From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net>
To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>, Market Farming <marketfarming@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [permaculture] Institute for Responsible Technology - - Monsanto’s Roundup Triggers Over 40 Plant Diseases and Endangers Human and Animal Health
Monsanto’s Roundup Triggers Over 40 Plant Diseases and Endangers Human
and Animal Health
The following article reveals the devastating and unprecedented impact
that Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide is having on the health of our soil,
plants, animals, and human population. On top of this perfect storm,
the USDA now wants to approve Roundup Ready alfalfa, which will
exacerbate this calamity. Please tell USDA Secretary Vilsack not to
approve Monsanto’s alfalfa today. [Note: typos corrected from Jan
16th, see details]
1. The glyphosate molecule grabs vital nutrients and doesn’t let
them go. This process is called chelation and was actually the original
property for which glyphosate was patented in 1964. It was only 10 years
later that it was patented as an herbicide. When applied to crops, it
deprives them of vital minerals necessary for healthy plant
function—especially for resisting serious soilborne diseases. The
importance of minerals for protecting against disease is well established.
2. Glyphosate annihilates beneficial soil organisms, such as
Pseudomonas and Bacillus bacteria that live around the roots. Since they
facilitate the uptake of plant nutrients and suppress disease-causing
organisms, their untimely deaths means the plant gets even weaker and
the pathogens even stronger.
3. Glyphosate itself is slightly toxic to plants. It also breaks
down slowly in soil to form another chemical called AMPA
(aminomethylphosphonic acid) which is also toxic. But even the combined
toxic effects of glyphosate and AMPA are not sufficient on their own to
kill plants. It has been demonstrated numerous times since 1984
that when glyphosate is applied in sterile soil, the plant may be
slightly stunted, but it isn’t killed
1. The actual plant assassins, according to Purdue weed
scientists and others, are severe disease-causing organisms present in
almost all soils. Glyphosate dramatically promotes these, which in turn
overrun the weakened crops with deadly infections.
2. By weakening plants and promoting disease, glyphosate
opens the door for lots of problems in the field. According to Don,
“There are more than 40 diseases of crop plants that are reported to
increase with the use of glyphosate, and that number keeps growing as
people recognize the association between glyphosate and disease.”
1. The herbicide can interfere with photosynthesis,
reduce water use efficiency, lower lignin , damage and shorten root
systems, cause plants to release important sugars, and change soil
pH—all of which can negatively affect crop health. (Do you have
droughty summers?)
3. Roundup persists in the environment
Monsanto used to boast that Roundup is biodegradable, claiming that it
breaks down quickly in the soil. But courts in the US and Europe
disagreed and found them guilty of false advertising. In fact,
Monsanto’s own test data revealed that only 2% of the product broke down
after 28 days. In some conditions, glyphosate can grab hold of soil
nutrients and remain stable for long periods. One study showed that it
took up to 22 years for glyphosate to degrade only half its volume!
4. The amount of glyphosate that can cause damage is tiny.
European scientists demonstrated that less than half an ounce per acre
inhibits the ability of plants to take up and transport essential
micronutrients (see chart).
5. Glyphosate residues in the soil that become bound and
immobilized can be reactivated by the application of phosphate
fertilizers or through other methods. Potato growers in the West and
Midwest, for example, have experienced severe losses from glyphosate
that has been reactivated.
6. Manure may also be spreading the herbicide, since US
livestock consume copious amounts of glyphosate—which accumulates in
corn kernels and soybeans. Imagine the shock of farmers who spread
chicken manure in their fields to add nutrients, but instead found that
the glyphosate in the manure tied up nutrients in the soil, promoted
plant disease, and killed off weeds or crops. Test results of the manure
showed glyphosate/AMPA concentrations at a whopping 0.36-0.75 parts per
million (ppm). The normal herbicidal rate of glyphosate is about 0.5
ppm/acre.
7. Roundup Ready crops dominate US livestock feed. Soy and
corn are most prevalent—93% of US soy and nearly 70% of corn are Roundup
Ready. Animals are also fed derivatives of the other three Roundup Ready
crops: canola, sugar beets, and cottonseed. Nutrient loss from
glyphosate can therefore be severe.
1. Roundup Ready crops dominate US livestock feed. Soy
and corn are most prevalent—93% of US soy and nearly 70% of corn are
Roundup Ready. Animals are also fed derivatives of the other three
Roundup Ready crops: canola, sugar beets, and cottonseed. Nutrient loss
from glyphosate can therefore be severe.
This is especially true for manganese (Mn), which is not only chelated
by glyphosate, but also reduced in Roundup Ready plants (see photo). One
veterinarian finds low manganese in everylivestock liver he measures.
Another vet sent the liver of a stillborn calf out for testing. The lab
report stated: No Detectible Levels of Manganese—in spite of the fact
that the mineral was in adequate concentrations in his region. When that
vet started adding manganese to the feed of a herd, disease rates
dropped from a staggering 20% to less than ½%.
2. The chance that Roundup would increase soilborne
diseases in alfalfa fields is a near certainty. In fact, Alfalfa may
suffer more than other Roundup Ready crops. As a perennial, it can
accumulate Roundup year after year. It is a deep-rooted plant, and
glyphosate leaches into sub soils. And “Fusarium is a very serious
pathogen of alfalfa,” says Don. “So too are Phytophthora and Pythium,”
both of which are promoted by glyphosate. “Why would you even consider
jeopardizing the productivity and nutrient quality of the third most
valuable crop in the US?” he asks in frustration, “especially since we
have no way of removing the gene once it is spread throughout the
alfalfa gene pool.”
Re: [permaculture] Institute for Responsible Technology - - Monsanto’s Roundup Triggers Over 40 Plant Diseases and Endangers Human and Animal Health,
Lawrence F. London, Jr., 01/27/2011