Science in Society Archive

Emergency! Pathogen New to Science Found in Roundup Ready GM Crops?

USDA senior scientist sends “emergency” warning to US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on a new plant pathogen in Roundup Ready GM soybean and corn that may be responsible for high rates of infertility and spontaneous abortions in livestock Dr. Mae-Wan Ho

Please distribute widely and forward to your elected representatives

An open letter appeared on the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance founded and run by Judith McGeary to save family farms in the US [1, 2].  The letter, written by Don Huber, professor emeritus at Purdue University, to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, warns of a pathogen “new to science” discovered by “a team of senior plant and animal scientists”. Huber says it should be treated as an “emergency’’, as it could result in “a collapse of US soy and corn export markets and significant disruption of domestic food and feed supplies.”

The letter appeared to have been written before Vilsack announced his decision to authorize unrestricted commercial planting of GM alfalfa on 1 February, in the hope of convincing the Secretary of Agriculture to impose a moratorium instead on deregulation of Roundup Ready (RR) crops.  

The new pathogen appears associated with serious pervasive diseases in plants - sudden death syndrome in soybean and Goss' wilt in corn – but its suspected effects on livestock is alarming.  Huber refers to “recent reports of infertility rates in dairy heifers of over 20%, and spontaneous abortions in cattle as high as 45%.”

This could be the worst nightmare of genetic engineering that some scientists including me have been warning for years [3] (see Genetic Engineering Dream or Nightmare, ISIS publication): the unintended creation of new pathogens through assisted horizontal gene transfer and recombination.

Huber writes in closing: “I have studied plant pathogens for more than 50 years. We are now seeing an unprecedented trend of increasing plant and animal diseases and disorders. This pathogen may be instrumental to understanding and solving this problem. It deserves immediate attention with significant resources to avoid a general collapse of our critical agricultural infrastructure.”

The complete letter is reproduced below.

Dear Secretary Vilsack:

A team of senior plant and animal scientists have recently brought to my attention the discovery of an electron microscopic pathogen that appears to significantly impact the health of plants, animals, and probably human beings. Based on a review of the data, it is widespread, very serious, and is in much higher concentrations in Roundup Ready (RR) soybeans and corn-suggesting a link with the RR gene or more likely the presence of Roundup. This organism appears NEW to science!

This is highly sensitive information that could result in a collapse of US soy and corn export markets and significant disruption of domestic food and feed supplies. On the other hand, this new organism may already be responsible for significant harm (see below). My colleagues and I are therefore moving our investigation forward with speed and discretion, and seek assistance from the USDA and other entities to identify the pathogen's source, prevalence, implications, and remedies.

We are informing the USDA of our findings at this early stage, specifically due to your pending decision regarding approval of RR alfalfa. Naturally, if either the RR gene or Roundup itself is a promoter or co-factor of this pathogen, then such approval could be a calamity. Based on the current evidence, the only reasonable action at this time would be to delay deregulation at least until sufficient data has exonerated the RR system, if it does.

For the past 40 years, I have been a scientist in the professional and military agencies that evaluate and prepare for natural and manmade biological threats, including germ warfare and disease outbreaks. Based on this experience, I believe the threat we are facing from this pathogen is unique and of a high risk status. In layman's terms, it should be treated as an emergency.

A diverse set of researchers working on this problem have contributed various pieces of the puzzle, which together presents the following disturbing scenario:

Unique Physical Properties
This previously unknown organism is only visible under an electron microscope (36,000X), with an approximate size range equal to a medium size virus. It is able to reproduce and appears to be a micro-fungal-like organism. If so, it would be the first such micro-fungus ever identified. There is strong evidence that this infectious agent promotes diseases of both plants and mammals, which is very rare.

Pathogen Location and Concentration
It is found in high concentrations in Roundup Ready soybean meal and corn, distillers meal, fermentation feed products, pig stomach contents, and pig and cattle placentas.

Linked with Outbreaks of Plant Disease
The organism is prolific in plants infected with two pervasive diseases that are driving down yields and farmer income-sudden death syndrome (SDS) in soy, and Goss' wilt in corn. The pathogen is also found in the fungal causative agent of SDS (Fusarium solani fsp glycines).

Implicated in Animal Reproductive Failure
Laboratory tests have confirmed the presence of this organism in a wide variety of livestock that have experienced spontaneous abortions and infertility. Preliminary results from ongoing research have also been able to reproduce abortions in a clinical setting.

The pathogen may explain the escalating frequency of infertility and spontaneous abortions over the past few years in US cattle, dairy, swine, and horse operations. These include recent reports of infertility rates in dairy heifers of over 20%, and spontaneous abortions in cattle as high as 45%.

For example, 450 of 1,000 pregnant heifers fed wheatlege experienced spontaneous abortions. Over the same period, another 1,000 heifers from the same herd that were raised on hay had no abortions. High concentrations of the pathogen were confirmed on the wheatlege, which likely had been under weed management using glyphosate.

Recommendations
In summary, because of the high titer of this new animal pathogen in Roundup Ready crops, and its association with plant and animal diseases that are reaching epidemic proportions, we request USDA's participation in a multi-agency investigation, and an immediate moratorium on the deregulation of RR crops until the causal/predisposing relationship with glyphosate and/or RR plants can be ruled out as a threat to crop and animal production and human health.

It is urgent to examine whether the side-effects of glyphosate use may have facilitated the growth of this pathogen, or allowed it to cause greater harm to weakened plant and animal hosts. It is well-documented that glyphosate promotes soil pathogens and is already implicated with the increase of more than 40 plant diseases; it dismantles plant defenses by chelating vital nutrients; and it reduces the bioavailability of nutrients in feed, which in turn can cause animal disorders. To properly evaluate these factors, we request access to the relevant USDA data.

I have studied plant pathogens for more than 50 years. We are now seeing an unprecedented trend of increasing plant and animal diseases and disorders. This pathogen may be instrumental to understanding and solving this problem. It deserves immediate attention with significant resources to avoid a general collapse of our critical agricultural infrastructure.

Sincerely,

COL (Ret.) Don M. Huber
Emeritus Professor, Purdue University
APS Coordinator, USDA National Plant Disease Recovery System (NPDRS)

Article first published 21/02/11


References

  1. “Researcher: Glyphosate (Roundup) or Roundup Ready Crops May Cause Animal Miscarriages”, Jill Richardson, La Vida Locavore, 18 February 2011
    http://www.lavidalocavore.org/diary/4523
  2. “Researcher: Glyphosate (Roundup) or Roundup Ready Crops May Cause Animal Miscarriages”, 18 February 2011, http://farmandranchfreedom.org/gmo-miscarriages
  3. Ho MW. Genetic Engineering Dream of Nightmare? The Brave New World of Bad Science and Big Business, Third World Network, Gateway Books, MacMillan, Continuum, Penang, Malaysia, Bath, UK, Dublin, Ireland, New York, USA, 1998, 1999, 2007 (reprint with extended Introduction). https://www.i-sis.org.uk/genet.php

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Nancy Oden Comment left 22nd February 2011 03:03:27
Thank you so much for this. I will spread it about and encourage others to do so. I recall reading years ago about sows aborting litters when fed RR corn and/or soy exclusively. This could cause Goldman-Sachs and that ilk to buy up even more of the world's grains and hoard them for higher prices. Monsanto has a lot to answer for - let's hope there's such a thing as Karma.

Rory Short Comment left 22nd February 2011 05:05:45
I can only agree with you. It looks like an indisputable, actual, nightmare has arrived rather than just the fear of something of this kind happening which fear is what has gripped us ant-GM lobbyists from the very inception of the commercialization of GM seeds.

Brian John Comment left 22nd February 2011 06:06:48
BV, this is not the first we are hearing of this. For years now, peer-reviewed papers have been showing cell damage and reproductive problems associated with animals that have consumed GM feed. It has been difficult to explain WHY this damage has been occurring -- maybe this is a breakthrough on this score. There have been hardly any studies on the effects of GM feed on larger mammals, except for a few "nutritional studies" dressed up as safety studies. Monsanto, for whom you appear to have great admiration, has cynically blocked truly independent research into the lifetime and multi-generational effects of GM feed. In that company's obsession with "efficiency" health and safety issues have been shunted out into the long grass -- and they have also worked tirelessly to vilify those honest scientists who have had the courage to point out that animals which consume GM crops (and the Roundup residues that come with them) are actually HARMED.

patrons99 Comment left 22nd February 2011 06:06:12
Our food supply is endangered by pharma and the GMO giants. Just as pumping millions of gallons of BP’s Corexit and artificial life forms into the Gulf may have lacked foresight, so too, does global vaccine “madness”. Vaccine epidemics may be not be amenable to control. They could easily endanger every living thing on the planet. “BP’s Corexit Increases Uptake of Endocrine Disruptors in Fish - What Will It Do to People?” by Kirk James Murphy, MD on May 24, 2010. Just look at the picture of the dead fish! Is there not an analogy here with vaccine epidemics? http://firedoglake.com/2010/05/24/bps-corexit-increases-uptake-of-endocrine-disruptors-in-fish-what-will-it-do-to-people/

BV Comment left 22nd February 2011 05:05:23
Roundup Ready soybeans have been out for over 15 years and Roundup Ready corn for over 10, and this is the first we're hearing of this? Give me a break. If it were as rampant a problem as this makes it out to be, we would have heard about it a LONG time ago. It is also unfair to accuse speculators and traders of hoarding grain. Look at the global demand right now. There was a big drought last year in parts of the world that are usually large wheat producers, and China continues to be a huge market for us. While nobody really LIKES Monsanto, they have been a frontrunner in making us the most efficient farmers in the world. I, for one, am VERY thankful for all the money they have put into research and development, which has in turn made farming much easier for guys like me.

patrons99 Comment left 22nd February 2011 06:06:15
O.K.! I can see why we might ought to be a tad bit concerned here. The organism has been linked with outbreaks of plant diseases and implicated in animal reproductive failure. What will the endocrine disruptors, phase transfer catalysts, ionophores, neurotoxic metals, VLP’s, and non-human antigens in the vaccine schedules do to people? If homeopathy is valid, and we are quantum coherent living organisms, would not all vaccines be unreasonably dangerous?

Maggi Comment left 22nd February 2011 09:09:04
I don't even wonder. Sadly the bad things get attention only when it's too late.

matt brinck Comment left 22nd February 2011 22:10:19
Tom Vilsack is a old crooked sold out cronie for the FDA and USDA. Our you kidding? he wont help one bit. He even convinced the three organic whole food suppliers to accept GMO produced foods. Whole foods being one. Under this scumbags watch he has allowed Neotame a chemically restructured product from aspartame to be placed in USDA labled organic products without being on the lable. Its much more toxic than aspartame and its not even on the lable. The Fake Drug assholes "FDA" and Monsanto and Vilsack our all the same evil empire of globalist looking to take down world population thru sterility and food control. If you control the seed u control the food supply and the lives and health of everyone. The USDA is so blessin corrupt its unreal, along with the FDA and the govt committes heavily infiltrated by Monsanto the most evil empire ever known to man kind it can only be satan himself. Matt Brinck 336 672 5020 come get me mothers!!! I have happy kelw blue steel loaded and waiting on you!!

Dian Comment left 22nd February 2011 22:10:02
In response to BV's comment. This may be the first you have heard of it, but it certainly isn't the first story about I've heard. Do a Google search for Monsanto or Roundup, there are a lot of stories out there just for the reading. For years scientists and farmers have been saying RR is dangerous stuff, causing the same problems mentioned in the letter. Monsanto has enough money & people in the right places to be able to squash the information as nonsense. Did you ever wonder why some countries have banned or restricted Roundup and GM foods? I agree, it appears this letter was written prior to the approval of RR alfalfa. If that is true, why wouldn't the USDA take a letter from a USDA Senior Scientist more seriously. Anyone want to take a bet on how long this guy keeps his job. At the very least it's only common sense to put a hold on the RR alfalfa approval pending further research.

Lepusreg Comment left 22nd February 2011 22:10:48
@BV: Don't think Monsanto is doing all their R&D for the farmers' good! They are doing it for their own pocket books. Do you realize that they have purchased pretty much every seed company on earth? They want to OWN all seed, modify them and patent them so no one can make money other than themselves. No one can SAVE seed and will be slaves to purchasing them from Monsanto and their subsidiaries. Don't be thanking them so fast. You will find you will be using more and more pesticides against super weeds and I dare say worse. Organic farmers like myself have issues with cross pollination/infection in our fields from GM seed. You might want to read Margaret Atwoods "Oryx & Crake" and then the followup "year of the Flood". They may open your eyes, as she did a lot of research into genetic dabbling.... :o( GMOs are neither sustainable, bio-diverse nor safe.

JB Comment left 22nd February 2011 23:11:25
Is Monsanto the World's Most Evil Corporation? 1/13/2011 3:14:19 PM By Robyn Griggs Lawrence Tags: Monsanto, evil corporations, NaturalNews, Mike Adams, Roundup Ready soybeans, Most Evil Corporation, Robyn Griggs Lawrence “Evil” is a word most people don’t use lightly. Yet the majority of NaturalNews readers didn’t hesitate when asked to name the Most Evil Corporation of the Year in an online survey this week. More than 16,000 voters participated, and an astonishing 51 percent gave Monsanto the dubious prize. (The Federal Reserve took a distant second with 20 percent of the votes, followed by British Petroleum with 9 percent and Halliburton with 5 percent.) How bad is Monsanto? Mother Earth News writer Barbara Pleasant answered that question in a “Happy Homesteader” post last year. “In 2006 the corporate giant bought Delta and Pineland, a leading producer of cotton seed, so that it now controls a huge share of the cotton seed market,” Pleasant reports. “Monsanto’s genes are in about 95 percent of commercial soybeans and 80 percent of commercial corn, and people like the attorney generals of Iowa and Texas are concerned that Monsanto’s business practices violate federal antitrust laws that protect free competition. When it comes to licensing agreements, Monsanto is reportedly a big time bully.” Monsanto’s misdeeds are well chronicled in Christopher Leonard’s excellent article, “Monsanto Stomps Down Budding Seed Competitors.” NaturalNews editor Mike Adams believes readers overwhelmingly chose Monsanto because of its “touchy-feely corporate spin that tries to position the company as the savior of life on planet Earth.” He cites the "Monsanto pledge," which claims integrity and sharing of knowledge and technology as corporate values. “To anyone who knows anything about Monsanto, these words must strike them as particularly nauseous,” Adams writes. “For a company that thrives on GMO seeds and is an aggressive opponent of open-pollinated seeds to talk about ‘sharing knowledge’ and ‘helping farmers’ is enough to make you quite literally vomit.” Adams offers the following resources to help us learn more about the corporation’s efforts to squeeze competitors, control smaller seed companies and protect its dominance over the multibillion-dollar market for genetically altered crops: www.NaturalNews.com/Monsanto.html www.naturalnews.com/NoGMO.html http://ResponsibleTechnology.org http://GMwatch.org Is Monsanto truly the world’s most evil corporation? I’m pretty convinced. Drop us a line and let us know what you think.

tina cole Comment left 23rd February 2011 05:05:37
I have been against genetic modification from the start. This is just greed on steroids. I don't know even one person who thinks this is a GOOD thing. Even the people responsible for putting this 'crap' out there know it's not a good idea for the whole of the world. It only profits a hand full, monetarily. Don't they understand...they can't eat a dollar! Neither can their kids and grandkids. What do they plan on eating when their greed has ruined the whole food supply. I do not think patons sould be applied to seeds. They are NO MANS IDEA. GOD INVENTED THE SEED FOR ALL OF US. NOT A SELECT FEW OF RICH PEOPLE TO MODIFY AND DESROY!! WE all have to eat and OUR government has no right to let anybody control the seed market. They are taking too many rights and priveledgse away. I don't feel like the 'little' people have any say anymore. Even about what we eat. America is just pushing it's citizens too far. Don't they understand 'they' work for us. We gave them the jobs they are abusing. There are more of us, than them, maybe we need to show them, our voices can not be silenced. They need to watch the kids cartoon a bugs life. Stop acting like the grasshoppers and respect the ants a little. There are more of us ants. If we stand together we'll be hard to beat. Stop messing wth MY food!! Thank you very much, I like mine all natural, the way God intended. Who told them they know more than God? I may be small and insignificant to 'the big boys' but God made me and he knows more about making seeds than they ever will. I'm not insignificant to him.

Todd Millions Comment left 23rd February 2011 18:06:07
Message too BV- Well before the official release,soy meal suddenly started killing calves.It turns out (causally)this was either early mod experiments-drifting.Or the ealy synthetic estrogens that became roundup,or both.It may intrest you too know that this was noticed by cow-calf operators 10 years BEFORE a large swiss concern of certian repute switched their toxic infant formulas from soy to -'ultra purified'cows milk.Health and Ag depts of large 'advanced'industrialized nations,have yet too notice these developments.Same with many farmers-despite the increase in mens breast size.I should have thought this a compelling clue.

old mcdonald Comment left 23rd February 2011 18:06:22
Are any of you people even involved in farming? Do you have ANY on the ground experience?

Shrimp Comment left 24th February 2011 03:03:34
@BV: I suppose, then, that you also haven't heard of Monsanto's royalty-bullying practices? They are notorious for purchasing plots of land adjacent to farms and planting their patented crops. When nature runs its course with cross-pollenation to said farm, they roll on up demanding royalties because the farm is raising their patented crops. They are not looking out for you, or trying to make your life easier, they are stuffing their own coffers. While I think that - properly used - genetic modification of crops could benefit the agricultural industry, the way it's being used now is not conducive to advancement. Producing higher yields of crops will do us no good if the soil's mineral content is exhausted, and foodbourne vaccines for third-world countries will only work if they don't also kill those they intend to treat. We NEED to see more corporate responsibility from Monsanto's end before we should even consider putting GMOs into widespread use.

old mcdonald Comment left 24th February 2011 04:04:07
shrimp, Roundup ready soy beans have been used all over the US for many years. Very few "conventional beans" have been planted for about 10 years. Most guys havent switched to RR corn because then the roundup spray wont kill volunteer corn in soybeans. Crop rotation is also the norm. Different crops use different nutrients, also harbor different pests. Farmers have switched to RR soybeans for several reasons. Much cheaper than other sprays, very effective, it has virtually no residual effect to affect next years crops whatever they may be.

susan Comment left 24th February 2011 04:04:36
This is very disturbing news. Maybe it explains what is happening to a relatives heifers. Already there have been 2 deaths of adults while going through premature labor. He is having to moniter others closely. Pulling the babies has become a regular chore. I will be giving him a copy of this report. I don't expect the USDA to do anything but cover this up. The USDA is not concerned about the public or food chain. They take their orders from and protect Monsanto. Monsanto will stop at nothing, including murder to keep their poison and GMO's. I worry Monsanto might target Don Huber or some of the other scientist working on this for assassination. Those who think this crazy should research it.

Laurella Desborough Comment left 24th February 2011 07:07:33
And, I wonder why the USDA is not responding to the entomologist's report that a pesticide is responsible for killing the bees. Have our federal agencies been co-opted by corporate interests? In my research on GMO products, I found an article published in a foreign journal where researchers in Italy studied the effects of GMO corn on lab animals. Their results indicated that by the third generation there were serious infertility problems in these animals. Note that the editors of Scientific American journal have recently written an op-ed piece about the LACK of scientific research on GMO products and noted their concern that there could be serious environmental, animal and human health consequences that we are not being made aware of. Looks like the GMO problems are surfacing and becoming public knowledge. Why do I care? I raise rare exotics and I certainly don't want to see infertility when preservation of species is the purpose of the project!

DIANA Comment left 24th February 2011 22:10:35
To the person who wanted to know if anyone commenting was actually a farmer with "on the ground" experience- I raise grass fed beef and pastured poutry and while I do not feed my cattle grain products, I can honestly say I noticed a definite difference in the behaviour of our broiler chickens once gmo soy (and corn) became standard fare at the feed stores (we get our grains custom ground)- the chickens refused to eat the soy component of the feed, and if they did eat it it was eaten last when there was no other choice left. And they took two weeks longer on average to reach the same weight as before the local feed mills became flooded with gmo feedstuffs. Commercial broilers are (sorry if I offend any chicken fanciers) as dumb an animal as you can get, and they had the brains to know something was wrong with the food. What do you think this crap is doing to us- eat anything with soy protiens or corn syrups/soilds not labled as organically certified and you are eating gmo too. They dont want gmo labled because people would be shocked to find out how much they consume on a daily basis.

Anne Shakti Marquis Comment left 24th February 2011 22:10:41
Could we all step back a minute from the corporate rat race? It may seem difficult, but having to answer to sickened people who have contracted cancer or cannot have babies because of GM food, would be much worse for corporations and for America. Yes, there may be a similarity to the vaccine scandal--the government is having to pay out millions in damages to the families of autistic children. What will happen in this, similar-sounding, story? God created plant-food to be the perfect food for us--we do not have to tamper with it so much--really!

Bob Comment left 25th February 2011 12:12:09
BV, you are a farmer, according to you, and admire Monsanto because they have provided you with GM seeds that allow you to increase yield. However, you should be more concerned with the quality and safety of your crops. You are enabling the probable contamination of our food supply. Perhaps you should open your mind up and think things through a bit more thoroughly. After all, you, your family and friends as well as the rest of us are all subjected to this situation and our health is at risk.

Todd Millions Comment left 25th February 2011 12:12:50
Get em Diana- T. Millions Y= ranch Cypress Hills SK Canada we have mainly grass fed with wintre feed since 1940's.In a sub artic(micro)zone. The feed ration problems I related previously happened in the early 1980's,and have being confirmed with results in russian lab rations switching too GM soy.

Elvenrunelord Comment left 25th February 2011 12:12:33
Everyone here seems ready to jump on Monsanto for being the bad guy here and trust me, I have no love for them myself, however, this may not be their fault except by accident. This new pathogen may be a novel variety that was recently formed through the natural evolutionary process. From what I know about biology, genetics, and evolution, It would not surprise me a bit to learn that a completely new pathogen has rose up to take advantage of a new GMO crop designed to be immune or resistant to older varieties of pathogens and pests. That is simply how nature and evolution works. Knowing this, it does concern me and many others that have an understanding of lateral rna switching could create a novel pathogen at any time that is both lethal and easily transmittable to plants, animals, even humans. Its the nightmare that no one wants to talk about, but keeps some scientist up late in the night trying to figure a way out of it if this event ever does happen. Is this new pathogen a novel recombination? I do not know, but again I say it would not surprise me if it was.

Omowale Comment left 25th February 2011 22:10:54
The letter is scientifically illiterate, despite Dr. Huber's reputable credentials. "Electron microscopic pathogen" is meaningless, and a pathogen of a pathogen would be a good thing "The pathogen is also found in the fungal causative agent of SDS (Fusarium solani fsp glycines)." If you believe these accusations, maybe we should ban DHMO too http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html

Lisa Comment left 25th February 2011 22:10:18
dear Old macdonald You seem to have forgotten the only reason a farming job exists is because we the people eat! The organic movement is the only movement who is consciously providing as best as it can for the the voice of most consumers. I view GE crops just like I would view junk fast food... we are a rich and lazy country if we dont want to cook we dont have to. IF we dont want to weed we dont have to. Not trying to be rude, but I dont even consider people like you farmers. youve traded your very essence to large multi national companies and they control you. All the famers before you who worked so hard with traditional breeding, taste, quality, and integrity would roll over in their graves if they were alive. Unlike the past, research can no longer concentrate exclusively only on increased production --and increased profit. it must find ways to minimize the soil erosion, degradation of lakes and rivers, and groundwater pollution that can result from industrial agricultural practices. Growing appreciation of environmentally destructive impacts has led to a renewed interest in agroforestry, intercropping, mixed crop-livestock operations as systems that can increase production with minimal chemical fertilizers and pesticides and a high degree of environmental protection. Much can be done to promote the sustainable intensification of agricultural production. Most of it should be done in developing countries to enable people to feed themselves so that they do not become dependent on commodities from abroad. All of it depends on local climates, cultures, and economic conditions. Rice farmers in Southeast Asia, for example, are in a far different situation from farmers living at the edge of the Sahara desert. Among the many research areas important for increasing production are the efficient use of irrigation water, crop improvement through traditional plant breeding, and new ways to manage crop-pest interactions, such as integrated pest management. Furthermore,soybean production had gone down 10percent since RR soy introduction and corn has gone up by.01 percent. So, therefore development for proven approaches to boost crop yields should be taken. Those approaches should include modern conventional plant breeding methods, sustainable and organic farming, and other sophisticated farming practices that do not require farmers to pay significant upfront costs. The report also recommends that U.S. food aid organizations make these more promising and affordable alternatives available to farmers in developing countries. “If we are going to make headway in combating hunger due to overpopulation and climate change, we will need to increase crop yields,” said Gurian-Sherman. “Traditional breeding outperforms genetic engineering hands down.”

Lisa Comment left 25th February 2011 22:10:26
Dear elvenrunelord. Of course it is a novel pathogen due to evolution. To me this seems obvious and more specifically one of the major points of Genectic engineering. Its an evolutionary nightmare. put bT in a plant and it will make levels of Bt higher in the soil. Then the whole compostion of soil will begin to change. Spray chemicalson lants and, DITTO,the soil changes... change proteins in plants thru genetic engineering and DITTO. soil changes. There are many reasons for the holocene extinction, but genetic engineering outside of a lab is one of the reasons.

Jessica Shipley Comment left 26th February 2011 06:06:39
I agree with an emergency moratorium, to put an end to RR crops.

Peter Pan Comment left 26th February 2011 06:06:29
@BV Hey, how about you throw at us some numbers and links to substantiate your claims, especially with respect to growing demand? Devaluating currency and trillions of taxpayers’ money siphoned to the banksters are the invested in the commodity market, driving prices up. Apparently the same pathogen infected your brain if you cannot comprehend the danger of genetic mutations. It will devastate the whole planet and exterminate all living creatures. And there is no “Oops!” here, there is no “UNDO” button.

World Citizen Comment left 26th February 2011 10:10:14
The people responsible for this need to be rounded up and executed immediately. No I'm not joking. F you. The justice will come for you. I hope it will be before you will kill this planet for good.

Donald Horn Comment left 26th February 2011 17:05:36
BV this isn't about you and your apparent successes as a minion farmer. This is about the continuation of all species. Thankful for all the money, every conversation with the words money, corn, soy, beef wheat. Well eat it up shit face, FOAD

Don Arnold Comment left 26th February 2011 17:05:48
BV is agent provocateur, or plain idiot

Daniel Comment left 27th February 2011 01:01:42
BV is right, this report has many holes and the described behaviour of this pathogen is totally unlike any other virus I've ever heard of, especially in it's lack of specificity and claims of invisibility. Either it's a totally new genus (not specie, if the claims are true, it means it's in a totally new CLASS of virus) or that someone's fudging with the data. My suspicions are on the latter. New organisms don't crop up every day, unlike sci-fi. http://www.ag.purdue.edu/btny/extension/pages/extpubs.aspx This was where whoever came up with this article took his disease morphology from, a mishmash of articles from here. Strange thing. None of the original articles stated ANYTHING about RR. Trust no one. Not even yourself. People's own pre-despositions often make them believe what they WANT to believe. And yes, I'm a cynic :P BTW BV is correct in RR being ~15 years old. I first heard of it in 1998 in a class on Molecular Biology. It was an interesting idea... with a few odd side effects due to human nature. It was found that instead of using LESS RR herbicide, which was the original design purpose, farmers, knowing that RR Ready was resistant, actually sprayed MORE, thinking more the better. So, good idea. But count on humans to screw up any plans. :lol:

sammyd Comment left 27th February 2011 01:01:57
High concentrations of the pathogen were confirmed on the wheatlege, which likely had been under weed management using glyphosate. When did they get round up ready wheat? Too many maybes and coulds and likelys to make this something that a sane person could actually believe. Some folks still believe the lie that E Coli is only found in corn fed animals thanks to junk science full of probablys like this...

AquaDoc Comment left 27th February 2011 13:01:26
I have these nematodes at aquaculture facility I'n Oklahoma if anyone interested on obtaining these for research? They have been killing microcultures since last summer! I contacted dept of wild life and been blown off a hundred times by NASA to the gov, news, the list goes on! I can tell, you were they came from but recent events has my mouth sealed over the net! Nematodes that are plant and species parasitic, also capable to survive any environment! Freshwater, brackish to saltwater marine environments! Look, this is a great chance for someone of a higher degree than me to fix the problem! I have mass colonies avail I'n aquatic environment but won't last long for this new species has next to shut us down and close the doors! Someone needs to take we serious or I promise this will get worse!!! aquadocfish.com

Sam Trester Comment left 27th February 2011 13:01:04
I know very little of additives to our seeds and feed to our animals but know that we should test very carefully as this could lead to the human race becoming extinct like the dinosauers.

Todd Millions Comment left 27th February 2011 13:01:55
Its true that when this 'novel fungus'was first reported on this side of the pond-none of the media reports mentioned any links too glyphosate(s),or crops moded too resist them.Worries that there might be a link to amphibian deaths were the big item at the time.Huber mentions concentrations going up with the residue levels as an alarm point requiring more study and a precatatory moritorium.wheatage in canada is defined as chopped grain that can have many other unremoved grains with it.Trust me this incudes many mod grains approved or otherwise-Including flax,which as well as the triffid resistant mod that 'accidently escaped',includes according too report at least two other unapproved mods the stability origon and safety and even existance of which ag tox canada isn't saying anything-due too free trade talks with the EU?.This is in addition too the officially nonexistant herbiside residues. given these-do we even have any garrentees that no unstable unmarkered wheat mod strains HAVN'T escaped?Some years back,the Danes started to get roundup residue in 60 meter wells that supply copenhagens water-so much for 'break down within 1 meter of soil.This cant has being replaced by special 'composting ponds',for degrading round up-based on' swedish research'.I can't find this research.

Pete Comment left 27th February 2011 13:01:19
Hey Guys, You don't have to worry about BV and all the other pro-GM farmers out there. They are in the thick of the contamination, and therefore, their families will be the first to die out. That means the people who actually can see more than 6 months into the future have a better chance to survive.

mae;wan Comment left 28th February 2011 00:12:12
Anyone with suspicious samples should contact Dr. Don Huber at Duke University in the first instance. This is not the first time that Don Huber finds it necessary to go over the administration of USDA to sound warning. His work on glyphosate poisoning crops and soil has been published and well documented, as I have previously reviewed http://www.i-sis.org.uk/glyphosateTolerantCrops.php and . Yet USDA admin sat on the findings, and refused to send out a press release. My feeling is that the findings are genuine, and involve the team of scientists that have been studying RR crops for decades. But in view of the "sensitivity" of the issue, i.e., it could trigger the collapse of the entire soy and corn export industry, the scientists are reluctant to publish until they have fully characterizes the pathogen, which, they say, is new to science (just what one could expect from genetic engineering, as I have warned). Vilseck's imminent approval of RR alfalfa, however, have forced the scientists to go public, and they are right to do so. This is a very serious matter, and it may well require a major lawsuit by excellent environmental lawyers in the US.

Amanda Comment left 1st March 2011 06:06:13
Did someone mention Monsanto? Lovely bunch: http://www.truth-out.org/monsanto-shifts-all-liability-farmers68009 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/03/wikileaks-us-eu-gm-crops

Michael Comment left 1st March 2011 22:10:52
PURE FOOD MOVEMENT / Official facebook group. Our Mission: Unite people and other groups into an organized effort to stop the use of GMO's and Unsafe Food additives. To Demand Truth in labeling. And to Convince the World's food Suppliers that we Must Have GMO ingredients Identified on food labels. One Voice, One World, Our Choice, "For the Purity of All Food and Seeds".

Bryan Beaulieu Comment left 1st March 2011 22:10:42
BV ... It will be interesting to see how "easy" your life as a farmer will be a decade or so from now ... maybe sooner ... and all of our lives for that matter.

Patricia Fraser Comment left 1st March 2011 22:10:33
The privatisation of former Government instrumentalities have in Australia handed us right over to the handful of power brokers including Monsanto who are running & destroying in less than 200 years a world that took billions of years to evolve to support human life. We must stop this NOW!

jeannette kearney Comment left 1st March 2011 23:11:13
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read this article and know what is happening even to what we thought was our last bastion of healthy food. http://www.counterpunch.org/cummins01282011.html The Organic Elite Surrenders to Monsanto by Ronnie Cummins. 'In a cleverly worded, but profoundly misleading email sent to its customers last week, Whole Foods Market, while proclaiming their support for organics and "seed purity", gave the green light to USDA bureaucrats t approve the "conditional deregulation" of Monsanto's genetically engineered, herbicide-resistant alfalfa.'

DL Rover Comment left 2nd March 2011 07:07:58
Col. Huber puts it in very guarded terms. As a medical research journalist I have come across many a document proving the existence of an unseen power cabal that is slowly but surely turning life on earth into a satanic horror show, while keeping the good stuff for themselves (heritage seed vaults in Norway and other places). Maybe these guys have a different genome, able to withstand the toxic genetic manipulations clearly intended for our demise. Food is not only poisoning us, it also has become a commodity, to be traded around the world while ensuring mega profits for the multinationals operating under the unofficial 'Club of the Isles' (Richard Freeman, The Windsor’s Global Food Cartel: Instrument for Starvation http://www.larouchepub.com/graphics/1995/eir2249/Freem01.jpg ).

Colin B. Comment left 2nd March 2011 01:01:01
This is going to result in a shit-storm of class action law suits. And a good thing, too.

Kate Comment left 2nd March 2011 08:08:42
I hope you will debunk this: http://www.lavidalocavore.org/diary/4547/scientists-debunk-huber-letter-what-do-we-make-of-it it is all over the FaceBook reposted from anti-GMO groups as smth. to think about - e.g. smth. to be considered as ok!

oshana katranidou Comment left 2nd March 2011 21:09:29
gut instincts prove many things true, as Huber's waning - unleashing viruses and bacterias to aid in genetically modifying food crops develops opportunities for reckless abandon for viral bacterial fermentatious fungal cominglings that are excellerating previously unknown levels of chaos in the unseen worlds of anthropomorphically forced genetic evolution

Jonathan Comment left 3rd March 2011 03:03:15
Are you lot really happy to accept this without seeing any of the evidence to allow you to judge whether there is any merit to it? So many of the scientific claims in the letter are either contradictory or impossible you have to doubt whether the author is actually from a scientific background. 1. No Roundup Ready wheat exists commercially yet. How did anyone find enough wheatlage to feed 1000 cattle with it? 2. I can't see how a fungus could possibly be the same size as a virus. Viruses are tiny packets of DNA/RNA whereas a fungus has to have nucleus, mitochondria, A whole genome of double stranded DNA etc within a cell membrane. 3. How can there have been a "review of the data" when it is "NEW to science"?...and what is this data? If you wanted to make an impact in Government with something you thought so serious as this why would you not include any evidence or references in your letter? Do none of you guys even question that a lot of this letter's content doesn't add up? Do you really think "Its anti-GM therefore it must be true"? That's the thought process of an imbecile not an intelligent person making considered judgment. Someone above even advocates excecuting people based on the uncorroborated tale in this bizarrely vague letter. And you wonder why no-one in power takes the anti-GM movement seriously. Feel free to make personal attacks on me whilst ignoring the fact that none of this makes any rational scientific sense.

Jesse Deardorff Comment left 3rd March 2011 03:03:30
The information in Dr. Huber's letter is inaacurate and not peered reviewed. Here are some links that debunk his claims. http://www.extension.iastate.edu/CropNews/2011/0225hartzler.htm http://www.weeds.iastate.edu/mgmt/2010/glyMndisease.pdf http://www.btny.purdue.edu/weedscience/2011/GlyphosatesImpact11.pdf

Amy Court Comment left 3rd March 2011 03:03:22
Someone posted that they hoped there was karma? Oh,no worries, there's karma! It is still somewhat unbelievable to me that people don't understand that you just can't mess with nature this way and get away with it. All of us on the planet have a lot to answer to; and ultimately we all get the reality we create. Blessings to all beings, that those asleep will awaken and that those enslaved will be free -- especially nature and her creatures. So Be it.

maewan ho Comment left 3rd March 2011 03:03:15
Jesse Deardorff and others who refer to supposedly "debunking" postings. I checked them out. they are nothing of the sort. They refer to research already published by Don Huber and others on the poisonous effects of glyphosate on soils and crops that we have already reviewed thoroughly. Prof. Don Huber is referring to not yet published research in his open letter that he was persuaded to make publlic because of its potentially devastating impact. Please don't try to confuse the issue.

Jesse Deardorff Comment left 3rd March 2011 06:06:23
I’m also privy to information that proves gmo food products increases the intelligence of the being that consumes it. I cannot share the data with the public because of the level of secrecy, but I will write a letter to the Secretary of Agriculture. The data has not been published or reviewed. My claims are just as valid as Huber's at this point. Maybe "debunking" was not the correct term, but the research currently shows that there is no link to a "collapse" in corn and soybean production. A professional scientist like yourself (Dr. Maewan Ho) should know that we don't use sensationalism in objective, non bias letters or publications. The actuality that these readers automatically regard his claims as fact is proof that many people are out of touch in regards to the agriculture industry. Secretary Vilsack is just as ignorant when it comes to these topics; his only credential for agricultural knowledge is that he was the governor of the state of Iowa.

Lisa Comment left 3rd March 2011 22:10:10
Dr Huber never states whether it is a virus or a fungus, I believe he is trying to tell us it is new and describe it too us. He says he THINKS it is a micro-fungus. And you can debunk and scoff all you want, but the name and game of science is always changing and new discoveries are always being made and proving old thoughts obsolete. (epi genetics) I for one wait in anticipation to see if he actually has made a novel discovery. Time and research will tell. There is not enough information in this short letter to conclusively prove any thing. He wrote it to get more research and he is well respected. CORPOROTOCRACY is another big game going on here as well. Corporations make big donations to Govt. Then the GOVT remembers these corporations and allow them all sorts of favors such as de regulation and massive subsidies. After time you have a monopoly so huge it starts to take over the entire globe whether it is the right thing to do becomes mute. What is happening is that US grain crops are so heavily subsidized (billions) that our grains are cheaper than what even the poorest village in Africa would sell their crops for and so the poor get poorer and farmers are forced to join the status quo or lose their farms. and BTW many have lost their farms and the starvation in Africa continues. IF anyone here thinks Golden ric is a miracle.. think again.. A starving person cannot utilize the beta carotene in the golden rice unless they also have enough proteins and fats in their diet as well. Genetic engineering of crops takes ten years from start to finish and millions of dollars to produce.. JUST ONE CROP. Those millions of dollars could have saved alot of starving people by teaching and showing them how to farm simply. What farmer in Africa can afford to pay for Monsanto patent seed? Or the herbicide RR? most likely not very many. DUH!!

Hat Comment left 4th March 2011 08:08:52
Yes, yes, glyphosate disrupts the delicate hormonal balance of female reproductive cycle.Glyhosate is toxic to the placenta, which delivers vital nutrients from mother to child, and eliminates waste products. Once the placenta has been damaged or destoyed, the result can be miscariage, and serious birth defects can result. Does this equal to depopulation en mass?

Azri'el Collier Comment left 5th March 2011 01:01:09
And this is a surprise how? It has become obvious that Mr. Tom Vilsak has got Monsanto money in his pockets and I am wondering why this is not being investigated? Also why there are not more law suites occurring? I have seen much talk as to the effects these GMO and GE plants and animals are going to have upon the food supplies and the natural wild plants and animals and yet it seems that those who have the resources are not willing to take that next step and levy charges of corruption, bribe taking, and or endangering public safety and resources security which is tied in with our national security. Now, I am just a lil guy out here who can see this, and have not the resources to take on the government or the genetic giant Monsanto and others, but those of you who do have the resources, what is stopping you? Please!!! Before it is too late!!!

Gary Moore Comment left 5th March 2011 04:04:18
Thought you might be interested in a new book I have published - Seeds for the Reaper - is a modern day Celtic fantasy adventure set in rural Ireland with a strong and explicit anti-GM message. The idea is to spread the truth about GM crops via a story that will appeal to people who rely on the mainstream media for their information. www.keltoria.com/page29.html Regards Gary

Nacho Comment left 5th March 2011 22:10:25
Hat, I would love to see the data for the claims you just made. Genetic engineering has been going on for centuries people have been selecting plants and animals with the best traits for a long period of time, so if you want to get it right you should use the term transgenic. Those of you in the EU who dont like gmo's and condsiders it messing with nature, why do you support genetic engineering in human research? ie. stem cell research. Im surprised most of you can answuer the anit spam question.

maewan Comment left 5th March 2011 23:11:10
Nacho and others like him, you have been taken in by corporate propaganda into believing that selective breeding, mutagenesis, tissue culture, etc. are just like genetic modification, and wine- bread- and cheese-making, etc. are just the same as current biotechnology. No, genetic modification is recombinant DNA technology that creates new combinations of genes and new genes that have never existed in billions of years of evolution. The genetically modified DNA is designed to invade genomes, causing unpredictable, uncontrollable mutations and scrambling of the host genome. Furthermore, once integrated, it has the tendency to make new combinations or undergo unintended horizontal transfer to other genomes. That's why the chance of creating new pathogens is greatly increased. Recombinant DNA technique is a powerful research tool, but it should be used in strictly contained laboratories. Stem cell technology has nothing to do with genetic modification in the first instance, althouigh it has been used in conjunction with genetic modification, which we do not approve of. We do not support embryonic stem cells, but using patient's own adult stem cells for tissue repair, and better yet, encouraging the patient's own stem cells to repair tissues is a safe, ethical, and affordable option that should be supported. Please educate yourselves by reading many relevant articles on our ISIS website, and stop spreading pro-GM propaganda.

Joe Comment left 7th March 2011 21:09:25
We can boil all this down to two words. "Eugenics" and "depopulation." While it's great for teams of scientists to produce hard data that is needed to convince the public there is a threat, let's focus on the big picture for these goons. When you research what the "Elite" are up to, it's depopulation this and depopulation that. They can't kill people have enough with bullets and bombs and using nukes and plagues are to overt and dangerous. Therefore, attacking the food supply is a more effect and subtle means for going after populations. Here's are some terms of reference: "quiet weapons for silent wars," "codex alimentarius," "eugenics," "vaccinations," etc. Let's keep the data flowing to wake up the sheep.

Elia Comment left 9th March 2011 02:02:58
Nacho is none other than the previous poster Jesse Deardorff from Iowa state University. Less "taken in by corporate propaganda" more just plain Corporate Misiniformation. I wonder how much these people are paid by Monsanto to post on these forums...and if its enough to cover their medical bills later in life from eating too many GM foods.

Linda Comment left 12th March 2011 10:10:01
There is some doubt online about the authenticity of Dr Huber`s letter. Does anyone have anything online directly from him or peer reviewed proof? I want to use it to wake people up at uni but I need proof.

Ruby Comment left 18th March 2011 20:08:43
To Linda - Monsanto's own web site makes reference to the letter, so I'd say it's authentic: http://www.monsanto.com/newsviews/Pages/huber-pathogen-roundup-ready-crops.aspx They of course dispute Huber's claims. No surprise there.

Jesse Deardorff Comment left 22nd June 2011 07:07:55
Interesting, five months later and Dr. Hubers data has not been presented nor any action has been taken.

Adam Martin Comment left 11th January 2012 20:08:38
Monsanto became beyond rich on war and deception. They probably never would have taken the step into agriculture if it wasn't for that fact. They simply wouldn't have taken the risk financially otherwise. Now they own us and will incrementally in cooperation with the powers that be steal our wealth slowly but surely. Nobody will even notice... We have come to a place in our minds where nothing really matters anyway, as long as I feel good this very moment. I hope we can come together and realize we can make our own economies as well as becoming more efficient in our labor and respecting each others civil liberties in the process through the upholding of honest contract and making it ones life duty to uphold those contracts, whether by the word itself with our family and neighbors, or in our higher business relations in serving your country through providing your product. It will take an aggressive push forward and the reclamation of our natural rights!