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NEW DOUBTS OVER GE-CROPS:
'NEW SCIENTIST' ARTICLE ON MONSANTO'S
GE SOYBEANS CRACKING UP IN THE HEAT
18 November 1999 - New research
published in New Scientist (1) today shows
that Monsanto’s herbicide resistant soybeans are negatively
effected by heat. Bill Vencill of the University of Georgia
found that the stems of genetically engineered (GE) soybeans
split open in hot climates causing crop losses of up to 40
per cent.
Vencill conducted the research after farmers in Georgia alerted
him to unexpected crop losses. In conditions where soils reached
45 degrees Celsius, Vencill said "We saw lower heights, yields
and weights in the Monsanto beans." The stems of almost
all soybeans split open which the researcher suspects could
be caused by genetic modification of the plant to make it
resistant to glyphosate, the herbicide marketed as Roundup
by Monsanto.
Monsanto sees countries such as Brazil as a major market for
its soybeans. These findings could be a serious blow to these
plans, despite the fact that Monsanto still has no approval
for the marketing of its Roundup Ready GE-soya in Brazil.
(1) Coghlan A.
'Monsanto's
modified soya beans are cracking up in the heat'. New
Scientist 20 November 1999.
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