Round-up Ready Sweetcorn

[farmer steve]

from Harvard professor Calaestos Juma( look him up on the web). "as the world's food challenges increase, so must humanity enlarge it's toolbox to include genetic modification and other technologies such as satellites for monitoring land resources. but these techniques are not silver bullets. they must be part of a wider system of innovation that includes improving interactions between academia, gov't, business and farmers.from1996 to 2011 transgenic crops saved nearly 1BILLION pounds of active pesticide ingredients. it also reduced 51 BILLION pounds of carbon dioxide,the equivalent of taking 10.2MILLION cars off the road. without transgenic crops the world would need another 420,000 square MILES roughly the size of ethiopa for the same level of output."

i'm not saying safe or not safe, but unless something life threatning is discovered i guess gmo's are here for a while. tobacco is still grown here in the good ole' USA and we all know it causes all types of illnesses and even DEATH but you all know it's still available for anyone that wants to use it. heck back in the 1870's people didn't even want to use electricty because it was evil. crap and lots of it if i had to send this via carrier pigeon.

one more tidbit. 1 american farmer feeds about 155 people worldwide today, in 1960 that number was barely 26.

 

[Dalmatian90]

Now you're treading some deep water:

To say I don't give a ### about sustainable farming is ludicrous. That's ALL I do all day. I don't have a 8-5 M-F working in the A/C. I am a farmer..I don't clock out. You liberal do-nothings spout all the problems without any solutions.

You misunderstood what I was saying...yes, insects will become resistant to Bt. It was inevitable whether we stepped in as humans or not. That's how life works. Coming up with a new pesticide that is better is not a bandaid, but a solution. I couldn't begin to describe all the benefits glyphosate has over Atrazine (what we used before Round up). Why are you so opposed to it when there is no evidence that it is harmful?

That deep water must be a kiddie pool after a long dry spell.

Insects developing resistance to Bt is NOT inevitable. In nature the gene pool has remained diverse enough to keep that resistance from developing. As Bt has been used up until now gene pool diversity was maintained to keep resistance from developing.

It is inevitable the way Bt genes are being introduced to our farming system.

Your vision of "sustainable" is simply expecting you can buy some different external input in the future -- whether it's a licensed seed with GE traits, or a new chemical.

I'm familiar with Atrazine v. glyphosate. But what are you going to do when the weeds become resistant to glyphosate as well, either because of it natural selection from constant use of glyphosate?

Do I have glyphosate in my garage? Yep. I have 2,4-D too. Some Sevin. A couple different organic approved insecticides as well. All used sparingly, and targeted at specific problems when they're my best option. I'm a gardener, though I can get around the farms in this area just fine. And I know the differences between gardening and farming -- and which problems and practices do not scale in one direction or the other.

My vision of "sustainable" is a rejection of Nixon's go big or get out policies, to say that smaller, diversified farms are better for rural economies, better for the environment, and better for our national health. Recognition that there are areas that farming doesn't make sense and ranching instead should dominate permanent grasslands. Substitution of intense management for purchasing external inputs. That thousands of scientists are only pursuing developing the next input to sell to farmers...because they're paid by the folks who want to sell something to farmers, and that if you put them to work instead on developing low-input systems the productivity of those low external input systems would increase dramatically. Recognition that all industrialized democracies spend a combined 21% of GDP on healthcare and food -- most split it 10% health, 11% food...the U.S. being the greatest deviation at 5% food, 16% healthcare and I believe that is directly related to cheap food in, garbage health out.

The stories of my aunts & uncles picking brussel sprouts and pickling cucumbers on my grandparent's truck farm are distant to me. Having watched the decline of dairy farms and collapse of poultry in my area though, watching the Renaissance of local farms selling to local folks here is one of the greatest things I've seen. Most of it is not powered by hippies going back to the land, but instead by families a generation or two after farmers who had thrown in the towel competing in commodity markets finding ways to make money off their family land again.

 

[farmer steve]

Farmer Steve,

How about the spreading of GMO's into the general environment?

This is a major concern and is already happening.

i guess you are talking about cross pollination between nongmo & gmo crops because that is the only issue i can think of. this only being a concern to exporters of grain crops. sad to say my neighbors raise organic chickens. some days these poor chickens dont eat for two days because the company that contracts with my neighbor won't feed them gmo grain and when they get their organic feed, some gorge themselves till they croak. all because they might get $.50 less per chicken. i raise livestock and my animals always eat before me.

 

[farmer steve]

Marco likes the smell of crop oil and Atrazine in the morning, honest. Just an earthy smell.

me to:msp_w00t:

 

[Genius.]

As a farmer I am indifferent to the whole GMO contraversy. I see and can understand both sides of the issue.

For one, the world population is getting larger and larger, and the farmers are getting fewer and fewer, and there is no more land being made. So the few farmers that are left are having to do more with what they have. And to put it bluntly, GMO crops is the way to get cheap food to the mass's.

This world couldn't survive if the corn yield was that of the mid 2000's, much less the 80's and 90's. especially now that we burn so much corn in the form of ethanol. Don't even get me going on High Fructose Corn Syrup!!!!!!!! Today a corn and soybean product is in everything, and I mean everything. So not only do we need to feed more people, we are using a food source for fuel and consumables. (Both of which are not sustainable)

Take last summer around here for instance. We had one of the worst droughts ever. Prior to last summer the drought of 1988 was the worst. I wasnt old enough to remember 88, but from what dad says, crops were pretty much a complete loss. We litterly had nothing.
Now last year was worst than 88, and with the technology in today's corn we averaged 147 bushel/acre over all. Out of our 1300 acres of corn only 40 of that is irrigated and that got 250 bu/A.

So as a farmer, to be able to play we need this stuff.

Now, for me personally, I try to stay away from it. The food I grow in the garden is way better, and I prefer buying local what I don't grow to keep the money local.

People have choices, I chose to eat healthier food, not "food" that consists of #### that you need a doctorate to be able to pronounce the main ingredient's, or "food" where the sodium content for one serving is all the sodium you should have in a day. And I'm sorry, but I don't classify High Fructose Corn Syrup as a food either.....

 

[Genius.]

What needs to happen in this country is for everyone to learn to grow their own food. Til up 1/2 the yard and plant veggies. People of this country need to take gardening lesons from Del and Dalmation.
I know I do, I wish I could grow a garden 1/8 as good as these two do.

 

[Genius.]

Personally, I don't think the health issues of today are from GMO like some claim. I believe it is from all the fake crap in our food.

Today everyone eats processed food, they don't eat natural food. I think there is more risk in eating potassium bentonite, gum acacia, brominated vegitable oil, yellow 5 and high fructose corn syrup (what's in this empty soda can I just found) than eating a ear of round-up ready sweetcorn.

I'd classify the food that people eat today as a laboratory experiment instead of food.

 

[lone wolf]

So what is killing all the Bees?

 

[Genius.]

Oh, and to answer my original question, dad found some RR corn.

Also, I'm a little frustrated right now. I'm on my 3rd planting of corn right now. I originally bought 1/2 pound of Peaches and Cream, and I replanted twice, only 4 plants germinated.
I'm trying a different variety now.

I need to call my supplier, I think he got bad seed in.

 

[farmer steve]

View attachment 300065View attachment 300066

picture on left sprayed with conventional corn herbicide. now will have to spend additional fuel,time,more chemical herbicide to clean this patch up plus 3 or 4 insecticide sprays to keep the worms out.

pic on right is gmo sweet corn.next time i am in this patch will be to pick it. no additional time or money or chemicals.

being a one man operation i need to keep all inputs to a minimum.

 

[Genius.]

About 5 years ago we started to go no-til. As far as we are concerned, it's the best thing that we have ever done.

Our weed issued have been cut back by 50%.

We usually only have to hit the fields once with roundup after its been planted. Everyone else around who does conventional tiling will hit their fields twice.

Then if you add up the other benifits (fuel, nutrient run off, labor)

 

[luckydozenfarm]

You also could have cultivated before it got so bad. Cultivate, hill and side dress at the same time.

I can't say I've seen many farmers let weeds get so far out of hand. Looks like bad farming practices.

LOL..

Steve, I think we are outnumbered. I'm bowing out of this thread myself. Let them think what they want, I've come to terms with the fact that they are going to argue with us until eternity. Nice looking patch in the second pic, hope you have the picking help before the racoons get to it. Last night my Golden Malrin bait pans took out at least 3 big coons. Too bad Seminis hasn't GMO'd a crop that can repel those suckers. I'm sure that's coming...lol..I can hear the grumbling now...haha

 

[luckydozenfarm]

About 5 years ago we started to go no-til. As far as we are concerned, it's the best thing that we have ever done.

Our weed issued have been cut back by 50%.

We usually only have to hit the fields once with roundup after its been planted. Everyone else around who does conventional tiling will hit their fields twice.

Then if you add up the other benifits (fuel, nutrient run off, labor)

What crop are you no-tilling? What kind of planter do you use?

 

[Genius.]

What crop are you no-tilling? What kind of planter do you use?

We have always no tiled soybeans. Corn has been 5 years now.

We run Kinze planters

Then for wheat we use a Deere grain drill

 

[Genius.]

We have always no tiled soybeans. Corn has been 5 years now.

We run Kinze planters

Then for wheat we use a Deere grain drill

Oops, for our corn planter, it's not a stock Kinze planter. We have different coulters on it to help dig

 

[luckydozenfarm]

View attachment 300077

View attachment 300078My Obsession II sweet corn at V-5 stage. Sprayed one pass of Roundup Powermax at .75 oz/gal 6 days before pic taken. Zero weeds, and I mean not ONE...freaking...weed..no cultivation to reduce soil moisture or create wind erosion either. The fertilizer was injected on planting to reduce nitrogen loss and runoff. There will not be one drop of pesticide sprayed on this corn and will be the last time the tractor hits this field before the picker gets to it. These four rows were planted to fill a contract to a local fruit stand. He bought some last year and flew off the shelves even though he did advertise it was GMO corn. As far as I know, I have not heard of any deaths in our area due to people eating this.

 

[luckydozenfarm]

Oops, for our corn planter, it's not a stock Kinze planter. We have different coulters on it to help dig

So if you no till, I'm assuming you use a preseason burn down herbicide? What do you use? Most people I know who no-till rely heavily on Round-up Ready crops because they don't do a mid-season cultivation pass and spray glyphosate. Not saying I've seen everything, esp where you live, but I've never seen a no-till without Round-up Ready crops down here. How do you do keep your weeds out mid season?

 

[luckydozenfarm]

So if you no till, I'm assuming you use a preseason burn down herbicide? What do you use? Most people I know who no-till rely heavily on Round-up Ready crops because they don't do a mid-season cultivation pass and spray glyphosate. Not saying I've seen everything, esp where you live, but I've never seen a no-till without Round-up Ready crops down here. How do you do keep your weeds out mid season?

Oh sorry Genius, I see what you posted, I just didn't read it right I guess..lol
Never mind

 

[farmer steve]

You also could have cultivated before it got so bad. Cultivate, hill and side dress at the same time.

I can't say I've seen many farmers let weeds get so far out of hand. Looks like bad farming practices.

rain every other day for the last couple of weeks doesn't allow for to much field work. so far since 6/1 almost 5" of rain. this is the worst field i've had in 10 years. you can't cultivate corn till it reaches a certain height without the risk of covering it up or rooting it out. dont need to sidedress as these fields had ORGANIC broiler manure applied to them before planting.

 

[luckydozenfarm]

rain every other day for the last couple of weeks doesn't allow for to much field work. so far since 6/1 almost 5" of rain. this is the worst field i've had in 10 years. you can't cultivate corn till it reaches a certain height without the risk of covering it up or rooting it out. dont need to sidedress as these fields had ORGANIC broiler manure applied to them before planting.

besides you cant cultivate out the weeds within the row.

I have now found a new use for aged cow manure that we used to spread out on the hayfield b/c of all the weed seeds in it.

Before round up ready sweet corn, if you were to throw cow manure on a field and plant sweet corn on it, the Palmer Amaranth (pigweed) would come up so thick, you couldn't pick it for all the thorns. Even if you had the energy to run the Troy-bilt tiller down the rows. Now, I put as much manure as I can throw on the field and do a burn-down at V-4 and maybe another walk through with a backpack sprayer at picking time. I have even made a hooded sprayer hooked up to my tool bar that will go down between my tomato plants. Try hand picking tomatoes through 6 foot tall pigweed or sicklepod and you will quit farming. My grandpa told me how they used to check-row plant tomatoes back in the day, so you could cultivate in all four directions through the field. Well I use the hooded sprayer and I have had great success. Anything you can do to not break open the soil is beneficial to us, we don't get much rain past the end of June, and cultivating dries out the soil.