By Wesley Allen, Professional Golf Management major

While this article seems to be one that trashes Bt corn I have a different opinion.  They label it as what could be a great failure. This is incorrect – I can’t see how one could say this.  These types of crops have worked wonders for the world and if used correctly would continue to.  The main reason that insects develop resistance to Bt crops is because of improper resistance management (and not inherently because of genetic engineering). There needs to be enough crops planted that are non-Bt in order to manage resistance.  Most farmers understand this and are doing this, but now companies are taking it into their own hands and mixing in non-Bt seeds with the Bt seeds so that the appropriate amount will be grown.  Bt corn has proven how well it works and it will continue to do so as long as we take the right precautions to make sure that insects to not develop resistance to Bt engineered crops.

Reference article: Monsanto decimates their credibility (Sept. 10, 2013)
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/09/10/monsanto-bt-corn.aspx

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This blog post was an assignment for  Societal Issues: Pesticides, Alternatives and the Environment (PLNTPTH 4597) and is a repost from August 14, 2014. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the class, Department of Plant Pathology or the instructor.

by Frank Rogers, Agribusiness major

As an Agribusiness student at Ohio State, I listen to both sides of the GMO (genetically modified organism) debate. My AgriComm class project included an assignment to do a presentation on a topic that we are passionate about. One group decided to present why GMO products are “bad for us,” and “not regulated because the White House wants to promote biotechnology.”

I was rather appalled by these statements that were being presented as facts. I know that from my Plant Pathology class GMO crops “are subjected to more testing than any other new crop variety,” (Adrianne Massey, 2013).

So when people claim that there is no regulation it rather upsets me, as according to Dr. Massey, the FDA, USDA, and EPA regulate GMO crops. These regulatory review processes can take up to 13 years, with up to six of those years being dedicated to safety data. So where do people get this information that says there is no regulation on the industry, and why do they feel it is credible?

There are several companies like Chipotle and organizations such as GreenPeace that use anti-GMO propaganda through the media, allowing the fear they’ve instilled to fuel their agenda.

Why is it propaganda you ask? I would say that it holds no water, has no true scientific backing, and is not fact-based. When doing research it is important to use information (data) that is backed by causation, instead of correlation alone. These two are often confused, or manipulated to show desired results. For example, it is easy to say that there are higher deaths related to cell phone use  since 2002, but there are also over a billion more cell phones now than there were in the past. That statement does not tell us anything about whether people have died from accidents caused by cell phone use.

So I’ll let you ponder this question: when is the last time someone you knew really did die from eating something a carrot, apple, or tomato because it was bred to last a little longer in the store?

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This blog post was an assignment for  Societal Issues: Pesticides, Alternatives and the Environment (PLNTPTH 4597). The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the class, Department of Plant Pathology or the instructor.

by Cody Pitz, Agricultural Systems Management major

As algal blooms continue to affect oxygen-rich waters, developing technology could turn unwanted algae growth into an energy source. Many types of seaweed have been eaten by humans for centuries. Energy created by farming algae could accompany seaweed cuisine as a positive effect algae growth has on our environment. An alga is also able to light up oceans in the nighttime as they respond to crashing waves.

President Obama is a supporter of developing technologies that would utilize the over-abundance of algae we have in our water systems today. Algae have the capability to retain energy that is absorbed by marine life when grazing on algae or zooplankton that has been consuming algae. The acids that are produced by algae are the same found in fish oil supplements used to alleviate joint pain. Algae’s ability to prosper with so little is one of the attractive factors that have also had negative impacts on our environment.

Read More
You’re Already Eating Algae (www.slate.com)

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This blog post was an assignment for  Societal Issues: Pesticides, Alternatives and the Environment (PLNTPTH 4597). The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the class, Department of Plant Pathology or the instructor.