[Thor]

Originally Posted by Azure

Indeed, as the name would indicate the RR-Canola was created specifically so that you could spray it with roundup, otherwise known as glyphosate, which is a very popular and at one point effective weed killer without damaging the actual rapeweed plant itself.

Prior to the roundup ready variations, farmers would spray with herbicides just to save the crop, but it would affect yield because the glyphosate attacked the plant itself as well. The roundup ready crops were supposed to fix that.

The problem is the increase in use of herbicides has led to weeds becoming tolerant to glyphosate, which has led to increased use of herbicides, which has in turn led again to a rise in superweeds, which has resulted in even more herbicides being used.

Rinse, repeat cycle.

The additional problem that this creates is that farmers are turning away from the zero till methods and are instead choosing to till the soil between crops. The benefits of zero till are well documented, and Monsanto are their roundup ready crops were supposed to support this, but the opposite is happening.

Not even sure why Thor would think that the point of herbicide tolerant crops means less spraying. Perhaps he should talk to his scientific buddies more.

Everyone knew that herbicide use would increase. The point was that it wasn't supposed to increase THIS much, and the increase in yields were supposed to offset any issues. Now the increase is beyond ridiculous, and the yields are according to some people not there.

From someone who knows more than me:

Brian Marten : No, farmers never sprayed round up on their crops, post emergence, before round up ready seed was available. Round Up kills every thing that is not resistant to it once the plants have sprouted.

This is why, until Round Up Ready products came on the market, Round Up was considered a "Pre-Emergent Herbicide."

The use of Round Up has gone up but the use of other more toxic herbicides have gone down.