMO foods, MORON.
So you wanted to shove it down to our throat with this unhealthy GMO foods?! Get a life and you’re acting like an immature kid, you need to grow up.
No, I have been explaining to you, that I think you should buy organic if that is what you want, but leave the rest of us along. Definitely quit spreading your lies.
It’s you being so ignorant about GMO foods, Robert, and you need to get a book called: “Seed of Deception” at Amazon, and you’ll learn the truth about GMO Foods and what it does contained. It has a hidden agenda 21, to depopulate humankind.
You see you just can argue with stupid, and you have a bad case of it. You claim depopulation and peach day it just keeps rising. every day that goes by proves you wrong and shows your stupidity.
Yes, they’ TOXIC and that is why we’re having increase incidence of gut, breast cancers and miscarriage among women who ate these GMO crops that have BT’s and EPICYTE genes in them.
The Aaron J. Gassmann, etal study referenced in the above article doesn’t mention anything about not planting the refuge requirement. where did you get that nonsense?
Sorry, again I work with farmers in the real world. I know what goes on and farmers will bend or break any rule if it benefits them. They don’t want to leave 20% of their field unprotected and they don’t wish to apply the dangerous insecticide on that 20% as well or pay for the equipment that applies it if it is only being used 20% of the time. The simple solution is to to plant 100% gmo. The industry response was simple. Smartstax combined the Yieldgard trait and the Herculex genes and the refuge was reduced to 5%. Farmers still wouldn’t do it, so the next response was to petition the government to change the labeling laws and allow for refuge in a bag, and compliance is guaranteed. This is what happens when you only depend things like the internet for your information. Try and actually get out into the real world and see what is going on. When you find that your horror stories that you read about on the internet don’t exist maybe the light at the end of the tunnel will come on (or you will just be able to see it for a change).
You’re talking apples and oranges as usual you paid LYING TROLL. The STUDY SHOWED increased Bt resistance. The study didn’t mention anything about not planting the refuge requirement. You want to muddy the waters by talking about stuff that happened outside the study, but that didn’t affect the results of the study in question.
You won’t cite your source because it is your own rear end.
nice try, but your bias and lies are growing more ridiculous everyday.
Yes your lies are. It is hard to cite sources when you are out in the field actually living it everyday. The other thing is I never denied that there is resistance out there. The only thing I did was to explain one of the reasons why. You obviously have a hard time comprehending things. I find it real funny when someone like you is challenged to actually go out into the real world and verify for yourself what is going on you refuse. It is as sad as you throwing up the “paid LYING TROLL”. Please provide me with a number because I would love to be paid to make a fool people like you (of course they won’t because they know people like myself are more than happy to do it for free!!)
you can’t even deny that you were deliberately muddying the waters by comparing apples and oranges. You still can’t cite a source. You have been caught lying, red handed, pants down, and automatically turn to ad hominem attacks to defend yourself, because that is all you have.
Sorry, I used something you lack to draw the conclusion — Logic. The refuge requirements were put in place in order to help stop resistance. Therefore, if farmers don’t plant the necessary refuge it and insect resistance happens it would make sense to connect the dots. I realize simple thinking is beyond you at this point as the only thing you are interested in is propaganda that agrees with you.
The funniest thing yet is you “What evidence do you expect to see “out in the field everyday” for the toxicity of GMO and roundup?”. Really? can you be serious? With your conclusions I should be seeing it everywhere. Dead animals, animals that are sterile, farmers dropping like flies the list goes on and on and on and on and on — with your lies that is, because absolutely none of that is happening. Zero, Zilch, NONE. Keep the laughs coming though, there are a lot of people that can wait for your next one.
WOW!!! Are you really being this dense on purpose?!?!?
Logic dictates that if farmers not in the study didn’t plant the refuge requirement, it wouldn’t affect the outcome of the study, because they aren’t in the study. LOGIC dictates that if the farmers in the study referenced didn’t plant the refuge requirements, then the study would have stated that fact, because the study discusses refuge requirements. Logic dictates that if farmers in the study did plant the refuge requirement, it wouldn’t show that results were affected by not planting the refuge requirements, because they did. Logic dictates that if farmers not in the study did plant the refuge requirement, it also wouldn’t effect the results of the study because they aren’t in the study!!!! There is just NO POSSIBLE WAY your assertion/LIE could logically be true.
Did I really have to explain all that after three posts? Are you really a total moron? Or are you being deliberately obtuse? Or are you deliberately ingnoring hte obvious logic because you are a paid troll paid troll? Those are the only options.
And no, you wouldn’t expect to see “Dead animals, animals that are sterile, farmers dropping like flies” because it’s not toxic till you eat it in large quantities, unless you have an allergic reaction like Celiac, then its toxic when eaten in samll quantities.
But keep on shilling for Monsanto, with stupid illogical desperate foolishness…. keep in digging your hole deeper and proving yourself to be a paid shill, desperate to redeem your employer’s criminal name at all costs… I’d laugh back at you, but unfortunately, this is deadly serious and people and livestock being fed GMO crap are seriously suffering as a result of Monsanto’s toxic products.
LOL, yes you think all farmers tell the truth!! Whether in the study or not. Excuse me mr. Farmer did you illegally not plant the refuge? Well, no I always follow the law. Where did you plant it? Over there some where , sorry I can’t show you but I’m busy (at this point the young college intern decides they have done all that is possible and leaves). Then we conduct our study and the organic people all say AMEN!! Keep them coming Buxley.
Farmers don’t lie, Robert. Get real!