User avatar
rainbowgardener
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

Round up ready crops vs. Monarch butterflies

"Fields are now planted with genetically modified corn and soybeans resistant to the herbicide Roundup, allowing farmers to spray the chemical to eradicate weeds, including milkweed....

Monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed, and their larvae eat it. While the evidence is still preliminary and disputed, experts like Chip Taylor say the growing use of genetically modified crops is threatening the orange-and-black butterfly by depriving it of habitat.

“This milkweed has disappeared from at least 100 million acres of these row crops,â€

User avatar
gixxerific
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 5889
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:42 pm
Location: Wentzville, MO (Just West oF St. Louis) Zone 5B

I truly fear for the earth and my children. :cry: :cry: -helpsos-

User avatar
tomf
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3233
Joined: Mon May 18, 2009 8:15 am
Location: Oregon

gixxerific wrote:I truly fear for the earth and my children. :cry: :cry: -helpsos-
Me also. :cry:

HoneyBerry
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1216
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 1:10 pm
Location: Zone 8A Western Washington State

Yes, me too. I can't believe the GMO lable law didn't make it through congress.

User avatar
ElizabethB
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2105
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
Location: Lafayette, LA

Even worse than the loss of milkweed is what happens to farmers who are not growing GMO crops (corn).

Farmers growing GMO corn are not allowed to harvest seed crops.

Scenario:

You grow non GMO corn. Your neighbor grows GMO corn. You harvest your crop and keep some for seed. Monsanto can inspect your field. If there is evidence of GMO corn in your non GMO field your crop can be confiscated and you can be subject to a law suit. Since your neighbor is growing GMO corn you will have some in your field from cross pollination. You are SOL.

-helpsos-

Keep growing Milkweed.

HoneyBerry
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1216
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 1:10 pm
Location: Zone 8A Western Washington State

That's one reason to keep fighting.



Return to “Wildlife - Gardening with Local Critters in Mind”