Solar Energy News  
FARM NEWS
Modified alfalfa stirs debate in Texas

disclaimer: image is for illustration purposes only
by Staff Writers
San Antonio (UPI) Mar 3, 2011
The U.S. government's approval of genetically modified alfalfa is generating controversy in Texas, with organic farmers saying it will contaminate their crops.

Cameron Molberg at the Coyote Creek Organic Feed Mill outside Austin compares genetically modified alfalfa to a plague.

Its spreading use means pollen blown in or carried from the bio-engineered alfalfa could contaminate organic alfalfa fields, forcing feed mills like his and organic dairies to find other feed stock to keep going, he says.

"The small, independent dairies reliant on organic alfalfa will be out of business," he told the San Antonio Express News. "There's really no way to stop it."

In late January, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved the planting of the altered alfalfa, genetically modified to withstand the effects of the weed killer Roundup, after nearly four years of litigation.

The National Alfalfa and Forage Alliance endorsed the USDA decision, saying growers need access to the newest technological advances to remain competitive.

But the alliance acknowledges that organic farming has become one of the fastest-growing sectors in agriculture, and organic alfalfa is an important component of that sector.

Beth Nelson, the alliance's president, said organic alfalfa producers have expressed concerns about the possibility that genetically modified alfalfa would overrun organic and conventionally grown alfalfa, destroying their value.

Appropriate harvesting standards for the different types of alfalfa should resolve the issues, Nelson said, and allow different types of growers to survive

However, George Kimbrell, senior attorney for the Center for Food Safety, said officials cannot guarantee that cross-contamination can be prevented and said the center plans to sue the USDA to try to reverse its decision.







Share This Article With Planet Earth
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit
YahooMyWebYahooMyWeb GoogleGoogle FacebookFacebook



Related Links
Farming Today - Suppliers and Technology



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


FARM NEWS
Sustaining The Biodiversity Of The Western Great Plains
Boulder CO (SPX) Mar 03, 2011
Fire, cattle and even prairie dogs all could play a role in sustaining the biodiversity of the western Great Plains, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) researcher. As large grazers, cattle now perform the historical role of buffalo on the Great Plains. Ecologist David Augustine and his colleagues-in collaboration with state, federal, and university researchers-have result ... read more







FARM NEWS
Microorganism creates fuel, company says

Turning Bacteria Into Butanol Biofuel Factories

Sewage Plant Waste Water As A Huge New Energy Source

Sugarcane Bioethanol: Environmental Implications

FARM NEWS
New Frozen Smoke May Improve Robotic Surgery, Energy Storage

All-singing, all-dancing robot wows tech fair

'Walking' marathon set for robots in Japan

Computer creams human 'Jeopardy!' champs

FARM NEWS
GL Garrad Hassan Delivers Wind Map Of Lebanon

Eon to build fifth U.K. offshore wind farm

GL Garrad Hassan Launches Onshore Wind Resource Mapping For UK

Construction Begins On Dempsey Ridge Wind Project

FARM NEWS
Coda to sell China-made electric car in US in 2011

Clean Fuel Worsens Climate Impacts For Some Vehicle Engines

Ford probing allegations of China worker abuse

Vinci hopes to begin building Moscow highway in 2011

FARM NEWS
Philippine oil survey gets escort amid China spat

Shell seeks to soothe S.African fears on shale gas plans

Arab unrest and the 'End of the Oil Age'

Shah Deniz II gas sale delayed

FARM NEWS
Australia plans carbon pricing

Curved Carbon For Electronics Of The Future

New Research Shows How Light Can Control Electrical Properties Of Graphene

EPA to defer greenhouse gas permitting

FARM NEWS
Carbon Offsets Provide Unique New Option For Landowners

Italy moves to reduce renewable energy handouts

Hong Kong tycoon 'set to clinch British power business'

Germany's RWE sees tough years ahead

FARM NEWS
Scientists Study Control Of Invasive Tree In Western US

Four New Species Of Zombie Ant Fungi Discovered

Climate Change Causing Demise Of Lodgepole Pine In Western North America

Bacteria Living On Old-Growth Trees May Help Forests Grow


The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2010 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement