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 Daily Highlights Briefing ~~ Wednesday August 20 2008
Monsanto's Super-Stalkborer: The greatest environmental disaster of all time!
The maize farmers have now been robbed of the choice of using natural commercial Bt sprays and the African stalkborer is now resistant to naturally occurring Bt. by Trevor Wells Farmers Legal Action Group - South Africa
The Rise and Fall Insect Resistant GM Crops The naturally occurring bacillus thuriengus (Bt) is one of the most useful living organisms known to mankind. First discovered in 1901 by the Japanese scientist Ishiwata its economic importance in the ecological cycle became apparent in 1911 when the German scientist discovered the disease Schlaffsucht in flour moth caterpillars. It was then found that this bacteria produces a crystal insecticide (Cry toxins) which kills the worms (larvae) of insects which change (metamorphoses) from egg, to worm, to insect. Scientists have succeeded in producing commercial formulations, both granular and liquid, of Cry toxins which are extremely effective when applied at the hatching, crawling and early eating stages when the larvae are exposed and most vulnerable. It is strategically applied by conventional means or pivot irrigation by farmers. The importance of this insecticide it biodegrades on the plant and is therefore non-toxic to humans and beneficial insects when used correctly. It has become increasingly important in the control of mosquitoes. Naturally occurring Bt is therefore an important reservoir of Cry toxins for producing these commercial insecticides. In 1993, prior to the introduction of GM maize in South Africa, Dr Rami Kfir of the South African Agricultural Research Council (ARC) reported in the Journal of African Zoology 107:543-553 that these useful insecticidal bacteria play an important role in the ecological cycle of all indigenous grasses, sorghum and maize which hosts the African Stalkborer (Busseola fusca). He reported a high winter mortality rate of larvae of the stalkborer which he attributed partially to Bt which he had significantly isolated, among other pathogens, on the cadavers of the hibernating stalkborer. As early as 1985 scientists in Belgium isolated the Bt gene which exudes the Cry toxin and inserted it artificially in a tobacco plant. In 1998 the first genetically modified Bt maize was planted in South Africa. In 2005 Senwes observed that during the tasseling period large numbers of stalkborer were surviving after the third hatching of the season. These larvae feed on the beard and the inserted GM Bt toxin is too weak. They warned that these Bt resistant larvae are the predecessors for the first moth flight of the following season. Each moth then lays 1500 eggs, 150 at a time on different host plants. They hibernate in the stalk of the plant over winter and pupate in the following season. The cycle is then repeated twice more during the growing season giving a total of three flights per season. With wind assistance these super moths will cross the African continent within a very short time. Senwes recommended chemical spraying during the tasseling period. However as there was very little damage to the maize grain farmers were loath to spend more money on chemical spraying when they had paid a premium price for GM maize seeds which they had been led to believe would eradicate the stalkborer. In March 2008 the Farmers Weekly published an article "Stalkborer Breaks Through Bt Armour" which confirmed that scientists from the ARC had proved conclusively that the African Stalkborer was now resistant to GM Bt maize. The areas in which the Bt resistant super stalkborers were found should have been quarantined, all stalks cut and removed and the roots deep ploughed to prevent further spread of these moths. This would have been a great expense for these farmers. Monsanto did nothing but blame the farmers for not following their instructions and planting a 5% refuge. Monsanto announced that were in the process of developing a new GM technology "which would starve the stalkborer"!!! Is it any wonder that Prince Charles recently said ; (View video HERE) "And if they think its somehow going to work because they are going to have one form of clever genetic engineering after another then again count me out, because that will be guaranteed to cause the biggest disaster environmentally of all time." Given that maize farmers have now been robbed of the choice of using natural commercial Bt sprays and that the stalkborer is now resistant to naturally occurring Bt and the important role played in the life cycle of all indigenous grasses and indigenous sorghum has been totally neutralised, Prince Charles is correct. The ARC has now advised farmers to choose varieties which could be chemically sprayed. Read more HERE
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