permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>]

mIEKAL aND wrote:

> http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/080103_frankentrees.cfm

-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        Re: GM Trees
Date:   Mon, 4 Aug 2003 21:46:53 -0400
From:   joe cummins <jcummins@UWO.CA>
Reply-To:       Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group
<SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU>

Hi John and all,
I understand that the thing that makes trees stand tall is cellulose and
lignin acts something like the  glue that holds the fibers of cellulose
together. Low lignin trees are much less costly to process into fiber to
make paper and other stuff such as fiberboard. However, lignin provides
protection from fungi, insects and bacterial diseases, the low lignin
trees  will need intensive chemical support to kill pests.
Low lignin fodder is also being promoted because it is more digestible
than natural fodder. Like the trees low lignin fodder is enjoyed by cows
but the plants require a lot of chemical pesticide to survive.
I think low lignin  produces forests and pastures that the chemical
industry will love, but humans may need  some genetic engineering to
survive the pesticides  on the paper and in the cows fed treated fodder.
Sincerely, Joe Cummins

John D'hondt wrote:

>Just one sec  now. Trees without lignin are still trees?
>Is not lignin the stuff that allows trees to stand upright and to be used
>for building and carpentry and such?  Sounds counter productive to me this.
>A tree with less lignin must be less useful in all respects surely? Making a
>tree with more lignin I could understand better. But then that already
>exists:) A poplar with more lignin is an oak.
>John
>
>
>
>>I sent Mike a personal note stating that I read some stories about GM
>>trees a couple of years ago when I was in an archival management. The
>>articles were aimed at archivist and discussed how the GM trees would
>>have lower lignin content, so the buggies wouldn't want to eat it- good
>>for archival purposes the article stated.
>>
>>Sampling of U.S. Research on Genetically Modified Trees (2001)
>>ORGANIZATION             SPECIES         DESIRED TRAIT
>>Michigan TEch, MI        Poplar          Reduced lignin content
>>Westvaco, NY             Pine, sweet gum Altered plant development
>>Exelixis Plant Sciences,
>>List from the article Technology Review (Cambridge, Mass.), March 2001
>>v104 i2 p34
>>Industry Huqs Biotech Trees by Kathryn Brown.
>>Abstract: Genetically modified trees are the goal of three prominent
>>paper and lumber producers. International Paper, Westvaco, and Fletcher
>>Challenge Forests formed a joint venture for agricultural biotechnology
>>research. The venture, called ArborGen, has been working on ways to
>>produce trees without lignin, that are herbicide tolerant, and with
>>controlled reproduction.


--
L.F.London
lfl@intrex.net
http://market-farming.com
http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech