[Market-farming] Bt corn
BillOhio
billohio at gmail.com
Mon Feb 25 14:56:14 EST 2008
from http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/br/btcorn/index.html#bt1
There is no significant risk to monarch butterflies from environmental
exposure to Bt corn, according to research conducted by a group of
scientists coordinated by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), U.S.
Department of Agriculture. This research was published in the *Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) ...*
The studies in this project showed that monarch caterpillars have to be
exposed to pollen levels greater than 1,000 grains/cm2 to show toxic
effects.
Caterpillars were found to be present on milkweed during the one to two
weeks that pollen is shed by corn, but corn pollen levels on milkweed leaves
were found to average only about 170 pollen grains/cm2 in corn fields.
I've seen several studies with the same conclusions.
With kind regards,
Bill Huhman
Central Ohio
On Fri, Feb 1, 2008 at 4:31 AM, The Foster Farm <fostesky at hughes.net> wrote:
> One of the big problems with Bt corn is the pollen drifting to other
> plants
> and killing butterfly larvae. Monarchs are hit hard. How often do you see
> milkweed, one of their primary caterpillar plants, growing at the edge of
> a
> corn field? All the time. The pollen is blown onto the milkweed by the
> wind.
> The larvae eat it and are done. Unintended, uncontrollable consequences. I
> suppose Monsanto would call that expectable collateral damage. I think
> not.
>
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