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permaculture - Re: [permaculture] FW: Is "maxq tall fescue" a GMO?

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  • From: Paul Wheaton <paul@richsoil.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] FW: Is "maxq tall fescue" a GMO?
  • Date: Mon, 22 Nov 2004 15:10:02 -0800 (PST)


Wow! The answer doesn't get any more rock solid than that!

The nitrogen thing was my own speculation. I know that there is some sort of
symbiotic
relationship between the plant and the endophyte. Since grass is such a
nitrogen pig, I
just assumed (probably errantly) that it was something like the relationship
between
legumes and the "innoculant" (a bacteria?)

I'll order some maxq now. Thanks!


--- Bill McDorman <bm@seedsave.org> wrote:

> I sent the question to some of the best scientists working with Native
> Grasses and DNA in the Intermountain West. You can follow the response
> below.
>
> bill
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> Bill W. McDorman
> Seeds Trust, High Altitude Gardens
> bm@seedsave.org
> http://www.seedstrust.com
>
>
> Bill,
>
> See additional message from Joe Bouton. Joe is one of the codevelopers, and
> now leads the Forage Biotechnology division of the Nobel Foundation. You can
> be absolutely sure that neither the plant nor endophyte are GMO.
>
> Steven R. Larson
> Research Geneticist
> USDA Agriculture Research Service
> Forage and Range Research Laboratory
> Utah State University
> Logan, UT 84322-6300
> TEL: 435-797-1703
> FAX: 435-797-3075
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Bouton, Joe <mailto:jhbouton@noble.org>
> To: stlarson@cc.usu.edu
> Sent: Monday, November 22, 2004 1:22 PM
> Subject: Re: Is "maxq tall fescue" a GMO?
>
>
> Not GMO - it is a naturally occuring isolate.
> Joe
> --------------------------
> Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld
>
>
> ------ Forwarded Message
> From: "Steve Larson" <stlarson@cc.usu.edu>
> Date: Mon, 22 Nov 2004 12:25:53 -0700
> To: "Bill McDorman" <bm@seedsave.org>
> Cc: "Chatterton, N. Jerry" <njchatt@cc.usu.edu>
> Subject: Fw: Is "maxq tall fescue" a GMO?
>
> Bill,
>
> See message below from Andy. The answer is NO, neither the plant nor the
> endophyte are GMO.
>
> Steve
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Hopkins, Andy" <aahopkins@noble.org>
> To: "Steve Larson" <stlarson@cc.usu.edu>
> Sent: Monday, November 22, 2004 11:48 AM
> Subject: RE: Is "maxq tall fescue" a GMO?
>
>
> Steve,
> No, the MaxQ endophyte is not genetically engineered in any fashion.
> This endophyte was found to naturally occur in a tall fescue host plant,
> was isolated, then inoculated into other tall fescue plants, and
> transmitted to the progeny via seed, just like any other strain of tall
> fescue endophyte. I can't vouch for the comment below about the
> endophyte reducing the plant's need for nitrogen; I have not seen this
> in the literature, and this is the first time I've heard that claim.
> At present there are no "GMO" tall fescue cultivars approved for
> marketing and use in the USA, or anywhere else in the world for that
> matter.
>
> Andy Hopkins
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Steve Larson [mailto:stlarson@cc.usu.edu]
> Sent: Monday, November 22, 2004 12:20 PM
> To: Bill McDorman
> Cc: Bouton, Joe; Waldron, Blair; Chatterton, N. Jerry; Hopkins, Andy
> Subject: Re: Is "maxq tall fescue" a GMO?
>
> Bill,
>
> I do not work on Tall Fescue, but that is an interesting question. I do
> not think that the plant per se is classified as a GMO, but the
> endophyte may have been genetically modified by recombinant DNA
> technology--I am not absolutely sure. I am referring this question to
> some other scientists (including a codeveloper of this variety, Dr.
> Bouton) who can definitively answer your question.
>
> Steve
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Bill McDorman" <bm@seedsave.org>
> To: <stlarson@cc.usu.edu>
> Sent: Monday, November 22, 2004 10:37 AM
> Subject: Is "maxq tall fescue" a GMO?
>
>
> > Steve:
> >
> > I met you at the Native Plant Summit and talked to you about visiting
> > someday. Do you know anything about MaxQ tall fescue?
> >
> > bill
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------
> > Bill W. McDorman
> > Seeds Trust, High Altitude Gardens
> > bm@seedsave.org
> > http://www.seedstrust.com
> >
> >
> > ------ Forwarded Message
> > From: Paul Wheaton <paul@richsoil.com>
> > Subject: [permaculture] Is "maxq tall fescue" a GMO?
> >
> > For years, tall fescue has been a no-no for folks grazing ruminent
> animals
> > because the
> > endophyte growing in tall fescue is toxic. Then there came endophyte
> free
> > tall fescues
> > which did not perform very well because, well, the endophytes provide
> a
> > symbiotic
> > relationship and help the grass thrive. Then there was edophyte
> enhanced
> > tall fescues
> > for lawns ....
> >
> > Now, there is "MaxQ", a variety of tall fescue that has a "friendly
> > endophyte." Not
> > toxic to ruminents and the grass grows great.
> >
> > Tall fescue is famous for having very deep roots and therefore being
> drought
> > tolerant.
> > My impression is that the endophyte somehow reduces the nitrogen needs
> of
> > the grass.
> > Sounds like a great permaculture variety to me.
> >
> > But I wonder if it is a GMO. I can't find anything anywhere on that.
> And
> I
> > can't help
> > but think that if I call the folks selling it that they will just tell
> me
> > whatever they
> > think I want to hear.
> > _______________________________________________
> > permaculture mailing list
> > permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
> > http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture
> >
> >
> > ------ End of Forwarded Message
> >
>
>
> ------ End of Forwarded Message
>
> _______________________________________________
> permaculture mailing list
> permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture
>





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