The Cornell Report - Environmental Groups Response

[Stelenes at aol.com]

I am a little confused by this comment:

Doug Yanega wrote:

(Paraphrased) "What is the counterargument for the preservation of the 300 
Mexican corn varieties"

Is the risk mentioned that the GM modified corn will inbreed with native 
varieties and thus make Fn generations with the Bt gene?

CULTIVATED CROPS:  I suppose this could make sense if the corn grew wild.  
But for cultivated crops, isn't a very small portion replanted from the same 
plant, and don't growers buy genetically pure (cloned) seeds from seed 
companies anyway which maintain the genetic identity of the variety?  So in 
the case of a cultivated crop, is this really a significant problem?  You 
know, today they buy Bt modified seeds, tomorrow if they want they can buy a 
variety that does not have the Bt gene modification.  End of story.  Natural 
selection is not at its best in cultivated organisms.  Just ask Elsie the cow 
who is now producing 9 tons of milk per year. compared to one ton at the turn 
of the present century.

GROWS WILD OR SEEDS PRODUCED BY FARMERS:  And if it is really a problem 
because a significant number of the 300 varieties and corn production of 
Mexico are from farmer produced seeds or they actually do grow in the wild 
like "weeds," I suspect the 300 odd varieties will have the same problem by 
hybridizing with any corn, Bt gene modified or not, losing their identities.  
It seems in this case (Bt not the problem, loss of corn variety purity) this 
particular corn which would be planted on commercial fields anyway, so Bt is 
not the issue.

Best wishes.

Doug Dawn
Monterrey, Mexico
Sacramento, California