[compost_tea] Re: Soil microbes and Round Up
Hi Tim,
Thank you for the information. I was hoping that the soil microbes would =
be the canary in the mine so to speak but I guess as with most things the c=
hanges are subtle and would need time lapse photography to see the total di=
fference. I was also hoping you were going to say you were working on the m=
icrobial recognition software and it would be ready in the near future.
Dan in Ct Zone 6A Where I am heading to the patent office with plans for =
a newer and better patent office.
--- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, "Tim Wilson" <thegoodjob_at_...> wrote:
>
> The following interview is with another scientist, Don Huber, who recentl=
y retired from Purdue University, who has also documented negative environm=
ental impacts from glyphosate.
>
> The widespread use of glyphosate is causing negative impacts on soil and =
plants as well as possibly animal and human health. These are key findings =
of Don Huber, emeritus professor of plant pathology, Purdue University.
>
> Compromise agricultural sustainability, animal and human health
>
> In a paper published in the European Journal of Agronomy in October 2009,=
Huber and co-author G.S. Johal, from Purdue's department of botany and pla=
nt pathology, state that the widespread use of glyphosate that we see today=
in agriculture in the United States can "significantly increase the severi=
ty of various plant diseases, impair plant defense to pathogens and disease=
s, and immobilize soil and plant nutrients rendering them unavailable for p=
lant use." Further, the authors state that glyphosate stimulates the growth=
of fungi and enhances the virulence of pathogens such as Fusarium and "can=
have serious consequences for sustainable production of a wide range of su=
sceptible crops." The authors warn "ignoring potential non-target detriment=
al side effects of any chemical, especially used as heavily as glyphosate, =
may have dire consequences for agriculture such as rendering soils infertil=
e, crops non-productive, and plants less nutritious. To do otherwise might =
well compromise not only agricultural sustainability, but also the health a=
nd well-being of animals and humans."
>
> Please tell me about your research with glyphosate.
> Don Huber: I have been doing research on glyphosate for 20 years. I began=
noticing problems when I saw a consistent increase in "take-all" (a fungal=
disease that impacts wheat) where glyphosate had been applied in a previou=
s year for weed control. I tried to understand why there was an increase in=
disease with glyphosate.
>
> I found that glyphosate has an effect on reducing manganese in plants, wh=
ich is essential to many plant defense reactions that protect plants from d=
isease and environmental stress. Glyphosate can immobilize plant nutrients =
such as manganese, copper, potassium, iron, magnesium, calcium, and zinc so=
they are no longer nutritionally functional.
>
> Glyphosate kills weeds by tying up essential nutrients needed to keep pla=
nt defenses active. Glyphosate doesn't kill weeds directly but shuts down t=
heir defense mechanisms so pathogens in the soil can mobilize and kill the =
weeds. Glyphosate completely weakens the plant, making it susceptible to so=
il borne fungal pathogens.
>
> That is one reason why we see an increase in plant diseases. Glyphosate c=
auses plants to be more susceptible and greatly stimulates the virulence of=
pathogens that kill plants.
> How many plant diseases are linked to glyphosate?
>
> DH: There has been a general increase in the number of plant diseases in =
the last 15 to 18 years.
> There are four primary soil fungi—Fusarium, Phythium, Rhizoctonia, and =
Phytophthora—that become more active with the use of glyphosate.
> There has been an increase in take-all, Fusarium diseases, such as head s=
cab, Gibberella (Fusarium) in corn, Pythium, Corynespora or root rot in soy=
beans, crown rot in sugar beets, and bacterial and fungal diseases. Fusariu=
m head blight (which affects cereal crops) is a disease that produces a myc=
otoxin that could enter the food chain.
>
> There are more than 40 diseases reported with use of glyphosate, and that=
number keeps growing as people recognize the association (between glyphosa=
te and disease).
> Has research confirmed the link between glyphosate and Fusarium?
>
> DH: There is plenty of data to show that, and it raises concerns about to=
xins in food.
>
> Can you give an example of a specific crop that has been negatively impac=
ted by glyphosate?
> DH: Last summer I visited farms that had typical glyphosate damage. I rec=
eived a call from a potato seed farmer in Minnesota who grows 1000 acres of=
seed potatoes. There was so much glyphosate in the potato tubers from a pr=
evious crop of Roundup Ready soybeans that the potatoes can't be used as se=
ed and could not be certified.
>
> Proponents of glyphosate say it is environmentally benign. Would you agre=
e with that assessment?
> DH: Absolutely not. That's an outright mistaken notion. Glyphosate is the=
single most important agronomic factor predisposing some plants to both di=
sease and toxins. These toxins can produce a serious impact on the health o=
f animals and humans.
> Toxins produced can infect the roots and head of the plant and be transfe=
rred to the rest of the plant. The toxin levels in straw can be high enough=
to make cattle and pigs infertile.
>
> In your paper you say that "the introduction of such an intense mineral c=
helator as glyphosate into the food chain through accumulation in feed, for=
age, and food, and root exudation into ground water, could pose significant=
health concerns for animals and humans and needs further evaluation." Coul=
d you elaborate on this?
> DH: Micronutrients such as manganese, copper, potassium, iron, magnesium,=
calcium, and zinc are essential to human health. All of them can be reduce=
d in availability by glyphosate; mineral nutrients are less in glyphosate t=
reated plants. We are seeing a reduction in nutrient quality (in food crops=
).
> There are also reports of allergic reactions, such as stomach lesions, pr=
oduced by the Roundup Ready (genetically modified) gene.
> These reactions need to be studied; there needs to be a lot more informat=
ion that we don't have. This type of research has been prevented by a lack =
of access to information.
>
> What other impacts do you see caused by the Roundup Ready gene?
> DH: The gene will reduce micronutrient efficiency up to 50% for zinc and =
manganese. It's very significant unless the plant is supplemented with micr=
onutrients. This could also account for the yield drag (reported with Round=
up Ready crops).
> Unfortunately, most researchers are forbidden to do work in the area. The=
y don't have access to isogenic lines (conventional and Roundup Ready plant=
lines that are otherwise genetically identical); the materials are denied =
to researchers.
>
> In your paper you recommend using as small a dose of glyphosate as possib=
le. Why is this?
> DH: To my knowledge we've never had this much reliance on one herbicide. =
It's hard to find an acre in the US that hasn't had glyphosate applied on i=
t in the last three years.
> We need to have judicious use of glyphosate and remediate the damage that=
it does. If we continue to abuse the use of glyphosate, it's just a matter=
of time before we see more serious negative ramifications. We will have in=
creasing toxin levels (in crops), reduced nutrient values, and the direct p=
resence of glyphosate in crops.
> There are a lot of serious questions about the impacts of glyphosate that=
we need answers for in order to continue using this technology. I don't be=
lieve we can ignore these questions any more if we want to ensure a safe, s=
ustainable food supply and abundant crop production.
> (Copyright The Organic & Non-GMO Report, May 2010)
>
>
>
> --- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, "Dan" <dansquest2005_at_> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Group,
> > I was wondering as a home gardener if anyone had done a quick look th=
rough their microscopes to see if Round-Up had had any effect on soil micro=
bes or know of research that has been done on this subject.
> >
> > Dan in Ct Zone 6A
> >
>
Received on Mon Mar 14 2011 - 13:54:29 EDT
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