Genetically modified potatoes 'resist late blight

[Snadger]

If they start splicing animal DNA into tatties it could bring new meaning to the term 'Meat and two veg'

[Nicos]

Being a sceptic , if they can't keep passported ( ie 'officially' traceable) horses out of the meat chain then what hope do we stand detecting GM products entering our food chain in ready prepared meals??

They may well turn out to be perfectly safe but I'd rather not be part of the experiment thanks peeps!

Perhaps in a the non too distant future our bog standard non GM King Edward will become part of the Heritage collection?

[chris]

Being a sceptic , if they can't keep passported ( ie 'officially' traceable) horses out of the meat chain then what hope do we stand detecting GM products entering our food chain in ready prepared meals??

They may well turn out to be perfectly safe but I'd rather not be part of the experiment thanks peeps!

Perhaps in a the non too distant future our bog standard non GM King Edward will become part of the Heritage collection?

It's not just ready meals - cereals, bread, pasta - staples etc!

We've switched from cereal to porridge for breakfast, and/or toast (bread made at home using "proper" flour)

[Bill HH]

There is so much more to this GM question, as all gardeners know nature is all about balance, one species begins to dominate and other species increase to control them. Where this all goes wrong is when man intervenes, sometimes with the very best of intentions, sometimes inadvertantly. Such as rabbits being introduced into Australia or New Zealand flat worms in Britain and many more examples.
Gm is not just about improving yields, they are building in resistance to certain weed killers so they can spray crops to kill everything but the resistant plant, seems like a clever idea but there is no knowing what will happen when these plants mix with conventional plants. They could also build into plants a dependance on a certain chemical which can only be supplied by the manufacturer of that modified plant, then they can charge what they like. Its being dependant on these conglomerates that frightens me. Look at the boom in using chemical fertilzers since the 1950's Farmers could only make a profit and compete with other farmers if they used them, and why not use them? its only nitrogen, a natural chemical. But the result was firstly a grain mountain which meant prices dropped and lead to goverment intervention to buy up the surplus and secondly the pollution of our ground water with nitrates. Fertilizer spread now can take 40 years to filter down into the lower water levels, so we have much more to come. My point is meddling with nature can and very often does come back to bite you in the ass.

[Barking Postlethwaite]

The GM discussion is a really interesting one. Scientifically there's really very little difference between GM and the age-old techniques of breeding for specific characteristics by crossing with other species and using selection to achieve a stable strain.

Thank goodness for a bit of common sense. Far too much knee-jerk anti-big business and anti-science prejudice on display in this thread, I fear.

Apparently British farmers may spray 15 times to protect against late potato blight. I'd rather have an effective GM strain than all those chemicals washing about.

[RedThorn]

If they start splicing animal DNA into tatties it could bring new meaning to the term 'Meat and two veg'

chasing my spud to catch it before eating it does mean I get more exercise I suppose

[Penellype]

Thank goodness for a bit of common sense. Far too much knee-jerk anti-big business and anti-science prejudice on display in this thread, I fear.

Apparently British farmers may spray 15 times to protect against late potato blight. I'd rather have an effective GM strain than all those chemicals washing about.

I think this is a classic example of an issue which is far from the black and white that most people visualize. Certainly there are big, big issues with GM particularly if you start putting animal genes into plants, or affecting the way the plant reproduces. However the article linked to in the first post of this thread specifically states that the genes used are from a related plant and have no effect on the reproduction so are unlikely to spread to neighbouring areas.

While I wouldn't buy GM products out of choice, if the options are something that is effectively a potato with a little bit of something related to a potato, no potato at all, or something that has been sprayed and sprayed repeatedly, I know which I would rather have. The trouble is, the labelling isn't going to tell you "GM potato + nearly potato" or "GM potato + mouse", so unfortunately you have to bracket the whole lot together.

[Barking Postlethwaite]

While I wouldn't buy GM products out of choice, if the options are something that is effectively a potato with a little bit of something related to a potato, no potato at all, or something that has been sprayed and sprayed repeatedly, I know which I would rather have. The trouble is, the labelling isn't going to tell you "GM potato + nearly potato" or "GM potato + mouse", so unfortunately you have to bracket the whole lot together.

Excellent post, this. There is indeed a problem with labelling: I certainly wouldn't want potato+mouse, and I would probably steer clear of potato+fungicide as well. What I understand is on offer here is domesticated potato + wild potato + wild potato, however. Providing the labelling made this clear (and I could believe the labelling) I'd be perfectly content. If you're not happy with that then I don't see how you could be happy with any commercially-produced packet of hybridised seed at all.

[WPG]

Personally I grow my own specifically to have affordable organic veg, so I won't be going anywhere near GM crops. Each to his/her own.

But it's interesting to see how the GM idea is being re-branded....recent stories about tomatoes with all the health benefits of blueberries, and now potatoes which don't need to be sprayed with chemicals.

If I remember right, all the main supermarkets put a blanket ban on selling GM food following the public backlash a few years ago. So it's interesting to see whether this new 'healthy' spin on GM changes supermarket policies.

[solway cropper]

Thank goodness for a bit of common sense. Far too much knee-jerk anti-big business and anti-science prejudice on display in this thread, I fear.

Apparently British farmers may spray 15 times to protect against late potato blight. I'd rather have an effective GM strain than all those chemicals washing about.

It's not about being anti big business but being anti some of the practices that some big businesses get up to. Nor is it about being anti science. We are not Luddites simply because we choose not to endorse a particular product or lifestyle. I don't need GM crops or F1 varieties but I have nothing against them per se. What I do object to is the steady erosion of choice that is being foisted on us.

[Penellype]

It looks like we are not going to get the choice anyway, as the European Union have banned them:
Disease-defying spuds exiled from Europe – again - environment - 18 February 2014 - New Scientist

[Bill HH]

But it's interesting to see how the GM idea is being re-branded....recent stories about tomatoes with all the health benefits of blueberries, and now potatoes which don't need to be sprayed with chemicals.

If I remember right, all the main supermarkets put a blanket ban on selling GM food following the public backlash a few years ago. So it's interesting to see whether this new 'healthy' spin on GM changes supermarket policies.

Good point, I have seen the blurb about healthy tomatoes and blueberries (as if they arent healthy foods already) and how British scientists have created things but had to go abroad to market them. This is a corporate attack, they pull no punches these guys, "go for health and patriotism that will do it" is their reasoning.
The whole thing is academic anyway, if big business wants it they will get it, chuck a few million quid at the right politicians and hey presto. These large American companies have on motive, the bottom line, nothing else matters. if it all goes wrong and there is a major ecological disaster I am sure they will invent a spray for it and make even more dollars. Blight resistent potatoes already exsist, produced in the traditional way, and many more will follow, so why risk it.

[Vince G]

So I'm here to be persuaded.....

In my world, I don't deliberately set out to be organic, but I am to a large extent. I try to keep pests and diseases away by natural means and deterrents, but as an example, I will be spraying brassicas again this year having not done so last year and being suffocated by whitefly every time I brush against a leaf - I'll spray as little as I can get away with, but as often as I need to.

My gut feeling is that GM = progress. Diseases and pests adapt, so why should we not adapt our crops to try and beat them? Anyone know how the Sarpo potatoes I grew this year got their blight resistance - was it through GM or by careful breeding/crossing?

Yes, big business is trying to make money out of GM, but big business is....well, in business, and as long as it is providing innovative products in a safe, ethical and responsible manner, don't they deserve to trouser a bit of cash? They'll also then research ways of improving disease resistance and yield increases in other crops.

So as I say, I'm neither for nor against, but would not unilaterally dismiss GM in the way that so many people on here do.

[Bill HH]

I have never been employed, my very existence relied upon profit, there is honest profit and dishonest profit however. I also owe my life to scientist who have developed the drugs I have to take to keep me alive. But history is littered with cases where scientist and business men have not lived up to the high ideals we expect of them. Modifying the genetics of living things may be the key to mans continuing success, it may also be the begining of the end. My point is that Gm foods are being thrust upon us too quickly and I dont like being pushed. The long term effects have yet to be discovered, the tradition method of plant and animal improvement where each new strain has time to show its deficiencies is being short cut. Before I would embrace GM I would want to see some very long term studies that investigate all the likely pit falls. That is not unilaterally dismissing it, it is being cautious on behalf of my children and grand children.

Sarpo potatoes were developed at the university cof Bangor in North Wales, they are Not GM.

https://www.buzzbnk.org/SarpoPotatoes

[Vince G]

Trouble is, whilst we wait for the results of all the long term studies, diseases and pests adapt and advance very quickly. We have to find a way of staying ahead of the game. If we succeed, we thrive, if we don't we're doomed Mr Mainwaring, so what's to lose?

I'm playing devil's advocate of course, but would like to hear scientific arguments for or against GM rather than fearful hunches.