Roundup Ready Wheat = More Pesticides

Genetically Engineered Wheat may lead to More Use of Chemicals

DENNIS BUECKERT / Canadian Press 12jan04

[More on Monsanto]

OTTAWA—Farmers may need to use additional chemicals to kill weeds if genetically engineered wheat proposed by Monsanto enters widespread cultivation, says an internal report by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

The memo by Richard B. Fadden, president of the federal agency responsible for approving new crops, indicates concerns about Monsanto's Roundup Ready wheat, currently under assessment. "Farmers may need to use additional herbicides to control HT (herbicide-tolerant) crops that appear as weeds in other crops or fields," Fadden says in the memo obtained under Access to Information law.

"There may be an increase of naturally occurring herbicide resistant weeds if there is increased use of the herbicide associated with the use of HT crops."

Roundup Ready wheat was genetically engineered by Monsanto in collaboration with Agriculture Canada to be resistant to Roundup, a popular herbicide.

Weeds have a tendency to become resistant to the chemicals used against them. A herbicide-resistant strain allows farmers to use more of the herbicide without killing their own crop.

Canada has already approved some herbicide tolerant crops, including canola, and experience has shown that some of the resistant plants can become problems when they sprout in following years amid a different type of crop.

Fadden says in the memo the problem could be particularly difficult for farmers who rotate between canola and wheat crops.

"Potentially cultivating Roundup Ready wheat where there is already Roundup Ready canola may increase the use of the herbicide in areas, resulting in an increase in Roundup resistant weeds."

The letter is dated January 2003, a short time after Monsanto submitted Roundup Ready wheat for approval. It is addressed to then-agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief.

Jim Bole, a senior official with Agriculture Canada, said last week that the department would not make further investment in Roundup Ready wheat due to concerns about market acceptance.

Monsanto spokeswoman Trish Jordan denied Monday that Agriculture Canada is abandoning the Roundup Ready project, saying that research agreements with the department have been completed or will be completed.

"They're no longer doing any varietal development work (on Roundup Ready wheat) because they completed the terms of the agreement and the work's done."

But the CFIA letter written last January suggests that fundamental scientific questions remain unresolved.

Jordan confirmed that Monsanto has been asked to supply more information, and said the approval process normally takes years.

John Culley, director of intellectual property with Agriculture Canada, says the department has no plans to further invest in Roundup Ready wheat but the decision was taken some time ago.

source: http://www.canada.com/search/story.aspx?id=1fc54639-21a2-41c6-ad4a-5526b6c12534 13jan04