Quote:
Originally Posted by redforever
Take for example canola. It is a broad leaf plant so prior to it being GM to be resistant to Round-Up, you could not use chemicals to control weeds growing alongside canola.
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This is not true.
With conventional canola, there were a variety of chemicals that could be used. The most common was a product called 'Edge', it's active ingredient being ethafluralin. Ethafluralin is a
residual granular herbicide that was broadcast over the soil prior to seeding the conventional canola, and it would remain active in that soil for months, even years, depending on the soil type and weather conditions.
Quote:
Originally Posted by redforever
If a chemical is being used, I consider Round-Up to be one of the safest ones out there, if of course, used as labelled. I don't use any chemicals in my veggie garden but I am not overly concerned about Round-Up if it is used properly.
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Agreed.
Glyphosate (RoundUp) becomes inactive as soon as it comes into contact with the soil, or even touches dust. If high winds under dry conditions blow dust onto your field, you will get an awful weed kill as the dust will tie up the glyphosate, preventing it from penetrating the leaf surface.
If anyone's curious on the lethal dose of glyhposate, here it is, along with some others that we voluntarily ingest:
LD50 (rats):
glyphosate - 4320mg/kg
table salt - 3000mg/kg
caffeine - 192 mg/kg
nicotine - 50 mg/kg
Quote:
Originally Posted by redforever
Certainly the land is disturbed less, which is a plus. However, more fertilizer now has to be used or else the land simply will deplete itself of nutrients very quickly. Summer fallowing lets the land rest and replenish itself. However, there is more risk with the land itself being depleted through wind, erosion, and the like.
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I'm not sure I understand what GMO crops have to do with summerfallow?