tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45417032790826242052024-03-15T18:09:25.173-07:00Applied MythologyWhat if much that you think you know about agriculture, farming and food isn't actually true? What if there are "myths" that have been intentionally and mostly unintentionally spread about these issues? What if the truth about these issues matters for the future of humanity? That is what this blog is about. I also recorded several podcasts at POPAgriculture https://www.popagriculture.com/
Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.comBlogger223125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-41311441609479192632023-03-28T16:21:00.000-07:002023-03-28T16:21:43.432-07:00Do You Really Need To Worry About Pesticide Residues On Fruits and Vegetables?
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(This article was originally posted on <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2023/03/23/do-you-really-need-to-worry-about-pesticide-residues-on-fruits-and-vegetables/?sh=3de5034b261e" target="_blank">Forbes on 3/23/23</a>)
Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet providing vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, dietary fiber and other benefits. They can also be quite delicious. Nutrition experts agree that many Americans should eat more of these foods, but that can be challenging for those with a busy lifestyle. But another reason is consumers hesitate to buy produce items that they’ve been told are risky because of pesticide residues. The main way they get that idea is through something called the “Dirty Dozen List” which is published each year by the Environmental Working Group (EWGEWG) – an organization which gets funding from several large organic food companies. The 2023 list is expected soon. It purports to advise consumers about which specific foods are most important to buy as Organic to avoid these pesticide residues. This fear-based message is completely misleading and irresponsible.
There are several reasons why this list has a negative effect on society. The first is it represents an egregious misinterpretation of an extensive and transparent public data set called the USDA Pesticide Data Program or PDP. The EWG claims that their list is based on the PDP data, but in fact what the data shows is these foods are safe and “clean” and should be enjoyed with confidence. That conclusion is clearly expressed in the USDA’s public summary and confirmed by the EPA and FDA.
The second issue is the messaging tends to discourage many people from consuming healthy amounts of fruits and vegetables. That is particularly true for those on limited incomes. We do not have a two-tiered food system that requires us to pay a price premium for safety, and the USDA makes it clear that it’s Organic certification is not about safety.
The third reason that the Dirty Dozen List is so corrosive it undermines public confidence in the EPA regulatory process for pesticides as if nothing has changed in the more than 50 years since that agency was established.
The fourth problem is the Dirty Dozen List denigrates the farmers who actually do a great job of producing these crops and protecting them from pest damage and food loss while still complying with the EPA’s requirements for how to do that safely (e.g. what rates can be used and how close to harvest).
What is the PDP and what does it really tell us?
Each year the USDA and its 10 state-level partner agencies go out and collect more than ten thousand food samples from commercial channels within the US food system. For the 2021 study 21 commodities were included (Fresh and frozen Blueberries, Broccoli, Cantaloupe, Cauliflower, Carrots, Celery, Eggplant, Sweet Bell Peppers, Tangerines, Grape Juice, Green Beans, fresh and frozen Peaches, Plums, Green Beans, Watermelon, Summer Squash, Winter Squash, Butter, and Corn for Grain). The samples are taken to the USDA’s national lab or to one of 7 state laboratories throughout the US. There they are prepared the way they would normally be at the household level (washing, peeling etc), and then analyzed using very sensitive technologies that can accurately measure the amounts of more than 300 different pesticides and pesticide metabolites. For 2021 (the 31st year of the PDP) there were 10,127 samples and a total of 27,541 residue detections. For their Dirty Dozen List, the EWG essentially treats all of those detections as equally problematic. To do that truly represents “data abuse.” To understand the actual significance of any given detection one has to consider three details which are quite transparently available through the USDA-PDP dataset download site.
1. What chemical was detected? Individual crop protection chemicals (whether natural or synthetic) differ dramatically in terms of their toxicity profile. Very few modern pesticides are highly toxic to animals or humans. Many work by inhibiting specific enzymes that occur in pests but are not even present in animals. Thus these typically end up being classified by the EPA as category III - “slightly toxic,” or category IV – “essentially non-toxic.”
2. How much of the chemical was present? Since the time of the ancient Greeks is has been understood that “the dose makes the poison.” Modern chemical testing methods can detect extremely small doses – that does not mean that those represent something dangerous or “dirty.”
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To begin, 14.4% of the detections were at extremely low levels for which the chemical could be identified and for which there is a defined tolerance, but where there was so little of the chemical present that the amount couldn’t be quantified. These “Trace w/Tolerance” detections are clearly not of concern (see the blue slice in the pie chart above).
For 84% of the detections there was both a quantifiable level of the chemical and a crop/chemical-specific tolerance. In almost all those cases the residue was at a level below the tolerance. These “below tolerance” detections can be further sorted by their “safety margin” (see the four green slices in the pie chart above). For example, if the detected residue was at 1% of the tolerance, it would have a 100-fold safety factor. 16.5% of the samples had a safety margin between 1 and 20. 31.5% had a safety margin between 20 and 100. 31% had a safety margin between 100 and 1000. 4.5% had a safety factor of more than 1,000. These detections simply span the range from safe to extremely safe.
The reason that a separation was made at the 20-fold safety level is because there is a stipulation in the rules for USDA Organic that if claimed organic foods are being tested as part of an enforcement activity, any residue of a synthetic (and therefore unallowed) pesticide below 5% of the EPA tolerance is considered to have been “inadvertent” and would not constitute a violation of the organic rules. That is not based on any different safety standard. Instead the 5% rule is just a practical acknowledgement that there could be low level residues coming from blowing dust or equipment or picking boxes or some other route than having being intentionally treated with the chemical in question. The PDP program is not used as enforcement activity for Organic, but if it were, 82% of all the residues could qualify under that organic exemption.
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Only 0.43% of the detections (one in 233) exceeded the relevant tolerance (see the red slice above), and for many commodities there were no detections above tolerance (Cantaloupe, Carrots, Cauliflower, Corn for Grain, Frozen Blueberries, Frozen Peaches, Plums, Grape Juice, Sweet Bell Peppers, Summer Squash, Tangerines, Watermelons).
In 2021, a small subset of the detections were for chemicals without a specific tolerance for the crop in question. Most of those (1.15% of all detections) were below the tolerances for other crops and so they are not of particular concern as they might also have come from some sort of inadvertent, low level exposure. Another 0.3% of detections were cases without a tolerance but only present in the trace detection range that can’t actually be quantified, so they do not represent any significant risk. Only 0.13% of the detections were for chemicals with no tolerance at all and those would need to be considered on a case by case basis to decide if they were actually problematic.
Only 6.35% of the PDP samples in 2021 were labeled as certified Organic items. The analytical methods used by these labs are only designed to detect synthetic chemicals. With the exception of the natural fermentation product Spinosad, the PDP methods can’t detect the most frequently used organic-approved pesticides such as mineral-compounds like copper sulfate and sulfur, microbial products like Bt insecticides or fatty acids. Each such product would require its own specific testing method. Residues of 33 different synthetic chemicals were found among the organic samples and that represents an average of 0.43 detections per sample (vs 2.9/sample for conventional samples). That lower frequency is expected since those chemicals are not supposed to be intentionally applied to an organic crop. Interestingly, the distribution of those residues by category is similar to that for the conventional samples (see graph below)
In conclusion, the largest categories of detections for 2021 were those that are far to very far from anything that could be called “dirty.” In a sense the PDP is a “graded test” of our farmers’ compliance with EPA regulations. They deserve an A+, not an insulting distortion of the truth. If the EWG’s notorious list is published again in 2023, and if it uses its standard, debunked methodology, it should simply be ignored by consumers and either ignored out called out for what it is by the press. Here is another source of good information on this topic.
(Full disclosure: during my 40-year career in agricultural technology I have worked on the discovery and development of crop protection products based on synthetic chemicals, natural products and live biologicals. I have also consulted for numerous companies in that sector. Between 2017 and Q1 2021 I served as a Crop Protection Products Benefits Communicator for the CropLife Foundation - the non-profit arm of CropLife America which is the industry association for the crop protection industry. I performed this year’s data analysis in my semi-retirement, not in any paid industry role).
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3. How does the concentration compare to the crop/chemical-specific “tolerance?” Tolerances are residue thresholds established by the EPA as a conservative safety standard. To set this threshold the EPA factors in all that is known about the toxicological profile of each chemical and how the commodity fits into normal diets with special consideration for the diets of children. An additional safety factor is added just to be sure that the tolerance defines a level below which we can be extremely confident that there would be no significant health effects even with frequent consumption. It is inappropriate and irresponsible to classify a residue below or well below the EPA tolerance as “dirty” or dangerous.
Based on the answers to those three questions, one can sort the detections from 2021 into nine categories as shown in two pie charts below. Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-11953724699499457252022-11-14T08:00:00.021-08:002023-01-01T06:40:16.303-08:00A "Farm Powered" Business Model for Scalable Renewable Energy Production from Waste(This article was first <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2022/10/31/a-farm-powered-business-model-for-scalable-renewable-energy-production-from-waste/?sh=718e54eb5d56" target="_blank">published on Forbes</a> on 10/29/2022)
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(Image above: The logo for Vanguard Renewable's business arrangement with dairy
farms to generate energy from what could have been waste) It has been pointed
out that “waste is only really waste if you waste it.” That is of particular
concern when what is being wasted is potential renewable energy. Our food system
generates two major waste streams that have traditionally ended up on the
negative side of their potential – the manure that comes from farm animals, and
the inedible food waste that happens at the food manufacturing or retail level.
There is a solution that addresses both of these missed opportunities and
reduces our reliance on landfills and incinerators. A company called Vanguard
Renewables has developed a business model that connects farms with food
companies and retailers to combine their waste streams and use them to generates
renewable natural gas which can then serve to decarbonize the energy supply for
society as a whole. This solution hinges on a technology called “anaerobic
digestion” or AD that has been used extensively for decades in Europe. An
organic waste source like manure is put within a closed tank without oxygen.
Under that “anaerobic” condition there are specialized microbes from the gut of
the cow that can digest the organic matter. Unlike most living things that
generate carbon dioxide as they metabolize their food, these “anaerobic”
specialists generate methane gas - the same energy-rich fuel we call natural
gas. The difference between the gas from one of these digesters and the fossil
fuel version is that the carbon in the gas from a digester was created
biologically, and not by fossil extraction. That means that when the methane is
burned to produce energy, the carbon dioxide that is emitted is “carbon
negative” and isn’t a net contributor to the total amount of CO2 in the
atmosphere. Then, if the methane from a digester (also called “green natural
gas”) is piped into the existing natural gas utility stream, it has the same
sort of “decarbonization” effect that is achieved by putting electricity
generated by solar, wind or nuclear into the overall electricity grid. Vanguard
Renewables was started in 2014 by solar energy investor and entrepreneur John
Hanselman who had been a skeptic about AD until he saw how widely it was being
used in Europe. At that time anaerobic digestion was being used to some extent
in the US dairy industry, but there was much more untapped potential. The
limiting factors for AD implementation are the significant capital cost to build
a facility and the need for considerable expertise to operate the system. Large
diary operations are a logical place to build digesters because they generate a
continuous stream of manure – often more than can be reasonably spread back on
the surrounding fields. Also, if the manure has to be stored in a lagoon for
later use it creates methane and an odor issue for any neighbors, and the
ammonia that volatilizes from stored manure causes other environmental problems.
A digester can be run on a continuous basis so that the need to store the manure
is virtually eliminated.
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(Image above from Vanguard Renewables - photo by John Maciel. Dairy cows with
anaerobic digester in the background) The Business Model Vanguard makes lease
arrangements with the dairies for the land where it builds digester facilities.
They then take the manure and after they have generated the methane, the farmer
gets back “digestate” that as been fortified with all the food nutrients at no
charge. He solid part of what they get makes excellent bedding for the cows and
the rest makes a soil-injectable fertilizer that avoids the odor and massive
volume issues of raw manure or even composted manure. The farmer doesn’t need to
purchase nearly as much synthetic fertilizer and so a life cycle analysis of the
milk reflects a smaller carbon footprint ( in an almost ironic way that savings
is because less fossil natural gas is needed to make nitrogen fertilizer for
that farmer’s forage crops). Vanguard dries and purifies the methane and feeds
that into the regional natural gas network and gets their income from the
utility company. The dairy farmer has no upfront capital cost, does not have to
play any role in operating the plant except collecting and delivering the
manure, gets a monthly lease income and then the digestate fertilizer and
bedding. This farm side of Vanguard’s business it described as “Farm Powered.”
The other part of the business model is that Vanguard makes agreements with
companies that have food waste issues such as processing side streams at a food
manufacturer or brewery, or inedible food waste that is generated at grocery
retail based on items that have gone past the date at which they can be sold or
donated to a food bank. Vanguard has organic waste recycling facilities built
specifically to accept and process this waste including even packaged foods that
have to be opened to get to the organic waste.
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(Image above from Vanguard Renewables, photo by John Maciel. A truck delivering
food waste from a partner company to the recycling facility in Agawam, MA that
prepares it for delivery to a farm with a digester facility) This organic waste
is then sent to the farm where it enters a hydrolyzer and is heated to 104
degrees for five days before entering the anaerobic digester to be combined with
dairy cow manure. This addition can actually lead to even better performance of
the anaerobic digestion process. The farmer gets even more digestate. Some
municipal waste haulers also arrange to bring their excess organic waste to the
farm sites.
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(Image above from Vanguard Renewables - photo by Todd Balflour. A co-digested
for manure and food waste on the Goodrich family farm in Salisbury, VT) Over the
past several years Vanguard has been refining their system and so they recently
pursued a round of funding for expansion. They had several offers and took the
one from BlackRock Real Assets, an ESG-focused finance company. It takes a
reasonably large dairy in terms of the number of cows to justify a digester
installation, but in areas with smaller dairies Vanguard has set up arrangements
where the manure from several farms can be pooled at a single location.
Currently they have 150 dairy farms under contract ranging from those with only
400-1000 cows to one that has more than 10,000. In all cases these are family
farms, and they greatly appreciate the steady lease income since the prices they
get for their milk can fluctuate a great deal. So far, the company has recycled
more than 1.7 million tons of organic waste (food was and dairy cow manure) and
produced enough digestate to fertilize more than sixty-one thousand acres of
crop land. So, what this business model achieves is recovery of energy from both
manure and food waste, a reduction in materials going to landfill and
incineration, cleaner air around a dairy, a stabilizing income for family dairy
farms, a reduction in the need for fertilizer, and an increase in the proportion
of renewable energy for society. Further expansion is now underway. This is just
one of the ways that the US dairy industry is pursuing sustainability and
overall carbon footprint reduction.
Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-51140204823297351802022-10-30T14:11:00.000-07:002022-10-30T14:11:42.165-07:00Agriculture’s Critical And Complex N-Game(This article was originally published on
<a
href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2022/08/24/agricultures-critical-and-complex-n-game/?sh=3a0880d737e9"
target="_blank"
>Forbes</a
>
on August 24, 2022)
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(Cornfield Image - Petr Kratochvil)
Critics of modern agriculture often cite its
dependence on “synthetic nitrogen fertilizers.” They point to the carbon
footprint of the natural gas used to make it and the fact that nitrogen from
farms can end up as a water or air pollutant. Also there is the issue that under
certain circumstances a fraction of farm applied nitrogen can be emitted from
the soil as the very potent greenhouse gas - nitrous oxide. While these issues
are real, the solution is not to somehow avoid using this fertilizer or to
arbitrarily set limitations on the quantities that farmers can use to grow their
crops. Unfortunately there are several such misguided approaches being pursued.
A cautionary tale comes from the nation of Sri Lanka which recently banned
fertilizer imports in its attempt to become the first 100% organic production
region. That choice crippled their food supply and their important tea export
industry. Canada recently mandated nitrogen fertilizer reduction for its farmers
without tying that to a rational measure such as kg of fertilizer per ton of
output. India is promoting “zero-budget natural farming which could undermine
the food independence that nation has enjoyed since the “green revolution.”
The European Union is promoting organic agriculture which excludes “synthetic
fertilizers” as part of its controversial Farm to Fork Strategy. In fact,
organic is often promoted as a solution to fertilizer issues without recognition
that organic crop production is actually quite dependent on “synthetic” nitrogen
that has ended up in the manure of conventionally raised animals. As one expert
on the subject says, “follow the nitrogen.”
And just to be clear, human produced nitrogen fertilizer starts as ammonia which
is a naturally occurring form of that element and not something artificial as the
term “synthetic” might imply.
Getting Fertilization “Just Right” In the classic fairy tale Goldilocks wants
her porridge “not too hot, not too cold, but just right.” The challenge for
farmers is to apply nitrogen in a way that doesn’t represent either too much or
too little, but what is “just right” for optimal crop growth. Fertilizers are
one of the more significant operating costs of growing a crop, so growers have
no incentive to over-apply. But conversely if a crop is short on nutrients
during key growth stages, the farmer’s yield-based income will be compromised.
Thus, the long-standing goal for optimal fertilization has been expressed as
“The 4-Rs” –
1. the right amount
2. in the right form
3. in the right place
4. at the right time
This is a non-trivial challenge because of logistical
limitations and the vagaries of weather, but the basic economics drive careful
use. Why Agriculture Needs to “up it’s N-game” There are now two “game changing”
factors driving more attention to nitrogen fertilizer issues -the war in Ukraine
and Climate Change. The war has led to a dramatic increase in fertilizer prices
and highlighted the desirability of a to shift to domestic sourcing. Rational
concern about Climate Change is putting the spotlight on the greenhouse gas
footprint of current nitrogen fertilizer production methods as well as on the
emissions of nitrous oxide from fields.
In the face of these heightened concerns
the agricultural sector is being called upon to “up its N-game.”
Why Agriculture Needs to Up it's "N-Game"
The challenge is to meet increasing demand for food, feed, fiber, fuel and other biomaterials
without driving land-use-change and without exacerbating nitrogen-related
issues. Fortunately, the trend over the past three decades is encouraging.
Consider the example the “I states” which account for around one third of US
grain corn production. As shown in the graphs below, yield in 2021 was 35-51%
higher than in the early 1990s but nitrogen use only increased between 8 and
18%. Thus “nitrogen use-efficiency” in those states (expressed as bushels
produced per pound of nitrogen applied) has increased 29-35%.
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That means that the use of nitrogen for corn in these three states in 2021 was
1.73 billion pounds lower than if it has been used at the rates it was in the
early 1990s. That benefit is shown below for each year in which there was survey
data.
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Farmers use many different practices and technologies in order to optimize their
use of nitrogen and other fertilizers. The following is a list of both existing
and emerging n-game tactics. Some are well established but could be more widely
employed. Those are highlighted with the symbol (>>>). Others that are
relatively new, but which could make a significant contribution are highlighted
with the symbol (+++). Those that are in the research phase are indicated by the
symbol (***). Nutrient Recovery When animals (including humans) digest their
food they fail to absorb all the nutrients it contains. That is why manure has
always been used as a fertilizer as it continues to be today. Manure in its
various forms (including after composting) is not an ideal fertilizer in that it
requires the application of tons per acre and it isn’t amenable to some
desirable farming practices such as no-till farming or precision application
(described below). Even so, a new technology called a Varcor Processor (+++) is
available today to do a much better job of recovering the fertilizer nutrients
from manure in highly usable forms. There is also interest in setting up
mechanisms to recycle human urine (***) as a fertilizer high in both nitrogen
and phosphorus. However, since neither animals or humans actually make nitrogen
fertilizer, these are limited potential sources. Precision Fertilization Farm
field soils are not uniform in that they have different yield potential in
different zones. It is common today for farm machinery to be equipped with GPS
or other geo-referencing technologies in order to do “auto-steer” and to
generate information like a yield map. To avoid wasting money on excess
fertilizer the farmer can use “variable rate fertilization” (>>>) putting down
more or less in each individual zone based on its growth potential. The
application rates can also be guided by various imaging technologies that use
“hyperspectral analysis” (>>>) to visualize the nutrient status of the growing
crop and to adjust fertilizer rates on that even more precise zone basis. For
crops that are irrigated it is possible to very closely link the supply of
nitrogen and other nutrients to what the plants need at any given point in the
growing season by “spoon feeding” (>>>)- delivering it through drip lines or
other irrigation systems at levels that closely match what the plants will
quickly absorb with their roots at each time point throughout the season. In
non-irrigated agriculture that level of control is not possible, but fertilizer
can be applied in a few “split applications” (>>>) to more closely match plant
needs. Another option is a “controlled release formulation” (>>>) of the
fertilizer in which a polymer coating slows the rate at which the nutrients move
out into the soil. Preventing Nitrogen Loss After a nitrogen fertilizer has been
applied in a field it can be a while before it is taken up by the growing crop
and in the meantime, it can be converted to forms that allow it to move into the
air or water so that it is no longer available for the crop and can cause
problems in the environment. There are several technologies that act as
“Nitrogen Loss Inhibitors.” For instance urea is a very practical form of
nitrogen to use as a fertilizer, but there are enzymes present in soils called
ureases that convert it to ammonia (NH4) which is volatile so that it moves away
in the atmosphere only to be washed down later and cause a form of water
pollution known as “eutrophication.” There are products called “urease
inhibitors” (>>>) that prevent that potentially major form of nitrogen loss.
When fertilizer nitrogen is in the positively charged ammonium form (NH4+) it is
in an available but non-mobile form. There are microbes in the soils that
convert the ammonium to nitrate (NO3-) which is very mobile in water so that it
can leach into ground water or be washed into streams. If the soil is
waterlogged or compacted so that it doesn’t have air available, the nitrate can
also be lost to the crop if it is “denitrified” meaning that it is converted to
N2 gas that goes back into the air as a harmless gas. Unfortunately, in that
process some of the nitrogen is turned into nitrous oxide (N2O) which is an
extremely potent greenhouse gas. There are products called “nitrifications
inhibitors” (>>>) which reduce these nitrogen loss and pollution issues. The
GPS-based autosteer technology also allows the grower to employ “controlled
wheel trafficking” (>>>) so that only a small percent of the field is ever
compacted by the wheels of heavy equipment. If no nitrogen fertilizer is applied
to those potential soil compaction wheel tracks, the risk of nitrous oxide
emissions is greatly diminished. Using “Green” Nitrogen In the early
20thcentury, the German scientists Fritz Haber and Karl Bosch invented the
process through which the inert nitrogen gas that makes up 78% of the atmosphere
could be converted into ammonia and from the converted to other forms that can
fertilize plants. Up until that time the world had been tapped out of nitrogen
from natural sources including the mining of deposits of bird guano. Hydrogen is
also needed for that reaction and natural gas (CH4) has has always been used in
the Haber-Bosch process because it was the cheapest source. Hydrogen can also be
produced from water using wind or solar generated electricity and there are
technologies now available to make much lower carbon footprint nitrogen (+++)
and they are getting more cost competitive. Another advantage of using renewable
energy to generate nitrogen fertilizer is that it can help with the reduction of
import dependence. Nitrogen Fixers The term “fixer” has some negative
connotations, but in nature there are certain beneficial bacteria that can “fix”
nitrogen meaning they have a unique ability to take some of the nearly inert N2
gas that makes up 78% of the atmosphere and convert it into ammonia (NH4) which
is the starting point for all the biologically important forms of that element.
There is a family of plants known as legumes that have a special relationship
with one of these bacterial species called Rhizobium. The plant supplies the
microbe with the sugars that then provide the considerable amount of energy
required for that process. The plants also “house” these bacteria in specialized
structures along their roots called “nodules” that created a very low oxygen
environment which is also important for the fixing process. Several major and
minor legume crops have this capability and require little to no nitrogen
fertilizer (soybeans, dry edible beans, peas, peanuts, lentils, chickpeas,
alfalfa…). When legumes are part of the crop rotation (>>>) they leave a fair
amount of nitrogen for the next non-legume crop (e.g. corn, wheat, canola…).
There are also legumes that can be used as cover crops (>>>) between seasons to
increase the supply of nitrogen in the soil.
Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-19624582171377644142022-08-26T09:57:00.000-07:002022-08-26T09:57:08.573-07:00We Are Asking For More Than Food From Our Farms. A New Cropping Option May Help Meet The Demand<p> (This post was originally published on <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2022/08/17/we-are-asking-for-more-than-food-from-our-farms-a-new-cropping-option-may-help-meet-the-demand/?sh=2708a66f136d" target="_blank">Forbes</a> on 8/17/22)</p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; white-space: pre-wrap;">Humanity depends on the agriculture sector to produce our food, feed, and fiber, and that demand continues to grow. Increasingly we look to crops as more climate-friendly sources for fuels, plastics and other “bio-materials.” The challenge is to fulfill this diverse and expanding demand without driving </span><a class="color-link" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-22702-2" rel="nofollow noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; position: relative;" target="_blank" title="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-22702-2">land-use-change</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (LUC)- the conversion of previously uncultivated lands to farms. LUC leads to the loss of biodiversity and a massive release carbon dioxide from those soils. Through the refinement of farming practices and the use of new technologies, the productivity of many major crops has been steadily increasing (see graphs below), but climate change may compromise that trend.</span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTHb0cnDlWzxgdQ5kS4CAxn8vzCjEhpW0kxz3x-uqBnnoXKzZ2OfVNC0pHz9a30WNqU5lNp98DDjsnBH6Aoe6tPa8imrTIGyjuLuxwMHylLaVLi2q2zzOfv78LbkokOHUx6ZCDvWm9DzUTBUsk18gQKRWJJy17nXe3qiKctrmm5kenU6zk9J1Ug1n9w/s3429/Sample%20Yield%20Trends.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2121" data-original-width="3429" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTHb0cnDlWzxgdQ5kS4CAxn8vzCjEhpW0kxz3x-uqBnnoXKzZ2OfVNC0pHz9a30WNqU5lNp98DDjsnBH6Aoe6tPa8imrTIGyjuLuxwMHylLaVLi2q2zzOfv78LbkokOHUx6ZCDvWm9DzUTBUsk18gQKRWJJy17nXe3qiKctrmm5kenU6zk9J1Ug1n9w/w420-h260/Sample%20Yield%20Trends.png" width="420" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The per acre yield of major US crops has been increasing for decades (Graphs by author based on USDA-NASS Quickstats data)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is another way to expand crop production without adding new land - a farming method known as “double cropping.” In temperate climates there is normally one crop harvested from each acre each year. Double cropping involves pairing two crops that can be grown in back-to-back periods on the same parcel of land in the same growing season. For instance Winter Wheat is often </span><a class="color-link" href="https://www.crops.org/news/science-news/maximizing-returns-double-crop-soybean/#:~:text=Double%20cropping%20is%20a%20practice,of%20the%20limited%20growing%20season.&text=By%20double%20cropping%20soybean%20after,can%20increase%20their%20net%20returns." rel="nofollow noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; position: relative;" target="_blank" title="https://www.crops.org/news/science-news/maximizing-returns-double-crop-soybean/#:~:text=Double%20cropping%20is%20a%20practice,of%20the%20limited%20growing%20season.&text=By%20double%20cropping%20soybean%20after,can%20increase%20their%20net%20returns.">double cropped with soybeans</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in states like Kentucky and Ohio. </span></p><p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGn3uac4-yBoofMaA1iN95O6Ng5IyPslaMJZaxlrpIc-2gzHaQKhgRwzQUzRGSj-jH6Pj9n0Zw2Tx762W5wsuvYz1W8KOKqAa9rE5Lw_3G3ouPct-nLg9DwrdcTxRDEh01BJ4IhFmf-UU_jXwaR1FmJCsxTYKIf2yMSt4vAp4qCZO4qN2IKWICQ0UNQ/s960/Camelina%20Field.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGn3uac4-yBoofMaA1iN95O6Ng5IyPslaMJZaxlrpIc-2gzHaQKhgRwzQUzRGSj-jH6Pj9n0Zw2Tx762W5wsuvYz1W8KOKqAa9rE5Lw_3G3ouPct-nLg9DwrdcTxRDEh01BJ4IhFmf-UU_jXwaR1FmJCsxTYKIf2yMSt4vAp4qCZO4qN2IKWICQ0UNQ/w421-h316/Camelina%20Field.png" width="421" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A field of Camelina in bloom (image from Yield10 Bio)<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; line-height: 30px; margin: 1.2rem 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is a newly developed version of a crop called Camelina which will allow double cropping in Northern latitudes where that was not previously possible. It has the potential to be planted on millions of acres following crops like corn and soybeans or canola in the prairie provinces of Canada and in the Northern Tier of US states.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; line-height: 30px; margin: 1.2rem 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Double cropping also aligns with the concept of “Regenerative Farming” in that it keeps diverse species growing on the land for as much of the year as possible which builds soil health. “Cover crops” are a similar option but in that case the planting is not for a second harvest. Over time both of these practices increase the drought resilience and nutrient buffering capacity of the land, and <a class="color-link" href="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2022/07/05/climate-action-farming-here-is-what-farmers-need-to-do-to-adapt-as-our-planet-heats-up-and-why-organic-and-regenerative-farming-cannot-meet-the-challenge/" rel="nofollow noopener" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; position: relative; white-space: normal;" target="_blank" title="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2022/07/05/climate-action-farming-here-is-what-farmers-need-to-do-to-adapt-as-our-planet-heats-up-and-why-organic-and-regenerative-farming-cannot-meet-the-challenge/">when paired with no-till management</a> these systems result in long-term sequestration of more carbon in the soil which could add value through a carbon offset market. There is a yield and yield stability payback from the enhanced soil health, but that can take several years to accrue and so it is difficult to justify the cost of seed and fuel for a non-harvested cover crop. A cash double crop generates income while providing the same benefits. Double cropping and cover crops also provide other “ecosystem services” in that the active root systems prevent erosion and nutrient runoff during the part of the year following harvest of the primary cash crop. Although Camelina does not require bees for pollination, it’s flowers are an <a class="color-link" href="https://www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news/research-news/2015/camelina-cover-crops-a-boon-for-bees/" rel="nofollow noopener" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; position: relative; white-space: normal;" target="_blank" title="https://www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news/research-news/2015/camelina-cover-crops-a-boon-for-bees/">excellent forage resource</a> for bees and its golden yellow blooming fields are beautiful to see. In recognition of the many benefits of double cropping, the USDA has <a class="color-link" href="https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2022/07/12/usda-makes-it-easier-american-farmers-grow-food-ease-burdens" rel="nofollow noopener" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; position: relative; white-space: normal;" target="_blank" title="https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2022/07/12/usda-makes-it-easier-american-farmers-grow-food-ease-burdens">added coverage for the practice</a> in its crop insurance program.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; line-height: 30px; margin: 1.2rem 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Camelina closeup Camelina flowers are very attractive to bees</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9uYBdZpcEgRo6wGkHBYHCIK7pcS3keWE0-daukz6uDdf6IG8DvJr9IagySTS-fnTol-x3GvKnvNvS5a8z3tG7ORcXdNRO26Y99LoYbt2312hIWrKPgnaeoO5PiGl77YVte2FHPblLmdTs9XQ0uMkBJ4f633mL9TFNcAU5fqasCGDOuwF7wNknqr0SQ/s1200/Camelina%20Bloom%20UNL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="1200" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9uYBdZpcEgRo6wGkHBYHCIK7pcS3keWE0-daukz6uDdf6IG8DvJr9IagySTS-fnTol-x3GvKnvNvS5a8z3tG7ORcXdNRO26Y99LoYbt2312hIWrKPgnaeoO5PiGl77YVte2FHPblLmdTs9XQ0uMkBJ4f633mL9TFNcAU5fqasCGDOuwF7wNknqr0SQ/w420-h322/Camelina%20Bloom%20UNL.jpg" width="420" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camelina does not require bees for pollination, but it is a very attractive to bees and other pollinators</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; line-height: 30px; margin: 1.2rem 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; line-height: 30px; margin: 1.2rem 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Camelina is actually <a class="color-link" href="https://www.ceitec.eu/genome-origin-and-evolution-of-an-important-crop-camelina-sativa-and-its-relatives-uncovered-by-czech-scientists/t10213" rel="nofollow noopener" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; position: relative; white-space: normal;" target="_blank" title="https://www.ceitec.eu/genome-origin-and-evolution-of-an-important-crop-camelina-sativa-and-its-relatives-uncovered-by-czech-scientists/t10213">an ancient crop which</a> was a common source of lamp oil and animal feed in Europe into the early 20<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 0; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span> century. It was recently selected as a candidate for improvement by a company called <a class="color-link" href="https://www.yield10bio.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; position: relative; white-space: normal;" target="_blank" title="https://www.yield10bio.com/">Yield10 Bioscience</a>. With the advanced breeding tools that are available today, it is possible to take a relatively unimproved crop like Camelina and rapidly develop improved versions to fit modern needs. Yield10’s initial focus has been to develop very high yielding and high oil content versions that could be used to make biodiesel and jet fuel. Yield10’s leading winter cultivars for this purpose have been scaled up for larger acreage planting this fall and the Company has a strong pipeline of proprietary genetic traits in the pipeline to further increase seed yield and seed oil content. There is also a feed meal side-product so there is a food supply element to this story as well. Yield10 is currently targeting their lines for farmers in Montana, Idaho and southern Alberta and Saskatchewan.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; line-height: 30px; margin: 1.2rem 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is interesting to compare the trajectory of Camelina improvement to that of <a class="color-link" href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/96-325-x/2007000/article/10778-eng.htm" rel="nofollow noopener" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; position: relative; white-space: normal;" target="_blank" title="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/96-325-x/2007000/article/10778-eng.htm">Canola</a>, a related species that was transitioned starting after WW II from Rapeseed (a source of lubricant oil for steamships) to a healthy human food oil and animal protein feed crop through a multi-decade conventional breeding process in Canada. Much faster progress was possible with Camelina because of advanced genetic technologies such as “marker-assisted-breeding” and gene editing. The improvements that Yield10 has been able to achieve are dramatic even though this species has a complex allohexaploid genome (3 subgenomes, predominantly 6 copies of each gene) which means that many copies of each target gene need to be edited to achieve the desired trait. Realizing that herbicide tolerance is a key trait for farmers wanting to grow Camelina in a continuous <a class="color-link" href="https://www.farmers.gov/blog/park-your-plow-5-tips-no-till-curious" rel="nofollow noopener" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; position: relative; white-space: normal;" target="_blank" title="https://www.farmers.gov/blog/park-your-plow-5-tips-no-till-curious">no-till system</a>, Yield10 has a transgenic version with that trait working its way through the regulatory process.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; line-height: 30px; margin: 1.2rem 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a class="color-link" href="https://www.feednavigator.com/Article/2022/01/28/Yield10-Camelina-seed-offers-huge-promise-beyond-biodiesel-sector" rel="nofollow noopener" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; position: relative; white-space: normal;" target="_blank" title="https://www.feednavigator.com/Article/2022/01/28/Yield10-Camelina-seed-offers-huge-promise-beyond-biodiesel-sector">In the not-too-distant future</a>, Camelina double crops could also include cultivars that take advantage of that species’ high Omega-3 fat content, and Yield10 has the rights to UK patented methods to increase the additional health-promoting EPA and DHA content of the oil. This could be a good source of vegetable oil for human food and it would make an excellent aquafeed.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; line-height: 30px; margin: 1.2rem 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">So overall there is reason to be optimistic about agriculture’s ability to meet the demand for biofuels, and other bio-based materials in addition to its traditional role in providing food, feed and fiber. This new double cropping option can be a part of that solution.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; line-height: 30px; margin: 1.2rem 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></p><p><br /></p>Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-89361794847928203322022-07-25T08:00:00.014-07:002022-07-25T08:46:22.913-07:00Who Owns America’s Farmland? And What Is Their Role In The Response To Climate Change?<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i> (This article was originally published on <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2022/07/19/who-owns-americas-farmland-and-what-is-their-role-in-the-response-to-climate-change/" target="_blank">Forbes on 7/18/22</a>)</i></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJHVYq41mOGhBHSBXxfA7XQGpeS_9La6WGml-VKn9RpEPqldcsVI1iPD7rs3vNzI_1PYQAy4uvus676jFXZD1oZiwSJfMuH04sjPcARf7mfsHoobURTxgNfouX-baho2hYgzSTTtJGGMzQPWuZ4RxCQm5ZB8EbwuU0kpLcPENcA4C9UxvDoYxZtqFwQ/s500/NoTillSoybeans147%20NRCS.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="500" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJHVYq41mOGhBHSBXxfA7XQGpeS_9La6WGml-VKn9RpEPqldcsVI1iPD7rs3vNzI_1PYQAy4uvus676jFXZD1oZiwSJfMuH04sjPcARf7mfsHoobURTxgNfouX-baho2hYgzSTTtJGGMzQPWuZ4RxCQm5ZB8EbwuU0kpLcPENcA4C9UxvDoYxZtqFwQ/w458-h303/NoTillSoybeans147%20NRCS.gif" width="458" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No-till Soybeans Following Corn (NRCS image)</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1870
was the first US Census in which </span></strong><a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/troublesome-farming-us/"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">farmers were in the
minority</span></a><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">
(47.7%).Today, only </span></strong><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/farming-industry-facts-us-2019-5-1028242678#while-there-are-more-than-2-million-farms-across-the-us-farmers-and-ranchers-make-up-just-13-of-the-labor-force-2"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">1.3% of Americans</span></a>
<strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">are still farming and
increasingly do so on operations of </span></strong><a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/88057/eib-189.pdf?v=43172"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">over 2,000 acres</span></a><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. Even so, family farms still </span></strong><a href="https://www.fb.org/newsroom/fast-facts"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">make up 98%</span></a><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> of
our agricultural sector. Farm ownership still reflects the legacy of the </span></strong><a href="https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/homestead-act"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Homestead Act of 1862</span></a><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> as a great deal of current
farmland still belongs to descendents of the 19<sup>th</sup> century
homesteaders. According to the most recent USDA Census of Agriculture in 2017,
the largest share of the US agricultural land is owned by families and
individuals (201.5 million acres of cropland and 223.8 million acres of
pastureland). Partnerships and family corporations own most of the remaining
private land with non-family corporations holding only 3.1 million acres of
cropland and 6.4 million acres of pastureland (see graph below)<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvaKL2UzNhpjAAjc1TNpoEv_SLFMgxFtkE_CY_L5U3VZz-kiuIR2pMVQNV5yG2GJ_1oRK7-dCdLHLT1ApVRAJtNKn6IVS1msYfdW_SBo3p29Ydn3fRpqenYhvWhHAtrJ_w1FhsbPKyf1KKVg1_2Rv6cQuXG_EtkmMJfWBxFO23IgiDabkprApXniKZ-A/s664/Land%20Ownership%20By%20Category.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="664" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvaKL2UzNhpjAAjc1TNpoEv_SLFMgxFtkE_CY_L5U3VZz-kiuIR2pMVQNV5yG2GJ_1oRK7-dCdLHLT1ApVRAJtNKn6IVS1msYfdW_SBo3p29Ydn3fRpqenYhvWhHAtrJ_w1FhsbPKyf1KKVg1_2Rv6cQuXG_EtkmMJfWBxFO23IgiDabkprApXniKZ-A/w454-h335/Land%20Ownership%20By%20Category.jpg" width="454" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="color-body light-text" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; color: #737373; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; display: inline; font-family: "Work Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; line-height: 16.8px; margin: 0px 8px 1.6rem 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">US agricultural land is mostly in the hands of families and individuals, many with ties to to historic farming families <br /></p><small class="color-body light-text" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #737373; font-family: "Work Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; line-height: 2; text-align: left; text-transform: uppercase;">GRAPH BY AUTHOR BASED ON USDA DATA</small></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The
remaining farmers have typically expanded their operations by renting additional
acres rather than by purchasing land. That approach makes perfect sense in the
high risk, moderate reward business of farming the likelihood of a year with
bad weather or low commodity prices makes it too risky to take on a big
mortgage. In the </span></strong><a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/land-use-land-value-tenure/farmland-ownership-and-tenure/#:~:text=Approximately%2039%20percent%20of%20the,over%2025%20percent%20of%20pastureland."><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">USDA’s TOTAL Survey</span></a><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> from 2014, rented land accounted
for around 28% of US pastureland (~144 MM Acres) and 54% of US cropland (~214
MM Acres).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That survey also found that
31% of farmland (pasture and crop) was rented from “non-operator landlords” and
8% from farmers (see graph below)<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizU9ypaVkXeNIbxLMSeFe4b1mNdhnl7T4DiGgKVdUUNx4aOe2ufZbSmf7in-E84aPiJmdeC4zS0Qrr2w8_C-4VICsWiEnBWhDbHCugJVUgynTjQxWcQERBnjt8q75S_RNan-D7nXBerPaU7aZJypAXXKAhy2y7S-wagLqYpnH8zKZy2qqugYjs8oRv8g/s1069/Land%20In%20Farms%20Total.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="1069" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizU9ypaVkXeNIbxLMSeFe4b1mNdhnl7T4DiGgKVdUUNx4aOe2ufZbSmf7in-E84aPiJmdeC4zS0Qrr2w8_C-4VICsWiEnBWhDbHCugJVUgynTjQxWcQERBnjt8q75S_RNan-D7nXBerPaU7aZJypAXXKAhy2y7S-wagLqYpnH8zKZy2qqugYjs8oRv8g/w414-h332/Land%20In%20Farms%20Total.jpg" width="414" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="color-body light-text" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; color: #737373; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; display: inline; font-family: "Work Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; line-height: 16.8px; margin: 0px 8px 1.6rem 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">The land that farmers rent is mainly from non-farmers (31%) and the landlords are either individuals, partnerships, family corporations or trusts<br /></p><small class="color-body light-text" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #737373; font-family: "Work Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; line-height: 2; text-align: left; text-transform: uppercase;">FROM THE USDA TOTAL SURVEY SUMMARY</small></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Farm
operations that rent some or all of their acreage dominate in all but the
smallest farm size categories (See chart below with partial rental operations
in light blue and full rental operations in orange).<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormal"><strong><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9LWSqdKgSJavgNBnOiS0fE885f7I7oJymz88zF2dk958JwEGJE8q9z7qvgiuikV5EBvQxx7qb_TvhSEbi5_wFLuWzvD4ReRjklqJo3TLRzsTYrRu9l_YCJ5NpSHC_iFNke4Mi9C-t-qfttbdb2kqGY7LOfUKd4jM0CT8L-iR72xSuNB37r_L4nDgjQ/s752/TOTAL%20Tenure%20by%20farm%20size%20graph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="752" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9LWSqdKgSJavgNBnOiS0fE885f7I7oJymz88zF2dk958JwEGJE8q9z7qvgiuikV5EBvQxx7qb_TvhSEbi5_wFLuWzvD4ReRjklqJo3TLRzsTYrRu9l_YCJ5NpSHC_iFNke4Mi9C-t-qfttbdb2kqGY7LOfUKd4jM0CT8L-iR72xSuNB37r_L4nDgjQ/w460-h368/TOTAL%20Tenure%20by%20farm%20size%20graph.jpg" width="460" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></strong></p><p class="color-body light-text" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; color: #737373; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; display: inline; font-family: "Work Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; line-height: 16.8px; margin: 0px 8px 1.6rem 0px; padding: 0px;">The majority of farming operations include at least some rented land. (USDA ERS and NASS)</p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><strong><br /><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
landlords who lease this property are a mix of still-active farmers, retired
farmers, farm widows, city-dwelling descendants of farm families, and some
unrelated investors. Many of these landlords have a hands-off relationship with
their farmer tenant and simply collect their annual rent payment directly or through
a farm management company. In an age of climate change there are good reasons
to consider a more active role for these owners.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, "sans-serif"; font-weight: normal;">Agricultural
Land Value In An Age Of Climate Change</span></strong></h2><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, "sans-serif"; font-weight: normal;">Agricultural
land is an asset with both short and long-term value. It generates annual
income for the farmer and a significant portion of that is applied to rent if the
property is owned by someone else. Ag land rental rates are closely tied to
historic and regional production history – better land commands higher rent. Around 1/2 of the cropland in the highly
productive Midwest is rented and the percent of land rented from non-farmer
owners is highest in the states with the highest rental rates driven by their
productive potential (see graph below).<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormal"><strong></strong></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><br /></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><br /></strong></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfjEj5efa4FyoqRYZ_OIhyX8AuaggS5z8tQXrV0ldRRwjp7hJjxUEeSqNDDRc3Z6p6r1zAvTVMZIRBh6hr34Q0_8gpuVJuOPNcVQRrxhFI3QTqUPo9pPi-KuFkXGcGpYnjRwgfDEck7TYOvsGrM6oJRd8SuNgXvb_bNfMVALeILOimtZtniHcv47W0dg/s1660/MW%20Lease%20vs%20Rent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1544" data-original-width="1660" height="409" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfjEj5efa4FyoqRYZ_OIhyX8AuaggS5z8tQXrV0ldRRwjp7hJjxUEeSqNDDRc3Z6p6r1zAvTVMZIRBh6hr34Q0_8gpuVJuOPNcVQRrxhFI3QTqUPo9pPi-KuFkXGcGpYnjRwgfDEck7TYOvsGrM6oJRd8SuNgXvb_bNfMVALeILOimtZtniHcv47W0dg/w439-h409/MW%20Lease%20vs%20Rent.jpg" width="439" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p></p><p class="color-body light-text" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; color: #737373; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; display: inline; font-family: "Work Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; line-height: 16.8px; margin: 0px 8px 1.6rem 0px; padding: 0px;">In the major farm states, the percent of land leased from non-farming owners is highly correlated with rental rates which are linked to yield potential for key crops</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><small class="color-body light-text" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #737373; font-family: "Work Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; line-height: 2; text-align: left; text-transform: uppercase;">GRAPH BY AUTHOR BASED ON USDA DATA</small></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><strong></strong></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><br /></strong></div><p></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The
property value of agricultural land has been </span></strong><a href="https://www.agweb.com/news/business/farmland/3-year-farmland-price-trends-18-states#:~:text=%E2%80%9CPrices%20for%20good%20quality%20cropland,at%20company%20auctions%20in%20March."><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">increasing at a brisk
pace in recent years</span></a><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">
making it interesting for a range of investors. A projection from the </span></strong><a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/land-use-land-value-tenure/farmland-ownership-and-tenure/#:~:text=Approximately%2039%20percent%20of%20the,over%2025%20percent%20of%20pastureland."><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">2014 USDA survey</span></a><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> of land ownership and tenure was
that around 9.3 million acres of land would change ownership between 2015 and
2019 and that 60% of that would be through gifts, trusts, or wills, but that
some of that may then be sold by the new owners, increasing the supply of land
available for purchase. Land values and land rents are highly correlated (see
graph below)<o:p></o:p></span></strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></strong><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jwQWwqZbwkCGMyEazRxUh5Y9JGEh7e7YyY1veWiu_QkDYy0Fy3S-Qp4GG4Nw3_-0KoESgt7AtdRe3Y_tWP5mSaOXaHf9YPVgGwFpCKlQn00Sr44DGI-4-xQIdr6r_kcZE4TwirjavbsDjQwWc2tQ_Zi8dMOqPsiK7xUG-U9Oxr-e494Oqp9gVPON3A/s1680/Rents%20and%20Values.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1320" data-original-width="1680" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jwQWwqZbwkCGMyEazRxUh5Y9JGEh7e7YyY1veWiu_QkDYy0Fy3S-Qp4GG4Nw3_-0KoESgt7AtdRe3Y_tWP5mSaOXaHf9YPVgGwFpCKlQn00Sr44DGI-4-xQIdr6r_kcZE4TwirjavbsDjQwWc2tQ_Zi8dMOqPsiK7xUG-U9Oxr-e494Oqp9gVPON3A/w446-h350/Rents%20and%20Values.jpg" width="446" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="color-body light-text" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; color: #737373; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; display: inline; font-family: "Work Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; line-height: 16.8px; margin: 0px 8px 1.6rem 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">Land rental rates are highly correlated with property values within these seven USDA regions. In the Northeast and Western Pacific states other factors tend to drive property values. </p><small class="color-body light-text" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #737373; font-family: "Work Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; line-height: 2; text-align: left; text-transform: uppercase;">GRAPH BY AUTHOR BASED ON USDA DATA</small></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></strong></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Risk
and Opportunity</span></strong></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Climate
change is creating both new risks and new opportunities related to the annual
and long-term value of agricultural land. On <u>the risk side</u>, agricultural
productivity in any given growing season is intimately linked to weather. The
shifting climate exposes crops to more frequent extreme weather events
(drought, flooding, wind…), yield-robbing warmer nights, and increases in the
range and severity of pest challenges. Farmers can get some relief through
government subsidized crop insurance, but there could eventually be the need
for some risk sharing by landlords.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">On <u>the
opportunity side</u>, plants can capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and
store it underground in relatively stable forms of organic matter – this is one
means of climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration. There are
certain farming systems that focus on the improvement of soil-health, and they do
a particularly good job of carbon sequestration. If this kind of “climate-action
farming” could be implemented at large scale (e.g. 100+ million acres), it
would be of great benefit for society as a whole. There is a further upside
associated soils that have captured and stored a lot of carbon – they become
more resilient in the face of climate change because they are better able to
capture and store rainfall in ways that buffer crop yields in both excessively
wet and dry years. The land becomes more “climate-resilient.” While there is no
one system suited to all situations, the basic elements are keeping plants growing
in a field to feed the soil ecosystem for as much of the year as possible
(double cropping, cover crops), having different species there over time including
some which are particularly deep rooted (diverse rotations), and most
importantly doing all of this with little to no mechanical soil disturbance in
the form of plowing or tillage since that sort of operation leads to the
release of sequestered carbon. There are also benefits from certain livestock
integration practices.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The
Transition Challenge</span></strong></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">While
dual </span></strong><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">climate-resilient/climate-action</span></strong><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> farming systems are very attractive
as concepts, it is not at all trivial for a farmer to implement them in the
real world. They must also be customized to fit different soils types, regional
climates and primary cropping options. These changes require upfront investment
in things like seeds or equipment. There may be reduced income from some of the
rotational crops chosen for their soil enhancement characteristics rather than
profitability. It also typically takes 3-5 years years for the yield and yield
stability benefits to kick in and so the key hurdle is financing the transition.
These changes are difficult enough to justify for land the farmer owns, but far
more difficult to justify for rented land. It will be increasingly important to
educate </span></strong><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-themecolor: text1;">landowners that there will be a growing perverse
incentive for a future tenant to “mine” the soil of nutrients for a few years
by tilling --- essentially what the original sodbusters did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That future conventional tiller will actually
pay more to lease the ground, knowing that his non-land operating costs will be
lower than on his/her other fields.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An
unwitting landowner might think this is a good deal and switch tenants for a slightly
better rent offer --- not appreciating the asset degradation the land is about
the suffer in the background.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a
poor trade, but not very visible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
has been a major source of friction in some communities.</span></strong><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Carbon
Offset Markets</span></strong></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">There
are initiatives underway to pay farmers to sequester carbon, but </span></strong><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/09/business/farmers-climate-change.html?"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">there is considerable
skepticism</span></a><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> as
to whether such programs offer enough money to justify the costs and
complications involved. There are also questions about whether these programs
can be administered in a way that is fair and verifiable. Hopefully carbon
markets will contribute towards more climate-ready farming, but other
mechanisms are needed to enable the extensive and timely adoption of climate-resilient
farming needed to protect the food supply. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Regenerative
Farming</span></strong></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The
farming methods described here are related to what is variously defined as “Regenerative
Farming.” Unfortunately there is an effort to link the regenerative designation
to organic through <a href="https://regenorganic.org/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">a certification process</span></a> that would continue the
ideologically-driven technology limitations of organic. The organic business
model is to compensate the farmer for lower crop yields through consumer-paid
price premiums, and that is not a workable approach to drive the system change
on a large sale in row crops. The shift to climate-resilient farming methods
needs to be enabled by all the best available technologies including
biotechnology and well regulated crop protection chemicals.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Is
This Kind of Change Even Possible?</span></strong></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Yes,
there is reason to believe that this is possible based on a historical precedent
for a farming huge system paradigm shift that happened in mainstream
agriculture: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></strong><a href="https://www.no-tillfarmer.com/articles/11095-timeline-of-the-no-till-revolution"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“no-till farming”</span></a><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. That change was also a response
to a climate crisis of human origin – the </span></strong><a href="https://drought.unl.edu/dustbowl/"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Dust Bowl</span></a><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">
phenomenon of the 1930s, and it demonstrates the fact that farmers can make
changes when they need to. This year marks the 60<sup>th</sup> anniversary of
the first “no-till” field grown in Kentucky in 1962. Growing crops without
plowing or tillage was such a radical idea that early adopters had to avoid
social gathering spots like coffee shops to avoid getting harassed about their
“trashy fields.” Fast forward to 2017 and 104.5 million US acres were farmed
using a no-till approach. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No-till or the
related </span></strong><a href="https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/publications/crops/strip-till-for-field-crop-production"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Strip-till</span></a><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> farming methods are the ideal
foundation for the full suite of climate ready systems, and so it is important </span></strong><a href="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2022/07/05/climate-action-farming-here-is-what-farmers-need-to-do-to-adapt-as-our-planet-heats-up-and-why-organic-and-regenerative-farming-cannot-meet-the-challenge/?mc_cid=7e1e8de142&mc_eid=84b0643a01"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">to consider what
enabled that kind of large-scale change</span></a><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. The key elements were applied public
research, the development of specialized machinery, and the availability of key
technologies such as herbicides and biotech crops. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But perhaps most importantly, the change was pioneered
by a distinct and innovative subset of the farming population. Today there are
still self-identified “no-tillers” and “strip-tillers,” and they are at the adoption
forefront of other farming methods that enhance climate-resilience. Grower
oriented publications like </span></strong><a href="https://www.no-tillfarmer.com/articles/11095-timeline-of-the-no-till-revolution"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">No-till Farmer</span></a><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> or </span></strong><a href="https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/search?q=cover%20crops"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Progressive Farmer</span></a><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> are filled with narratives about
farmers that are working out the practical details of adding things like cover
crops or unusual rotations or livestock integration. The key is not to tell
growers how to farm, but rather to ask these leaders what works and what would
help them and others to move in the right direction in terms of a climate
change response.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">How
Could Farm Leases Be Modified To Help Drive Change?</span></strong></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">As
mentioned earlier, it can take several years for the crop yield benefits of
modified farming practices to kick in and typical leases are on an annual cash
basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Longer leases would be a step in
the right direction, but probably not all that is needed.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">As
the growing climate becomes more challenging, land with enhanced climate
resilience will become more valuable, both in terms of potential rent and as a
premium property. It would make sense to structure a lease to include some cost
sharing between the farmer and the owner during the transition process, and
then have some mechanism for the farmer to share in the for the increased rent
potential and land value. There would also need to be a cooperative lease model
for land that is going to be enrolled in a carbon market program. Getting
carbon credits requires a commitment to the “permanence” of the carbon sequestration
which is not something that a renter can promise since a subsequent renter
could return the land to full tillage and release the stored carbon back into
the atmosphere. A land owner who wants to have their land in a carbon program
will need to find a capable and willing farmer and it would be appropriate to
do that with some sort of cost and value sharing arrangement.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Another
possibility would be to identify farmers with the most experience with transitioning
to climate-ready farming methods, and engage them to upgrade land that hasn’t
been optimally farmed in the past. Once again a cost sharing arrangement would
be appropriate up front followed by some mechanism for the grower to share in
the upside value. It would also make sense to set up an apprentice-like
arrangement for young farmers to learn from those same experts. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Connecting
the Key Players</span></strong></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In
order for there to be widespread adoption of new lease models that support
climate-ready/climate-active farming, to be there needs to be a way to connect
progressive farmers with enlightened landowners and other entities. The goal is
not to tell farmers how to farm, but rather to enable them to optimize the
climate resilience of land in ways that make sense for specific settings. There
could be a role for environmental or climate-action NGOs to generate interest among
non-farming land owners and provide them with background information and lease
models. Federal and state agencies involved with agriculture as well as farm
industry organizations could help in the development of the new lease models.
The operators of carbon offset programs should clearly “be at the table” as
should individuals or organizations who want to invest in farmland. There could
be a role for entities pursuing corporate sustainability or climate goals.
There could be a role for climate-oriented charitable foundations. On the
surface these diverse groups might seem like “strange bread-fellows,” but with
a commitment to mutual listening and respect, they could join forces to make a meaningful
difference for the future of the food supply and the trajectory of climate
change.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /></div>Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-37851543962515259182022-07-24T17:00:00.001-07:002022-07-24T17:12:08.332-07:00Can Florida's Iconic Citrus Industry Survive Its Own Pandemic?<div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">(This article was originally published on <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2022/01/26/can-floridas-iconic-citrus-industry-survive-its-own-pandemic/?sh=483f1e587244" target="_blank">Forbes on January 26, 2022</a>) </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">For more than two years, human society has been dealing with ramifications of the Covid-19 pandemic and that already feels like a long journey. It has killed millions, caused significant human stress, and precipitated economic disruption. Unfortunately the timeline for its resolution is unclear. For the past seventeen years, the Florida citrus industry has been grappling with a pandemic of its own – in this case an exotic bacterial disease that plagues the trees grown to produce the popular and <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/citrus-fruit-benefits#TOC_TITLE_HDR_7" target="_blank">health promoting</a> fruit and juices we enjoy (oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes, tangerines…). <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/citrus/citrus-greening" target="_blank">This severe plant disease</a> now occurs in all 45 citrus producing counties in Florida. The disease was first described in China in the early 1900s where it called <i>Huanglongbing</i> or “yellow dragon disease.” In the U.S. it is usually called “HLB” or “Citrus greening.” </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUjdW10JbUxUHddbI3Z4rUIRXAPqu-LrExjP7Rix80zKLdzTyaTIbjfsGfpSjwub5cbZMn_Y8KONORM1YyPIzv-FHictZbiVpX6KT6sWH9MjJCQ8wCB7Njjyeu6t_jMqa3OVskVTtpIUGdBdOuHpxAcJfeYAI53-rtm4DHsBYVm9UGV_m7AtYxJEEUg/s737/ACP%20image%20from%20USDA%20APHIS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="737" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUjdW10JbUxUHddbI3Z4rUIRXAPqu-LrExjP7Rix80zKLdzTyaTIbjfsGfpSjwub5cbZMn_Y8KONORM1YyPIzv-FHictZbiVpX6KT6sWH9MjJCQ8wCB7Njjyeu6t_jMqa3OVskVTtpIUGdBdOuHpxAcJfeYAI53-rtm4DHsBYVm9UGV_m7AtYxJEEUg/w463-h204/ACP%20image%20from%20USDA%20APHIS.jpg" width="463" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asian Citrus Psyllid Adult (image USDA-APHIS)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">In 1998 an insect called the <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/resources/pests-diseases/hungry-pests/the-threat/asian-citrus-psyllid/asian-citrus-psyllid" target="_blank">Asian Citrus Psyllid</a> (ACP) showed up in Florida and caused concern because it was known to vector this disease while feeding on the tree’s sap. However the bacteria didn’t get introduced into the state for a while, and it was not until 2005 that the first diseased trees were found. In the ensuing years the insect and disease spread to essentially all of the citrus groves in Florida where they threaten the very survival of this <a href="https://www.floridacitrus.org/newsroom/news/florida-citrus-industry-continues-to-be-vital-player-in-state-economy/" target="_blank">important industry</a> ($6.7 billion total economic impact, 33,000 jobs, $1.816 billion at the farm level). However, both pests are also now present in other <a href="https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/citrus/pests_diseases/hlb/regulation.html" target="_blank">US citrus growing states </a>and represent a looming threat to those industries. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This story has been unfolding slowly over these many years. The reason such a long-running problem has returned to the news of late is that the <a href="https://www.floridacitrus.org/newsroom/news/january-usda-citrus-forecast-projects-fewer-florida-oranges/" target="_blank">USDA published</a> a depressingly dark production estimate for the 2022 Florida orange crop. They project that it will be down to 44.5 million 90-pound boxes - only 18% of the crop seen in 2004 - prior to the HLB era (see graph below) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU-flisauUACa7Yho4VHweceF3xMaU5ovO6zGnPu1QiuOPT6e5ERdiWGFOLobaF4WmwZV3ckWA9WiKQdJpCq1iFthw7LhgoXXzFc7U7OnAmTXCR9fb5SyqACOw2MGUosDj_uz6zLBGg_8O4iUwlXso_MCxckyhGyc1TKzd2pmufMOSzl-SWI15ESc2HA/s964/HLB%20Production%20History.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="677" data-original-width="964" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU-flisauUACa7Yho4VHweceF3xMaU5ovO6zGnPu1QiuOPT6e5ERdiWGFOLobaF4WmwZV3ckWA9WiKQdJpCq1iFthw7LhgoXXzFc7U7OnAmTXCR9fb5SyqACOw2MGUosDj_uz6zLBGg_8O4iUwlXso_MCxckyhGyc1TKzd2pmufMOSzl-SWI15ESc2HA/w378-h265/HLB%20Production%20History.png" width="378" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ever since HLB appeared in 2005, production has been dropping (graph by author based on USDA-NASS data)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">How Low Can It Go? </span></h2><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">In Florida, this disease is causing considerable <a href="https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2020/11/18/u-s--27--the-future-of-florida-s-citrus-industry-" target="_blank">concern about the future</a>. Once the bacteria have been introduced into the tree by the ACP insect, they become systemic. The infection leads to a 50-70% decline in tree root function, reduced tree vigor, fruit drop, and problems with fruit ripening. Infected groves generate lower and lower marketable crop yields over time. That financial strain has induced around 5,000 farmers to quit growing citrus altogether. Unfortunately the potential to shift to different crops (e.g. blueberries, strawberries, peaches, vegetables) is limited because of weather and competition from other US growing areas and from imports. Citrus used to be the most profitable option in South Florida and that is why it was grown on around 900,000 acres prior to HLB. The declining yield and acreage trends for oranges can be seen in the graphs below. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvGtoIxANOlHERp2I8v1ouHW8Xklh0rSABfV1BHlAkLRB9f_PCH6ApubFot3s2l4DxJQbBxKt7BzTn1bNUr4cd8KjzXVPj2NP16ZAw0VDCYICC4HDXdbW6BMD1Cy_vMq8YBIk4gkGaDpPCgWOkPjcQ8KAfdvVOYvnGPffCcaibVfC3-_Z2Q6E02rAHw/s1202/Citrus%20Trends.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="1202" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvGtoIxANOlHERp2I8v1ouHW8Xklh0rSABfV1BHlAkLRB9f_PCH6ApubFot3s2l4DxJQbBxKt7BzTn1bNUr4cd8KjzXVPj2NP16ZAw0VDCYICC4HDXdbW6BMD1Cy_vMq8YBIk4gkGaDpPCgWOkPjcQ8KAfdvVOYvnGPffCcaibVfC3-_Z2Q6E02rAHw/w479-h181/Citrus%20Trends.png" width="479" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orange production has dropped both because of reduce acreage and because of declining yield per acre. This has also been true for other citrus types (Graphs by author based on USDA-NASS data)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Particularly for the juice industry, critical mass is required for running processing plants. Therefore it has been necessary for the major brands to include imports from </span><a href="https://citrusindustry.net/2021/11/10/mexico-oj-exports-increasing/" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank">Mexico</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> and Brazil. The one grower-cooperative juice brand that continued making a “100% Florida-grown” product for many years (Florida’s Natural) has no longer been able to maintain that distinction. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So Is There Any Hope? </span></h2><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As is often the case in agriculture – adversity has inspired a diversified, private/public research effort to identify and/or develop pest management options for this disease and its vector. Funding for this comes from the industry itself (eg. The Florida Citrus Research and Development Foundation), the state ( University of Florida/IFAS), the federal government (USDA) and private technology companies. In 2018 the National Academy of Science published a 287 page review of the research effort with inputs or reviews from 23 scientists. One of the key conclusions was that no single solution would be likely to solve this problem and that a diversified strategy was needed. The following is at least a partial list of the strategies that are being pursued for both immediate and long-term solutions to this challenge. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Nutrition and water management</b> – because HLB compromises the tree’s root system, it becomes more important than ever to provide nutrients via fertilizers. However, this is a challenge in the extremely sandy Florida soils because these minerals can be washed down below the rooting zone to become a potential groundwater issue. The state’s extension experts recommend “spoon feeding” of small doses of fertilizer at multiple times during the year delivered through the irrigation systems which are now used in virtually all the groves. Major additions of organic matter are also used at replanting and/or in later years, but it is a challenge to retain their effects in these soils. Overall, growers are advised to follow BMPs (best management practices) that do as much as possible to reduce the effects of HLB while also protecting the environment. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>CUPS</b> - One fairly extreme but near-term option for growers who are planting new citrus stands is to use a system called CUPS –“Citrus Under Protective Screening.” The idea is to completely exclude the ACP vector by growing the trees under a protective 40-50 mesh high density polyethylene screen. </span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1rOfR1qFGaxAYwJFJXLzLX103Q8tXzPq6Q8P_bL7MazfXQi6pegNRfnR3N7mae6pM0lgsHiW52mLp-yDcFHhg5GhohOI5KHEN_Qk8jD5Dky58gSHJraSl2JBHweQMsedC_AGT3M4-LYW28fbzI1OJF2IwrJkrco8F9ptBliHFUCDQaXmqJILcEWzHQ/s640/CUPS%20image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1rOfR1qFGaxAYwJFJXLzLX103Q8tXzPq6Q8P_bL7MazfXQi6pegNRfnR3N7mae6pM0lgsHiW52mLp-yDcFHhg5GhohOI5KHEN_Qk8jD5Dky58gSHJraSl2JBHweQMsedC_AGT3M4-LYW28fbzI1OJF2IwrJkrco8F9ptBliHFUCDQaXmqJILcEWzHQ/s320/CUPS%20image.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is an orange grove under this protective cover designed to completely exclude the insect vector of HLB (Arnold W. Schumann, University of Florida/IFAS)<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This sort of structure costs around $1/square foot and the screen has to be replaced every 7-10 years. That capital investment can theoretically make sense because in addition to avoiding HLB damage, the trees begin to bear fruit within 2.5 years of planting vs the normal 5-7 year range. Still, <a href="https://crec.ifas.ufl.edu/citrus-research/hlb-management/how-to-implement-the-cups-system/" target="_blank">economic analysis</a> of this system suggests that it is only feasible for the “highest possible yield of premium-quality fresh fruit with a high market price” and that only with a high degree of market stability. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Breeding New Citrus Varieties</b> – there are several, long-running University and USDA breeding programs for citrus which have added HLB resistance to their goals in addition to other kinds of pest resistance, yield and quality traits, and consumer traits like easy-to-peel tangerines. There are some <a href="https://citrusindustry.net/2021/11/12/breeders-discuss-favored-citrus-varieties/" target="_blank">promising examples</a> of new varieties coming out of these programs. There is also another ambitious <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29152310/" target="_blank">inter-species hybridization effort</a> working with a citrus relative called Poncirus trifoliata or “Japanese Bitter Orange.” That source of genetic diversity may provide “constitutive disease resistance (CDR) genes” in hybrids that can then be back-crossed to restore fruit and juice quality. Modern technologies like genome resequencing and transcriptome sequencing are used to speed-up this process. Poncirus hybrids are also being <a href="https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2135/cropsci2012.02.0091" target="_blank">evaluated for relative resistance</a> to the vector insect, ACP. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Rootstock Breeding</b> - with tree and vine crops there are usually independent breeding efforts for the part of the plant that grows above ground (scion) and that which grows below (rootstock). Researchers at both the University of Florida and the USDA have long-standing <a href="https://citrusindustry.net/2021/11/05/research-on-rootstocks-more-than-hlb/" target="_blank">rootstock development programs</a> that were seeking to address other disease and nutrition issues before HLB, but they have found a few of their hybrids to be promising for reduced impact from infections. In some cases they have observed reduced proliferation of the pathogen inside the tree. There is the possibility that this sort of bacterial growth reduction effect will move up to the grafted scions where the fruit is formed. They are also breeding for “dwarfing” rootstocks that enable early bearing, “ultra-high density” plantings suitable for machine harvesting – a potentially more economically viable option for the future. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Biocontrol - pest management involving live biological control agents is an increasingly important part of the tool box for farmers in general. Researchers at the University of Florida’s research and education center in Apopka have been testing a benign strain of a different bacterial pathogen of grapes called <a href="https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/10.1094/PDIS-02-21-0362-RE" target="_blank"><i>Xylella</i></a>. By injecting this organism into HLB infected trees it appears to be possible to delay the development of severe symptoms and thus keep the orchard producing longer. This option is not yet available to growers because it will require EPA registration, but research continues to determine how effective the protection could be for new trees and how often new injections may be needed. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Genome Editing</b> - The recent advances in genome editing technologies such as CRISPR are generating excitement for many applications ranging from human health care to agriculture. An extensive review of how this might be applied to counteract HLB has been published by Chinese researchers in the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6862092/" target="_blank">International Journal of Molecular Sciences</a>. While the USDA and other global regulatory agencies have signaled that they will minimize barriers to this approach, it remains to be seen how the EU will respond to <a href="https://allea.org/academies-report-reviews-debate-on-genome-editing-for-crop-improvement/" target="_blank">broad scientific support</a> for a smooth regulatory path for this kind of technology. If instead, the EU follows its historic tendency to employ extreme precaution regardless of scientific advice, their influence on export markets will negatively impact this future option for Florida and other citrus growing regions. In any case, this solution will not be available soon because it takes several years to get from a gene edited cell to a tree that is old enough to generate buds for grafting on to rootstocks.
Genetic Engineering: like many other brand-sensitive food industry players, the Florida orange and grapefruit juice producers have acquiesced to the pressure to display the insidious “Non-GMO” label even though there are no commercial “GMO” cultivars being grown. There was an excellent <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/28/science/a-race-to-save-the-orange-by-altering-its-dna.html" target="_blank">article written in 2013</a> about the early history of this pandemic and the concern that growers would be denied any transgenic tools with which to fight HLB.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There is an active genetic engineering research program being pursued by a <a href="https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=50996" target="_blank">multi-party team</a> involving Texas A&M, The University of Florida, <a href="https://citrusindustry.net/2016/06/17/update-spinach-genes-citrus-tree-tolerance/" target="_blank">Southern Gardens Citrus</a>, Purdue University, the University of California and the USDA. It involves identifying genes for antimicrobial peptides to counteract the HLB organism and then either getting those expressed in the trees or <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2019/04/30/can-the-florida-citrus-industry-be-saved/?sh=3ff2c84c2ecf" target="_blank">delivering them with the help of a benign version of a common citrus virus</a>. In the later case the trees themselves would not be “GMO” and it would be possible to use the technology across many existing and new varieties. There are regulatory processes involved (USDA, EPA) but those are nearing completion. Even if the “conventional breeding” options are promising and less controversial, it is always logical to have a diversified strategy – especially for a perennial crop which needs solutions that will remain effective over something like the 20-30 year lifespan of a new planting. That <a href="https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25026/a-review-of-the-citrus-greening-research-and-development-efforts-supported-by-the-citrus-research-and-development-foundation" target="_blank">National Academy of Sciences</a> review from 2018 specifically recommended “expanded efforts in educational outreach to growers, processors, and consumers” about the topic of biotech options. Back to the Covid-19 pandemic analogy, disinformation abounds when it comes to both vaccines and “GMOs.” </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Conclusions </span></h2><div><span style="font-family: arial;">So yes, the continuing HLB pandemic will result in a record low Florida orange crop in 2022. But there is still reason to hope that a combination of grower dedication and research to develop diverse strategies will ultimately mean that consumers can continue to enjoy these flavorful and health-promoting fruit and juice options. Finding solutions is not just important for the Sunshine State but also for other HLB-threatened states like Texas, Arizona and California</span>.
</div>Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-19904048287365361052022-01-20T14:39:00.000-08:002022-01-20T14:39:08.206-08:00Salmon, apples and potatoes — 3 healthy and sustainable foods that you can buy now under the new “bioengineered” label<div class="separator"><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Label required by Jan. 1, 2022, on food products containing bioengineered products and byproducts. Credit: USDA." height="205" src="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/elementor/thumbs/LABEL--pihubvr922x5gpjj89548nhmr1lhilbuy8msub9fdo.jpg" style="background-color: white; border-radius: 2px; border: none; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; display: inline-block; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; position: relative; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;" title="" width="375" /></p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11.25px; text-align: center;">Label required by Jan. 1, 2022, on food products containing bioengineered products and byproducts. Credit: USDA.</span></p></div><p>(this post originally appeared on <a href="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2022/01/04/viewpoint-salmon-apples-and-potatoes-3-healthy-and-sustainable-foods-that-you-can-buy-now-under-the-new-bioengineered-label/?mc_cid=3af8e9855e&mc_eid=84b0643a01" target="_blank">Genetic Literacy Project</a> - January 4, 2022</p><p><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px;">The “bioengineered” label for foods sold in the United States is now in effect. Any food or food ingredient that has been genetically modified must include a label that says “bioengineered,” or come with a phone number or QR code guiding consumers to more information online.</span></p><p style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"></p><p style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;">On the positive side, the national labeling law avoids the nightmare of state-by-state requirements. The major negative is that the label could well become the target for negative campaigning and marketing around the fear-based, anti-GMO narrative and <a href="https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/new-food-label-denoting-bioengineered-ingredients" rel="noopener" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">misleading “Non-GMO” labeling</a> that have permeated food-related messaging for so long.</p><p style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;">Fortunately there are some exciting “consumer-oriented” products finally becoming available which can display that newbioengineered label that would help consumers to overcome the disinformation and embrace technologies that actually improve our food system and our ability to enjoy it. The most notable are non-browning <a href="https://arcticapples.com/" rel="noopener" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">Arctic Apples</a>, non-browning <a href="https://www.innatepotatoes.com/products" rel="noopener" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">Innate potatoes</a> and healthy, fast-growing, <a href="https://aquabounty.com/our-salmon" rel="noopener" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">AquaBounty</a> Salmon, which I wrote about two years ago in an article in <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2019/08/06/three-foods-i-wish-i-could-buy-at-costco/?sh=3812eeaa34f7" rel="noopener" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">Forbes</a> and on <a href="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2022/01/04/viewpoint-salmon-apples-and-potatoes-3-healthy-and-sustainable-foods-that-you-can-buy-now-under-the-new-bioengineered-label/blank" rel="noopener" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">Medium</a> titled: “Three Foods I Wish I Could Buy at Costco.” These novel options that are not only tasty and healthy, but also have benefits in terms of sustainability, climate-smart farming, and food waste reduction.</p><p style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2019/08/06/three-foods-i-wish-i-could-buy-at-costco/?sh=466df6de34f7" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-2426172" height="431" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" src="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Screenshot-PM-1.png" srcset="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Screenshot-PM-1.png 490w, https://geneticliteracyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Screenshot-PM-1-300x249.png 300w" style="border-radius: 0px; border: none; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%;" width="519" /></a></p><p style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;">I’ll discuss each example in detail below, but the big picture is that consumers in some locations are now able to find these products for sale, although they are not yet in national chains like Costco or Walmart, which for now are bowing activist pressures. Supplies are limited, but there is also a hesitancy on the part of many retailers who don’t want to be “first” to step into something potentially controversial. The truth is that there is no justification for such controversy since all the safety or environmental questions have already been addressed during the extraordinarily long and rigorous regulatory process overseen by the USDA, EPA and FDA. The farmers that grow major commodity crops have been able to take advantage of biotech crops for a long time, but consumers and specialty crop growers are only beginning to have that opportunity. Let’s see what that looks like.</p><h3 style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://arcticapples.com/" rel="noopener" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">Arctic Apples</a></h3><p style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><img alt="iuwbevw sgn itvuvgnd" class="aligncenter wp-image-2426173" height="266" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" src="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/iuwbevw-sgn-itvuvgnd.png" srcset="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/iuwbevw-sgn-itvuvgnd.png 1280w, https://geneticliteracyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/iuwbevw-sgn-itvuvgnd-300x169.png 300w, https://geneticliteracyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/iuwbevw-sgn-itvuvgnd-1024x576.png 1024w" style="border-radius: 0px; border: none; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%;" title="iuwbevw sgn itvuvgnd" width="472" /></p><p style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://www.thepacker.com/news/people/arctic-apple-developer-celebrating-25-years" rel="noopener" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">Twenty-five years ago</a> a Canadian fruit grower named Neal Carter and his wife Louisa started a project to develop non-browning apples with the vision of reducing food waste and reversing the declining consumption of that healthy fruit. With a very small organization (e.g. less than 12), <a href="https://www.okspecialtyfruits.com/" rel="noopener" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">Okanagan Specialty Fruits Inc.</a>(OSF) developed varieties of well known apple cultivars in which a gene for a particular enzyme was turned off or “silenced.” That enzyme is what turns the fruit brown when it is bruised or cut. Turning it off makes the fruit more robust in general and dramatically reduces the amount that is rejected from harvest through storage and processing. The other non-browning trait advantage is that Arctic apples can also be sold as a ready-to-eat, sliced product that retains the fruit’s full flavor, aroma and vitamin content.</p><p style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;">OSF shipped me a box of these as whole apples a few years ago and I was able to take them to a potluck dinner a couple of hours after slicing and compare them with regular apples. Everyone who tried them thought they were great, wanted to be able to buy them, and didn’t worry at all about them being “GMO.” I think that will be a normative reaction once consumers can see biotech advantages first-hand instead of just hearing them demonized by notorious anti-technology groups and writers.</p><p style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;">OSF was acquired in 2014 by Intrexon, a publiccompany where R.J. Kirk served as Chairman and CEO. As of 2020 ownership transferred to Third Security, LLC, a venture capital firm led by Kirk. Kirk encouraged a vertical integration business strategy focused on the sliced apple or “Fresh cut” market. Neal Carter continued to run the company as he still does today. Talking with him last week I was impressed by the scope of his expertise and understanding ranging from the growing the trees to the processing step, to nutritional information, food safety protocols, product distribution options, marketing and building of a solid public image. He also has a solid understanding of the science involved in the genetics of the Arctic® offering and how that technology has become ever more sophisticated over time.</p><p style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;">OSF has purchased or leased 1300 acres of land for apple production land in Washington State where it currently grows 2.6 million trees. They have plans for additional orchards and their own dedicated slicing facility in the near future. Their apple variety options include Arctic Goldens, Arctic Grannys, and as of this year Arctic Fuji. Arctic Galas will be next. In the longer term, non-browning red skinned apples are on the list. They are also hoping to develop more robust, non-browning cherries that will avoid the stem decline or pitting that tends to occur with that delicious fruit.</p><figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2426174" class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_2426174" style="background-color: #f7f7f7; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto 10px; max-width: 100%; position: relative; width: 740px;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-2426174" height="327" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" src="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Screenshot-PM-2.png" srcset="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Screenshot-PM-2.png 737w, https://geneticliteracyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Screenshot-PM-2-300x212.png 300w" style="border-radius: 0px; border: none; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; position: relative; vertical-align: bottom;" width="463" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-2426174" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11.25px; opacity: 0.8; padding-top: 5px;">Credit: Articapples.com</figcaption></figure><p style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;">OSF’s apples are now being sold asstand-alone slices or as a component of fruit mix products packaged in cooperation with companies providing the other ingredients. There is also a dried version which is special because the slices don’t require sulfur products to prevent browning while they were being dried. These products are increasingly available at some regional grocery retailers; at certain convenience store chains and <a href="https://arcticapples.com/foodservice/" rel="noopener" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">food service</a> outlets. Some is now provided through military procurement. In some geographies the sliced fruit is now available for home delivery from Amazon Fresh. The convenience store and home delivery options have become even more popular during the pandemic. In the long term these slices might be found at a Costco or other national chains, but this will require expanding orchard plantings that that is a relatively slow process (4-5 years from planting to achieve full productivity).</p><p style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;">Overall, Arctic apples address many societal needs and desires: a positive olfactory experience (flavor, aroma, appearance, and texture), convenience, health benefits, food waste reduction, and efficient use of farmland and inputs.</p><h3 style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://www.innatepotatoes.com/products" rel="noopener" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">Innate Potatoes</a></h3><p style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;">In the process of harvesting, cleaning, sorting and storage of potatoes, they can get bruised leading to black spots and browning inside the potato that makes them ugly and undesirable. This damage generates substantial waste all along the food chain from the packing house, to processors, to stores and through to the consumer. Black spots and browning are also very undesirable for making something like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCczcA6KrXc" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">hash browns</a> at home.</p><p style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;">The Simplot potato company has been using biotechnology methods to “turn off” or “silence” a PPO gene that is similar to the one silenced in Arctic Apples. They have also turned off genes to reduce the amount of the amino acid asparagine in the potatoes that can turn into the naturally occurring compound acrylamide during frying. Acrylamide is linked to various health effects so having less is a nice outcome. These potatoes have been on the market since 2015 as “white russets” and were labeled as “bioengineered” even before the requirement to do so in 2022. This has not been controversial with the consumers who have had access to the product, mainly at regional grocery chains and restaurants, not in national chains like Costco, Safeway, Kroger, etc. Again this is partly because of retailer’ hesitancy to “be first,” but as the supply of these potatoes increases it will be interesting to see whether that picture can change</p><p style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;">Simplot has other grower- and consumer-oriented potato improvements in the development pipeline. They have moved genes from wild potatoes to make their potato cultivars more resistant to late blight – a fungal disease that caused the <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/immigration/irish-potato-famine" rel="noopener" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">Irish potato famine</a> in the 19th century and which still requires substantial control efforts by potato farmers today. That trait is “cisgenic” or “intragenic” in that it is based on potato genes being used in potatoes.</p><p style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;">Simplot also added these resistance genes to the potato cultivars typically grown in Bangladesh and Indonesia and <a href="https://www.innatepotatoes.com/products" rel="noopener" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">provided them for free to those farmers</a>. They are also working on resistance to a virus disease (Potato Virus Y) which has become a bigger issue for North American potato farmers since an insect called the potato psyllid has moved into the Northwest. That pest movement has likely enabled by climate change in that pest can now survive the warmer winters in that major growing region. Hopefully, the anti-technology voices won’t deprive the farmers of these pest resistance traits as they did successfully with the Colorado potato beetle resistance trait developed by Monsanto and first sold in 1997. Growers saw great benefit from those “NewLeaf Potatoes,” but the controversy led to their removal from the market in by 2001.</p><p style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;">Simplot has future plans to use CRISPR on russet varieties and even extend them on smaller, non-Russet potatoes. They recently announced they are working with the strawberry breeding company, PSI to make various consumer-oriented options in that popular fruit crop using gene editing. Simplot has also received a CRISPR license to work on browning and bruising reduction for avocado! That could prevent a lot of food waste at the consumer level.</p><figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2426188" class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_2426188" style="background-color: #f7f7f7; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto 10px; max-width: 100%; position: relative; width: 740px;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-2426188" height="757" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" src="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/x-.png" srcset="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/x-.png 620w, https://geneticliteracyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/x--232x300.png 232w" style="border-radius: 0px; border: none; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; position: relative; vertical-align: bottom;" width="585" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-2426188" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11.25px; opacity: 0.8; padding-top: 5px;">The many sustainability advantages of Innate non-browning potatoes. Credit: Simplot Biosciences</figcaption></figure><p style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;">Overall the Simplot efforts address many positive societal benefits: food waste reduction, enhanced consumer experience, health benefits, farmer pest management and land-use-efficiency.</p><h3 style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://aquabounty.com/our-salmon" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">AquaBounty Salmon</a></h3><p style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;">The third food is a kind of Atlantic salmon that has been improved using biotechnology so that it can grow more rapidly and require less feed while still having the highly desirable nutritional content of other salmon (e.g. the heart-healthy omega-3 fats). The US imports ~400,000 metric tons of farmed Atlantic salmon each year, around 16% of the growing global demand (Norway, Chile, Canada and Scotland are the largest producers).</p><p style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;">AquaBounty salmon are raised in bio-secure, re-circulating, terrestrial aquaculture systems (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxp7SKs8GE4" rel="noopener" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">RAS</a>) that return 95% of the water each day and remove any sludge for use as fertilizer on nearby farms. In the tanks the fish can be carefully monitored. They are also free from the parasites and pathogens found in the ocean so they don’t need antibiotics or vaccines. Another advantage is that they are not exposed to ocean pollutants like heavy metals or microplastics.AquaBounty salmon can be raised anywhere such a facility can be built – the first one is in near Muncie Indiana so the transport carbon footprint is minimized to many US markets vs international imports.</p><figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2426177" class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_2426177" style="background-color: #f7f7f7; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto 10px; max-width: 100%; position: relative; width: 740px;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-2426177" height="310" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" src="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/EuXQn-tXcAsdisq.jpg" srcset="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/EuXQn-tXcAsdisq.jpg 956w, https://geneticliteracyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/EuXQn-tXcAsdisq-300x200.jpg 300w" style="border-radius: 0px; border: none; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; position: relative; vertical-align: bottom;" width="465" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-2426177" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11.25px; opacity: 0.8; padding-top: 5px;">Salmon swimming in tank. Credit: AquaBounty</figcaption></figure><p style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;">While this desirable fish option is now commercially available for some Americans and Canadians, it will take time to expand the number of production facilities sufficiently to serve national food retail chains like a Costco. Unfortunately my home state of California might never be on the list for local production. There is a state regulation against raising these “GMO” fish. There is no rational reason; it isn’t that there is danger of these fish getting loose in the Pacific Ocean (they are all sterile females and the tanks are secure). I’m still trying to trace the “logic” here, but ironically there is an exception in the state law for aquarium hobbyists to buy novelty <a href="https://glofishlife.weebly.com/about-the-glofish.html#:~:text=The%20GloFish%20were%20originally%20bred%20to%20help%20detect,fish%20that%20would%20be%20fluorescent%20all%20the%20time." rel="noopener" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">“Glofish”</a> that are genetically engineered to glow because they have <a href="https://www.myaquariumclub.com/genetically-engineered-glowfish-4489.html" rel="noopener" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">DNA from jellyfish</a>.</p><p style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-2426178" height="370" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" src="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-b-a-e-fae-ac-bfc-c-c-d-grande.jpg" srcset="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-b-a-e-fae-ac-bfc-c-c-d-grande.jpg 600w, https://geneticliteracyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-b-a-e-fae-ac-bfc-c-c-d-grande-300x300.jpg 300w, https://geneticliteracyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-b-a-e-fae-ac-bfc-c-c-d-grande-150x150.jpg 150w, https://geneticliteracyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-b-a-e-fae-ac-bfc-c-c-d-grande-50x50.jpg 50w, https://geneticliteracyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-b-a-e-fae-ac-bfc-c-c-d-grande-250x250.jpg 250w" style="border-radius: 0px; border: none; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%;" width="370" /></p><p style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;">It makes no sense to allow anyone to buy cool“GMO” pets and not allow local production of one of the most resource efficient, environmentally friendly, safe, healthy and delicious food production options that will eventually be available to most regions.</p><h3 style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;">What’s next?</h3><p style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;">If you want to know more about the label, and which foods or ingredients will be labeled as such, check out the <a href="https://www.ams.usda.gov/resources/industry-fact-sheet-national-bioengineered-food-disclosure-standard" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">USDA website</a> and hear a good discussion featured in the first part of <a href="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2021/12/16/glp-podcast-coming-soon-usda-bioengineered-labels-scientific-american-strays-from-science-schools-teach-anti-gmo-falsehoods/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">this podcast</a>.</p><p style="background-color: #f7f7f7; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;">If you as a consumer are excited about these options and would like to see more innovative food products in the future, I would encourage you to seek them out in stores or on-line and to ask for them at your favorite retailers. Our best hope of overcoming the decades-long, fear-based campaigns against modern biotechnology is to finally “vote with our food dollars” and let our voice be heard through the comment boxes or websites that are available.</p>Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-25958602703230519792022-01-20T14:38:00.000-08:002022-01-20T14:38:52.575-08:00Eating Insects Sounds Gross, But Could They Play A Palatable Role In Our Food Supply?<p> </p><section class="section section--body" name="4ba4"><div class="section-divider"><hr class="section-divider" /></div><div class="section-content"><div class="section-inner sectionLayout--insetColumn"><h3 class="graf graf--h3" name="e6fc"><br /></h3><figure class="graf graf--figure" name="ecca"><img class="graf-image" data-height="719" data-image-id="0*OXQkqzHazc_mNdMh" data-width="959" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/0*OXQkqzHazc_mNdMh" /></figure><p class="graf graf--p" name="342c"><em class="markup--em markup--p-em">Black Soldier Fly Larvae (AP Photo/Aleks Furtula)</em></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="654d"><em class="markup--em markup--p-em">This article was originally posted on Forbes, January 11, 2022 as</em><a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2022/01/11/could-insects-play-a-bigger-role-in-our-food-supply/?sh=3eeba43e10c4" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2022/01/11/could-insects-play-a-bigger-role-in-our-food-supply/?sh=3eeba43e10c4" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><em class="markup--em markup--p-em"> “Could Insects Play A Bigger Role</em><strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong"><em class="markup--em markup--p-em"> </em></strong><em class="markup--em markup--p-em">In Our Food Supply?”</em></a></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="b3b2">We are often told that something we can do to fight climate change, is to eat less meat or dairy. While there are certainly greenhouse gas issues with animal production, it is <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://www.acsh.org/news/2021/12/07/ewgs-hyperbole-problem-meat-isnt-exacerbating-climate-catastrophe-15980" href="https://www.acsh.org/news/2021/12/07/ewgs-hyperbole-problem-meat-isnt-exacerbating-climate-catastrophe-15980" rel="nofollow noopener noopener" target="_blank" title="https://www.acsh.org/news/2021/12/07/ewgs-hyperbole-problem-meat-isnt-exacerbating-climate-catastrophe-15980">not that simple</a>. But animals play a unique and indispensable role in our food supply– they can thrive on sources of nutrients that would otherwise be unavailable to humans. A familiar example would be the ruminants that can live on the cellulose in grasses both in pastures and from crops (cows, sheep, goats, etc.).</p><p class="graf graf--p" name="a3d9">But there is an interesting source of feed for other farm animals that can’t use cellulose: Insects. Most people are not attracted to the idea of eating insects directly (although some cultures have included insects in their diets). A more broadly appealing option is to use insects to feed animals like poultry, hogs and fish because they can do well on that diet. This article will describe a pair of companies that are scaling up this potential food supply enhancement.</p><p class="graf graf--p" name="9759">The leading insect candidates for this approach are crickets, mealworms and Black Soldier Flies. What these organisms can do for us is to “up-cycle” nutrients from various food system “side-streams” and/or from food waste. Then protein and lipid products can be derived from those insects to feed to animals in order to produce nutritious and widely appreciated human foods. This is also an attractive option for <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/10844-french-insect-meal-producer-invests-in-two-new-factories" href="https://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/10844-french-insect-meal-producer-invests-in-two-new-factories" rel="nofollow noopener noopener" target="_blank" title="https://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/10844-french-insect-meal-producer-invests-in-two-new-factories">pet food</a>.</p><p class="graf graf--p" name="a036">A recent, large-scale example of this strategy involves the French insect-rearing company Agronutris and the Swiss, family-owned, global technology company Bühler. Together these two companies have announced the construction of a plant in Rethel, France which will be operational in 2023. It will employ larvae of an insect called the Black Soldier Fly to process 70,000 metric tons of low value side-stream feeds which will then be converted to high value protein and lipids that will be ingredients for feeding animals and pets. The overall recovery rate from the process is high with 70% of the dry mass protein in the starting side-stream material being converted into insect protein. Agronutris has plans for a second, 210,000 metric ton facility in France with a longer-term vision for global expansion.</p><p class="graf graf--p" name="e78d">For the plant in Rethel, Agronutris is leveraging ten years of experience optimizing the the biology of insect rearing and growth. Bühler engineers the insect feed preparation, the larvae growth units, climate control, and separation of larvae from the left-over feed and insect frass (insect poop) at the end of rearing. They also engineer a pasteurization step, and extraction of the clean final products. They will also optimize the system by collecting and analyzing 350MM process-related data points per day. This should take care of any “bugs in the system”–except of course the main actors. As for the frass etc. — that becomes a good soil amendment for local farms.</p><figure class="graf graf--figure" name="1140"><img class="graf-image" data-height="638" data-image-id="0*J0ELe5TOJ2z-Of0z" data-width="960" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/0*J0ELe5TOJ2z-Of0z" /></figure></div></div></section><section class="section section--body" name="69dd"><div class="section-divider"><hr class="section-divider" /></div><div class="section-content"><div class="section-inner sectionLayout--insetColumn"><p class="graf graf--p" name="6b9b">Black Soldier Fly — Hermetia illucens — the non-biting adult stage</p><p class="graf graf--p" name="b8c5">GETTY…Insert Text Above</p></div></div></section><section class="section section--body" name="2371"><div class="section-divider"><hr class="section-divider" /></div><div class="section-content"><div class="section-inner sectionLayout--insetColumn"><p class="graf graf--p" name="9d75">The logic for using the larvae of the Black Soldier Fly (technically its maggot stages) is that the species is already a proven option on a smaller scale and one that is already being <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-fly-farm-sustainable-protein-agriculture-industry-protex-2022-1?international=true&r=US&IR=T" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-fly-farm-sustainable-protein-agriculture-industry-protex-2022-1?international=true&r=US&IR=T" rel="nofollow noopener noopener" target="_blank" title="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-fly-farm-sustainable-protein-agriculture-industry-protex-2022-1?international=true&r=US&IR=T">pursued at an industrial level</a>, initially with a pet food focus but now opening up for broader usage. The adult stage of the fly can be raised in captivity, but if it were ever to escape it is short-lived and does not bite or sting. The Black Soldier Fly larvae are also extremely flexible in terms food sources on which they can thrive. This includes side-streams like bran, husks, pods, or DDGs that come from major crops such as wheat, rye, soy, corn, barley, oats, rapeseed, sunflower and even coffee and tea. There are millions of tons of these options available and this would represent a higher-value use for those available streams.</p><p class="graf graf--p" name="3ddf">The fly larvae can also thrive on peelings, trimmings and culls from fruit and vegetable crops. Another desirable option would be to use the system to help address the 1.3 billion ton per year generation of food waste. Anaerobic digestion is a great solution for many waste streams because it can generate carbon-neutral energy, but this insect model makes sense for waste-streams with enough potential proteins and lipids to generate a high value feed.</p><p class="graf graf--p" name="950a">When insect-based feed reaches significant scale it can help to address food supply needs, and also help with sustainability goals such as water and energy conservation, reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions, and reduced pressure for land-use-change.</p><p class="graf graf--p" name="6da4">Insect pests certainly can cause significant damage to our food supply unless well managed. But with the help of the technology described here; Black Soldier Flies could join other beneficial insects like pollinators, lady bugs, lacewings as positive contributors to our food supply.</p></div></div></section>Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-51073090858270652272020-11-25T10:38:00.005-08:002020-11-25T11:22:19.693-08:00The European Union's Wine Grape Quandary<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfApXfph1ttowfYhEss77t6eyJunJpCjTV66encqg7qMUar4p-BB7SeVka8BoNnYv1TveU0ho2NTimRQ3p9PJ76iHEQgFFweLs3lawMpAQ3J1eykhc6yGVjX9SMmge5c7hbquoXxllV8B0/s529/EU+quandry+art.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="470" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfApXfph1ttowfYhEss77t6eyJunJpCjTV66encqg7qMUar4p-BB7SeVka8BoNnYv1TveU0ho2NTimRQ3p9PJ76iHEQgFFweLs3lawMpAQ3J1eykhc6yGVjX9SMmge5c7hbquoXxllV8B0/w261-h294/EU+quandry+art.png" width="261" /></a></div><div><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">The European Union has recently published a lengthy "</span><a href="https://ec.europa.eu/food/sites/food/files/safety/docs/f2f_action-plan_2020_strategy-info_en.pdf" style="color: #954f72; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Farm to Fork Strategy</a><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">" which sets out ambitious goals for its agricultural sector. One part of the agenda is to reduce the use of pesticides either by restricting the way they can be used or in many cases by not authorizing their continued use when those particular chemicals come up for periodic review by regulators. Often these restrictions are at odds with the rigorous safety assessments that have been made by many regulatory bodies around the world including the US EPA. Another part of the agenda is to encourage the expansion of Organic farming. There are several reasons why this plan will cause serious complications for European farmers, and since the EU is a major importer of food, feed and fiber crops, the restrictions that it applies to various grape pesticides will also be a problem for farmers around the world who export their crops to the EU market.</span><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Many crops will be affected by this agenda, but one interesting case-study is what this push will mean for the prominent and highly regarded wine grape industry in the EU. Wine grapes only represent around <a href="https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/pesticide-challenge-leaving-french-viticulture-with-little-choice/" style="color: #954f72;">3% of EU farmland, but around 20% of total EU pesticide use</a>. There are several reasons for this relatively intensive use of crop protection products. For one thing wine grapes are a very high value crop so growers can afford to use more products to optimize the yield and quality of their fruit. But there are also important historical and genetic reasons why certain pests represent a particular challenge for the European grape industry. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">With most crops, breeding is an important strategy to help with pest problems, notably when that involves tapping into the genetic diversity available in various wild relatives of the cultivated crop. With wine grapes the breeding option has essentially been "off-the-table" because of the long tradition which has identified very specific Old World grape varieties of the species <i>Vitis vinifera</i> which have been found to provide the highest quality for the weather and soil conditions of each growing region or "appellation." The long-term history and tradition of growing specific grape cultivars in each region is often called "<a href="https://www.winespectator.com/articles/terroir-what-exactly-do-you-mean-49735" style="color: #954f72;">terroir</a>" and this is not anything the industry wants to change because it needs to meet consumer expectations and marketing narratives about wine quality.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Interestingly in the 1870s there was a <a href="https://biofortified.org/2013/10/technology-saved-french-wine/" style="color: #954f72;">dramatic change to the genetics of European grapes</a>. A root feeding insect called <i>Phylloxera</i> was inadvertently transported to Europe from North America. The various wild species of grapes that evolved alongside <i>Phylloxera</i> are fairly resistant to the damage from that specific insect pest. (The most familiar example of this kind of grape is a species called <i>Vitis labrusca</i> which consumers know as Concord Grapes because that is the kind of grape used to make non-alcoholic grapes juices such as the famous brand - Welches). The native American grapes are not considered to be that good for making high quality wines, but some hybrids between the two species are grown for wine in the Northern US in areas that are too cold for <i>Vitis vinifera</i>. The <i>Vitis vinifera</i> grapes of Europe evolved without the challenge from <i>Phylloxera</i> so once the pest crossed the Atlantic the vineyards were highly susceptible to its damage and began a steep decline. The only way the industry was able to be saved was by grafting the <i>vinifera</i> cultivars onto "American Rootstocks." Grafting is a horticultural technique that has been practiced for centuries, but it was only with great reluctance that the European growers took that step. <o:p></o:p></p><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1tpB_lVTwNJSS_2z4UN7fGX6_eOvG-3rfWZ6bDOYDweYp_YFlm0QMg8CskK9cBR4waocy-2qUCwwR59WYrJlCHLzG1LW17Ll8vS-BRsWmTalBFwWzEYDH6n1zbblci0k9PvxkLnAL4Q9S/s545/EU+Quandry+Graft.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1tpB_lVTwNJSS_2z4UN7fGX6_eOvG-3rfWZ6bDOYDweYp_YFlm0QMg8CskK9cBR4waocy-2qUCwwR59WYrJlCHLzG1LW17Ll8vS-BRsWmTalBFwWzEYDH6n1zbblci0k9PvxkLnAL4Q9S/s320/EU+Quandry+Graft.png" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoCaption" style="color: #44546a; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; font-style: italic; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: start;">A grafted grapevine, <a href="http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/documents/smallfruit/eb2023.pdf" style="color: #954f72;">image from Washington State University Extension</a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoCaption" style="color: #44546a; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; font-style: italic; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Around the world today virtually all wine grapes are grown on these "American" rootstocks because they can provide protection from soil-borne pests while allowing the traditional varieties to achieve the desired fruit qualities that made them so desirable. Rootstocks are used for almost all perennial crops and also for high value vegetable crops like fresh market tomatoes.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">There are also two serious foliar diseases that also made the jump from North America to Europe in the 1800s. The first was a disease called Powdery Mildew and it causes loss of yield and quality as it grows on the exterior of the leaves and fruit. <i>Vitis vinifera</i> is highly susceptible to this disease.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrafqFBvhZBUzi-3wm161NkF8v5icDxO509owb_8qpaWZ5C_UtulgKUWOmWx_FA3QwJ-vd9hLBtTY3f4YY359v12qhQw5mLvri58k3MAa2_XcTG78ZIqB7SPf1B3fzV8UHASb2y2ZtSuMG/s489/EU+Quandry+PM.png" style="font-family: Times; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="489" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrafqFBvhZBUzi-3wm161NkF8v5icDxO509owb_8qpaWZ5C_UtulgKUWOmWx_FA3QwJ-vd9hLBtTY3f4YY359v12qhQw5mLvri58k3MAa2_XcTG78ZIqB7SPf1B3fzV8UHASb2y2ZtSuMG/s320/EU+Quandry+PM.png" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Grape Powdery Mildew infection of a developing grape cluster. Photo by <a href="https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/fighting-powdery-mildew-grapes">Laura Jones/Univ. California, Davis</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">The solution that was found is probably the oldest known pesticide, elemental Sulfur. This "natural" mineral product was found to control the disease but only if the grapes were "dusted" with something like 10 pounds/acre of sulfur every 7 to 10 days for much of the season until the fruit begins to ripen (a stage called <a href="https://www.frankfamilyvineyards.com/blog/what-is-grape-veraison/" style="color: #954f72;">veraison</a> in grape-speak). Sulfur is not very toxic to eat or drink, but it is an eye and skin irritant that can make it quite unpleasant to work in a vineyard. There is also some evidence that as with other dusts, sulfur can increase the risk of asthma among the children who live near the places were dust products are applied. California has recently <a href="https://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/pressrls/2017/110717.htm" style="color: #954f72;">restricted the use of sulfur and other dusts near populated areas</a>. "Wettable" forms of sulfur can still be used without the respiratory problem and that is still a part of integrated pest management systems for grapes. However; most modern grape growers use sulfur more sparingly because newer and more effective "synthetic fungicides" have been developed which require far smaller doses at longer intervals and which are in the EPA toxicity class IV described as "essentially non-toxic" by ingestion. I remember a time in 1978 during my second season being out in California vineyards for my graduate research that I was amazed to smell a beautiful floral aroma during the grape bloom period - something I had not experienced the season before. It was because I was in a block treated with the first example of these new fungicide options instead of the normal odiferous and irritating sulfur. I have a <a href="https://www.popagriculture.com/blog?offset=1544132700365" style="color: #954f72;">podcast about that event</a>. Grape growers who choose to grow for the organic market are not allowed to use these more modern tools and must therefore depend on high use-rate options like sulfur and something called "petroleum distillates" (think mineral oil for the later). Thus, this is just one example of how the EU Field to Fork strategy embodies conflicting goals if it wants to reduce pesticide use and the push for more organic production.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJB0kbTkgU9HHdxhRxhMadP0WHI1RcSPKk88Uk3b26-MFd8TmIVbXsH8rwwLXVHEQGZMprZ88kHK2XlLzbtWF1tcWnl5rEW8lXQgaikue0v3AgZF3-yDZjssPM-Vw4UOiBQ6GTbRJPYxC9/s550/EU+Quandry+DM.png" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJB0kbTkgU9HHdxhRxhMadP0WHI1RcSPKk88Uk3b26-MFd8TmIVbXsH8rwwLXVHEQGZMprZ88kHK2XlLzbtWF1tcWnl5rEW8lXQgaikue0v3AgZF3-yDZjssPM-Vw4UOiBQ6GTbRJPYxC9/s320/EU+Quandry+DM.png" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoCaption" style="color: #44546a; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; font-style: italic; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: start;">Grape Downy Mildew sporulating on the bottom of a leaf. <a href="https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/late-season-downy-mildew-on-grapes" style="color: #954f72;">Photo by Mark Longstroth, Michigan State Univ. Extension</a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">There was another "intruder" fungus pest that originated on North American grapes and then caused even more severe problems for the European industry in the 1870s. It is called downy mildew. <a href="http://appliedmythology.blogspot.com/2013/08/when-new-technology-saved-french-wine.html" style="color: #954f72;">The solution that was ultimately found to this disaster</a> was another very early pesticide. It was discovered by a French botanist named Pierre Millarday who noticed a particular vineyard along a roadside that stood out by exhibiting much less damage from the new disease. He learned that the grower had applied copper sulfate combined with lime as a way to make the fruit look unappealing so that <span style="color: #0d0d0d;">people passing by </span>would stop helping themselves to his grapes (you can see an image of this blue coating in this article in <a href="https://www.winespectator.com/articles/is-copper-safe-for-wine" style="color: #954f72;">Wine Spectator</a>). <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">That "natural" pesticide became known as the Bordeaux mix and it saved the grape industry. It was also a much-needed solution for a related disease on potatoes that had cause the famous <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/immigration/irish-potato-famine" style="color: #954f72;">Irish Potato Famine</a> in the same era. Various copper-based products do work against these pests and many are approved for use in organic production, but unfortunately they are quite toxic to aquatic organisms and are persistent in the environment since the mineral copper is copper and it isn't going to break down to innocuous components the way that many other natural or synthetic chemicals do over time. After years of use, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23220136/" style="color: #954f72;">copper fungicides build up in vineyard soils</a> and can become toxic to grape roots. Many European organic growers have had to abandon their organic status because of these soil issues. Copper fungicides also require high use-rates (4-6 pounds/acre) and frequent applications because the copper is easily washed off by rain. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Once again, many low toxicity, highly effective and environmentally safe synthetic fungicides that have been developed to fight downy mildew, but those options are not allowed to be used by Organic growers. European regulators are not fans of these copper fungicides, but their politicians have made exemptions for their own grape growers while at the same time setting up barriers to more benign products that have met rigorous standards in other countries. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Organic growers also have limited options for the control of mold fungi that can infect the grapes as they become ripe. That sort of "bunch rot" is very bad for wine quality, but a disease that is well addressed with safe, modern synthetic fungicides while organic growers still depend on things like copper. Chemical herbicides are also desirable for grape production so that there isn't a need for erosion-causing mechanical plowing to take care of weeds in the vine rows. Tillage is still the main option for Organic growers. So, in all these cases the EU's pesticides and organic goals are in conflict with one another when it comes to that iconic industry<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">As mentioned earlier, there are several wild grape species that are more resistant to powdery and downy mildew. Theoretically traditional breeding methods could be used to transfer some of those genes. Conventional breeding of grapes is possible but slow, and it has been used to develop things like seedless table <a href="https://dljproduce.com/razzle-dazzle-grapes-field-update-august-1-2020/" target="_blank">grapes with new colors and flavors</a>. Some new wine grape varieties with disease resistance from wild grapes have been developed by breeders working for the <a href="https://plantbreeding.ucdavis.edu/andy-walker" style="color: #954f72;">University of California</a>, and they were repeatedly "back-crossed" so that the final result was a variety with 95% <i>vinifera</i> genes. But because of tradition and some remaining wine quality questions, almost all the wine grapes of that state and other grape growing regions around the world are still the traditional European varieties.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">With modern genetic technologies it is now possible to work with only one or a few genes from the wild grape species that confer pest resistance and do so without any effect on the thousands of other genes in the storied cultivars. This sort of precision is now much more feasible because of the <a href="https://daily.sevenfifty.com/using-crispr-on-grapes/" style="color: #954f72;">genome editing technologies</a> that are generating excitement for many applications in both medicine and agriculture. But the EU as a whole has been very resistant to accepting "GMOs" methods even though their own scientists have long argued that such changes do not represent any greater risk to public health or the environment than do traditional means of breeding. Scientists at <a href="https://daily.sevenfifty.com/using-crispr-on-grapes/" style="color: #954f72;">Rutgers University and with the USDA</a> are working now on using this approach to get downy mildew resistance into Chardonnay. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">There is some hope in the scientific community that European activists and political authorities will take the logical step of saying that they can consider these modern genome editing technologies differently from how they responded to first generation genetic engineering methods. There is at least a promising mention of such technologies in the EU's <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/food/sites/food/files/safety/docs/f2f_action-plan_2020_strategy-info_en.pdf" style="color: #954f72;">Farm to Fork Strategy</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: start;">"<span style="color: #565659; font-family: ECSquareSansPro, serif; font-size: 11pt;">In response to the request of Member States, the Commission is carrying out a study which will look at the potential of new genomic techniques to improve sustainability along the food supply chain."</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><a href="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2020/11/23/europe-ready-for-crispr-eu-crop-biotech-opposition-may-be-fading-as-farm-officials-environmentalists-endorse-gene-editing/?mc_cid=72deef26ed&mc_eid=84b0643a01">Some are even optimistic </a>that traditionally anti-GMO groups will make a distinction for the new methods. Ideally the EU might take reasonable approach of combing state of the art genetics with the sort of low hazard synthetic chemical options that would still be important in order to avoid selecting for fungal resistance to traits a grower would need to last for decades in a new vineyard planting. That would also relieve the wine industries in other countries from having to cater to EU trade barriers in the choices they make about how to produce their crops.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Europeans are not likely to abandon their taste for wine and they don't have to in order to pursue their legitimate goals. Organic isn't the solution here. Instead what is needed is respect for the science and more effective communication of the actual safety story behind modern agriculture. There is an excellent explanation written by the <a href="https://www.efsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/corporate_publications/files/Pesticides-ebook-180424.pdf" style="color: #954f72;">European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)</a> that describes how robust the approval system is for safe pesticide standards, and this is confirmed by academic experts as well. But all too often in Europe, politics trumps science. Let's hope we might someday raise a toast to a more constructive and science-driven solution to the EU's grape quandary.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-91711953352352901252020-10-13T09:59:00.000-07:002020-10-13T09:59:39.114-07:00 I Voted Today: How and Why<p><br /></p><figure class="go gp gq gr gs gt dq dr paragraph-image" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: medium-content-sans-serif-font, -apple-system, system-ui, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; margin: 56px auto 0px;"><div class="dq dr gn" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 133px;"><div class="gy s ct gz" style="background-color: #f2f2f2; box-sizing: inherit; margin: auto; position: relative;"><div class="ha hb s" style="box-sizing: inherit; height: 0px; padding-bottom: 178px;"><div class="cp gu t u v gv aj ck gw gx" style="box-sizing: inherit; height: 178px; left: 0px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: 0px; transform: translateZ(0px); transition: opacity 100ms ease 400ms; width: 133px; will-change: transform;"><img alt="Image for post" class="t u v gv aj hc hd at mv" height="178" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/44/1*rmtzAw13JZUYgjiqspFPjQ.png?q=20" style="box-sizing: inherit; filter: blur(20px); height: 178px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transform: scale(1.1); transition: visibility 0ms ease 400ms; vertical-align: middle; visibility: hidden; width: 133px;" width="133" /></div><img alt="Image for post" class="mt mu t u v gv aj c" height="178" sizes="133px" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/266/1*rmtzAw13JZUYgjiqspFPjQ.png" srcset="" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; height: 178px; left: 0px; opacity: 1; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: opacity 400ms ease 0ms; vertical-align: middle; width: 133px;" width="133" /></div></div></div><figcaption class="hf hg ds dq dr hh hi av aw ax ay az" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #757575; font-family: medium-content-sans-serif-font, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Geneva, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 728px; text-align: center;">My Legitimate Mail-In Ballot</figcaption></figure><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="9526" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">Last Sunday I filled out my California mail-in ballot, signed it and put it in an old school mailbox as a symbolic gesture of my trust in the Postal Service. It felt good to exercise my right to vote even though it would be all too easy to be discouraged or cynical about the fact that as a Californian my vote does not count as much as those from some other states because of our flawed and outdated <a class="bz hj" href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election/electoral-college-map-swing-states-electors-b996819.html" rel="noopener nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">Electoral College</a> system. At least I can have a more significant voice in “down ticket” races and the 12 state ballot measures put before us this year.</p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="1ab7" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">As for the presidential race I voted for Joe Biden and Kamila Harris for several specific reasons. Stated briefly these include:</p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="6a29" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">· My Orientation as a Political Moderate</p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="ac9c" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">· My Conviction About the Importance of the Separation of Church and State</p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="1e23" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">· Caring About the Integrity of Our Leaders</p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="146a" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">· The Economy, Taxes, Trade etc.</p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="6e49" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">· International Issues</p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="b3f2" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">· The Need to Rationalize our Health Care System</p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="6959" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">· A Rational Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic, and</p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="20e4" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">· My hope to see our Country Make a Meaningful Response to the Threat of Climate Change</p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="3435" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span class="fq gm" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">My Orientation as a Political Moderate</span></p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="da30" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">I find myself both in agreement or disagreement with both major parties depending on the issue. I don’t often have the opportunity to support a candidate who is a true moderate willing to rise above partisanship. I believe that the nature of our primary system is to blame for this issue along with the irresponsibility of many voters who fail to engage during that voting option. I was relieved this year when Joe Biden was able to overcome this barrier and defeat his more liberal competitors. I think that our current president’s efforts to demonize Biden and Harris as representatives of the “Radical Far Left” is not only inaccurate, it is irresponsible and intentionally divisive at a time when that is the last thing we need is to fan the flames of distrust in government. Mr. Trumps rhetoric about “widespread voter fraud with mail-in ballots” and his implicit encouragement of a violent response to his likely defeat are deeply disturbing. I just hope that cooler heads will prevail and that we will really find out what the American people want from this election.</p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="69df" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span class="fq gm" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">My Conviction About the Importance of the Separation of Church and State</span></p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="0e9a" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">I believe that one thing our founders “got right” was to establish the first nation without a state sponsored religion. The idea for that goes back to early movements and groups like the Waldensians, Anabaptists and Mennonites. It was the Pilgrims who first implemented that kind of separation among some of the American colonies. As a person of faith, I do believe that political power was “instituted by God” as part of <a class="bz hj" href="https://www.theopedia.com/common-grace" rel="noopener nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">“Common Grace”</a> for the benefit of society, but I also take very seriously the words of Jesus when He said, <a class="bz hj" href="https://biblehub.com/john/18-36.htm" rel="noopener nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">“my kingdom is not of this world.”</a> That is why I don’t look to our political system to be the driver for true “Kingdom” goals — something that far too many of my fellow Christians seem to desire. I don’t believe that we or anyone can legislate morality and that our efforts to play a positive role in society should be more of the “salt and light” variety, not the power of any government.</p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="4ef2" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span class="fq gm" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">Caring About the Integrity of Our Leaders</span></p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="4436" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">I definitely do hope that we can elect leaders with a strong moral compass since we want them to strive for fairness, decency and mercy and to do so with honesty and integrity — a non-trivial aspiration in the messy world of politics. I feel good about Biden and Harris in this regard and it certainly does not hurt that they are people of faith. I had the opportunity to meet Biden in person in the 1980s when I lived in Delaware and he was running for senate and was coming to small local gatherings (one upside to living in the “49th largest state”). I had a very positive feeling about him back then and I’ve not seen any reason to believe otherwise since then. I think the fact that he has had to go through so many personal crises over the years has given him a kind of humility that also ends up being of value in the political realm. Now many of the terms I have just been using (decency, mercy, honesty, integrity, humility…) don’t in my mind describe Donald Trump. My place isn’t to judge anyone in this regard, I’m just saying that for someone who claims to be a Christian I don’t really see much in the way of “fruits of the spirit” that Jesus or the Apostle Paul told us would be the sign of true believers. “Just sayin…”</p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="4c35" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span class="fq gm" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">The Economy, Taxes, Trade etc.</span></p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="9e6a" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">One of the pro-Trump assumptions before the 2016 election was that as a “successful businessman” he would know how to foster a strong economy. The last 4 years have certainly not confirmed that narrative. According to a rare <a class="bz hj" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-fed-powell-text/fed-chair-powell-warns-of-prolonged-u-s-recession-after-coronavirus-idUSKBN22P20G" rel="noopener nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">warning from the chairman of the “FED”</a> we are on the verge of a financial crisis which will further strain the lives of millions of Americans. Part of that is about the pandemic, but there is more to the story. We really need a more rational and fair tax system that does not just favor the rich as has been the case with Trump’s agenda and the legislature’s failure to fix anything. Someone who has the lawyers and accountants to work the system and only owe $750 per year if anything does not understand how the rest of us feel. Then when it comes to trade wars our president said that they were “easy to win” as he initiated several. We are now looking at a <a class="bz hj" href="https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/06/us-china-trade-deficit-record-1242498" rel="noopener nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">record trade deficit with China</a> and <a class="bz hj" href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/making-sense/what-is-the-toll-of-trade-wars-on-u-s-agriculture" rel="noopener nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">US farmers have been seriously hurt </a>— something I care about a lot since I work in agriculture. Maybe globalism ended up hurting the people who work in our manufacturing sector, but Trump really has not delivered for the agricultural or industrial worker parts of his “base.” I don’t expect any magic solutions from a Biden presidency, but it would be unlikely that it could be worse than what we have been seeing.</p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="65bd" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span class="fq gm" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">International Issues</span></p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="4da0" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">The world is facing extremely serious problems like the humanitarian and refugee crises stemming from the repression that continues in corrupt Central and South American countries as well as in Africa. Middle Eastern conflicts are seemingly never done, and we have been uncharacteristically absent from the diplomatic sphere about that. Our current president has been alienating our long-term allies while being bizarrely “soft” on dictators in places like Turkey, Russia, North Korea and Belarus. No, we don’t want to be the world’s “policeman” or continue endless wars, but we need to be serious and creative about these conflicts. We need to have an active strategy to deal with mass migrations and refugees as people around the world flee oppression and hunger. Back to my Christian convictions, these victims deserve love, not imprisonment, family separation or other forms of demeaning treatment. Can a Biden presidency easily resolve these complex problems? No, but we clearly need to pursue new and different approaches.</p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="ee09" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span class="fq gm" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">The Need to Rationalize our Health Care System</span></p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="fada" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">Having reached retirement age I am now taking advantage of the “socialized medicine” that is Medicare and the “government funded income” that is Social Security. That kind of “socialism” has long been a benefit enjoyed by a major part of Mr. Trump’s base among older people. Before I was able to access those benefits, I was for many years in the unfortunate position of being self-employed with “pre-existing conditions” so that I had to buy my own insurance at ridiculous cost. Once my kids had their own insurance, I simply went without for several years and was blessed to have been healthy (I guess I got by with any violation of the “individual mandate” that is so controversial). What we need is a hybrid system where people can either get good job-based insurance if they are so lucky or be able to buy private insurance that does not charge outrageously different amounts for different people. We should ably probably also have access to some sort of “public option.” I believe that is the sort of hybrid approach is what Biden and Harris would support, but we also need a congress that will actually do something on this topic with the goal of solving this problem, not using it for political mileage. President Trump promised a “repeal and replace” approach vs “Obama Care,” but that has never emerged over four years nor has the Republican party put forward such a measure. Again, its hard to imagine any administration doing a poorer job on this key issue.</p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="8b4e" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span class="fq gm" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">A Rational Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic</span></p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="6b35" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">There isn’t any specific government to blame for the Covid-19 Pandemic, but as we look around the world lots of countries have done a much better job of dealing with it than we have. Part of what makes this disease unusually challenging is that it is an RNA-virus rather than the more typical DNA-viruses that people and animals usually have. (Incidentally most plant viruses are of the RNA category and as a “plant pathologist” I can’t resist pointing that out) There is some serious irony about the way that President Trump has “dealt with” the pandemic, and how he and many in his inner circle have contracted this nasty new disease. Countries like Singapore, Taiwan and even China have been able to get much better control of the disease through simple common-sense measures like wearing masks in public and social distancing. I find it appalling that so many people in the US and in the EU have not followed these simple guidelines that would not only have reduced their own risk, but which would have kept them from infecting others. I’m sorry, but wearing a mask is not some sort of freedom-denying ask. Its the practical and ethical thing to do. Unfortunately having a president who doesn’t see it that way has made things in our country much worse than they had to be. Then, when the president got the disease, he had access to treatments that are not yet available to most people. The irony is that the new anti-viral drug remdesivir that he received came out a cooperative research program between the pharmaceutical company, Gidead and the CDC and NIH that began during the Obama era. It is most effective when given very early in the infection as it was for Trump, but there are limited supplies so they are rationed to those with severe symptoms. The development of the drug and it’s large scale production was <a class="bz hj" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/03/20/was-white-house-office-global-pandemics-eliminated/" rel="noopener nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;">slowed because of Trump’s funding cuts to those agencies and the reorganization of the White House Pandemic Office.</a> This is just one of the ways in which the Trump administration has mishandled the pandemic. That drug and the mono-clonal antibody therapy Trump received are probably not going to be available to most people for some time and both were developed using stem cell cultures from and aborted fetus back in the 1970s. Opponents of this kind of stem cell research today conveniently ignore this conflict with their agenda. Ultimately we need a good vaccine for this disease, but the long-time success of the anti-vax activists in scaring people away may mean that we don’t get enough people treated to actually get this disease under control. What we need from our highest public officials is an approachable and accurate presentation of the underlying medical science. We have not seen something like that from the administration on many topics which leads me to my final reason for my presidential vote for change.</p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="e2e0" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span class="fq gm" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">My hope to see our Country Make a Meaningful Response to the Threats of Climate Change</span></p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="2776" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">Finally, I want to talk about how my vote involves my concerns about how our country will or will not take a more aggressive role with regard to finding ways to address the issue of climate change. As an agricultural scientist I am fully respectful of the consensus among climate scientists that this is a nearly unprecedented threat and that human activities play a role in why it is happening. I am most aware of the implications for farming as overall crop productivity is being compromised by extreme weather events and even by more subtle climate shifts. As it turns out, slightly warmer nights reduce crop yields because the plants are more active in terms of their metabolism and thus burn up more of the energy they captured from the sun the day before. Even moderate drought stress which has become more common lowers yields. I believe that there are things that can be done in ag and in many other industry sectors that simultaneously help to ameliorate climate change, and which are good for the economy. When farmers employ technologies that allow them to grow their crops without tilling their fields they are an important part of the solution to reducing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere by sequestering that carbon in that undisturbed soil. There are now novel ways to use sunlight to generate hydrogen for use as a fuel alternative and/or to do that by converting the hydrogen to ammonia as a less dangerous option that retains the same benefits. The cost of solar panels is coming down, and that along with wind power innovations are both profitable businesses and positive steps vs climate change. Biden and Harris are committing to support job creating climate change alternatives and hopefully for not getting in the way of private industry and academic innovation that will enhance these efforts. President Trump on the other hand regularly denies the science around climate change and supports unsustainable energy policies. My hope is that the younger generations who know they will have to live with our actions or inactions will support the democratic candidates who at least aspire to finding viable solutions to this threat.</p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="9236" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span class="fq gm" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">Conclusion</span></p><p class="fn fo fp fq b fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl fi cr" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="ef69" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">So, have voted as a way to make whatever difference I can through our electoral system. As small as that role maybe it is the best I can do as one person. If I can encourage others to consider these reasons and vote, then maybe I can raise the needle a bit. If you have read through this all, thank you for your time and your consideration.</p>Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-65355314465675386202020-08-24T08:22:00.002-07:002020-08-24T08:23:31.535-07:00My comments to the USDA about de-regulation of a transgenic, disease resistant line of American Chestnut<p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><img alt="File:PSM V84 D565 American chestnut mitchel county.jpg" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/PSM_V84_D565_American_chestnut_mitchel_county.jpg/351px-PSM_V84_D565_American_chestnut_mitchel_county.jpg" title="This was the kind of tree we are talking about, wikimedia commons" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">The kind of tree that was once abundant in the US (Wikimedia commons)</p><p>For years, public sector scientists have been working on a remedy for the disease-related near extinction of the American Chestnut which was once the dominant large tree in the forests of the Apalacian mountains. I've heard updates about this over the years at "biotech bootcamp" events and I admire the patience and resolve that they have demonstrated in this ambitious effort. Here is what I wrote to the agency:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Submitted Sunday 8/23 tracking # <b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.5pt;">1k4-9ijy-kaf2</span></b><span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">I am writing in support of the <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/newsroom/stakeholder-info/sa_by_date/sa-2020/sa-08/ge-chestnut" target="_blank">petition for deregulated status </a>for a transgenic American Chestnut event which has been submitted by the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. This submission is the culmination of a long-term effort to develop a means by which this key forest species could be restored to its historical role in the forest ecosystems of Eastern North America - a role that has been seriously compromised since the accidental introduction of a fungus which is a deadly pathogen of Chestnuts. Although it will certainly take a long time to re-establish such a long-lived species, this strategy is the best hope we have of achieving that very desirable environmental outcome.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">My graduate training was in the field of plant pathology at UC Davis in the late 1970s and early 80s, so I can appreciate the challenge of counteracting this disease of this in natural forest settings. Since that time, I have also had the opportunity to closely follow progress in the science of plant biotechnology in both academic and commercial research. The decades of experience that now exist concerning the safe and beneficial applications of transgenic technology in global agriculture demonstrate that broad deployment of this advance in a forestry setting is also something that can proceed without any undesirable or unmanageable outcomes. Indeed, as other commenters have noted, reestablishment of this species could be expected to contribute significantly to carbon sequestration and thus help to address climate change. (see <a href="https://pubag.nal.usda.gov/catalog/757823" style="color: #954f72;">https://pubag.nal.usda.gov/catalog/757823</a>). This sort of solution also needs to be considered for other cases where introduced exotic pests compromise the health of our forests ( see <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6680343/" style="color: #954f72;"><span face="" style="background: white; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 10.5pt;">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6680343/</span></a><span face="" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 10.5pt;">)</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">It is significant that this project has been carried out by non-commercial entities simply focused on environmental goals. As an indicator of that, the event in question ("Darling 58") was never patented. The plan has always been to make that and related lines available for free for backcrossing into lines from multiple public Chestnut breeding and restoration efforts. Many of the other comments that have been submitted to APHIS about this petition are from those researchers who are awaiting the opportunity to be involved in those next steps.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">The gene that was chosen for insertion into chestnuts is for the very commonly occurring enzyme Oxalate Oxidase or "OxO." It has always been a part of the plant genome and the human diet so there are no anticipated problems if it is expressed in reintroduced trees. The enzyme is not fungicidal itself but rather detoxifies a chemical that the fungus produces to weaken the Chestnut tree's defense mechanisms. That kind of trait is less likely to select for resistance, something that is very important since re-establishment will be a long-term project. It is also logical that the trait will be backcrossed into many Chestnut lines to insure sufficient genetic diversity since this species will face the need for adaptation to climate change and other challenges.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">In the absence of negative outcomes from decades of plant biotechnology, the main objection to projects such as this tends to be based on the "precautionary principle" - the idea that there is no proof that nothing undesirable could ever occur. As such, that objection fails to consider the consequences on <u>not</u> employing the technology. In this case inaction would mean that important forest ecosystems will continue to lack the natural "keystone species" which is so important for the wildlife to thrive as it once did in these areas. The objection to human intervention in a natural system is also flawed in that human activity has already occurred with the introduction of that destructive pest. Indeed, it makes sense to employ the best solutions available to us as humans who strive to be good stewards of our environment. The deregulation of this transgenic event by APHIS is an excellent next step towards that goal.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p><br /></p>Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-91528903615661852392019-10-31T09:00:00.000-07:002019-10-31T09:34:50.911-07:00Anything Scary About California's Produce Options This Halloween?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">California Food Safety Check</span></div>
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Each year the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (<a href="https://www.cdpr.ca.gov/" target="_blank">CalDPR</a>) collects produce samples from multiple steps between the farmers and consumers.
They recently <a href="https://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/enforce/residue/resi2018/rsfr2018.htm">released
their results for 2018.</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They tested
a total of 3,666 samples of 140 different crops grown in California, other
US states and items that were imported from 25 different countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For each sample they analyzed for 400 different
pesticides or their known breakdown products. This is also part of an enforcement program so it is great that they are still so transparent with their findings.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3Fv5QqiN15D2_dCRFGKEtMN4bc23nfCZ1PGL0noEThyxYVrWtybLn8Hvb5jrtncJdanaGSSkwCOcZuq3ycO_Q_1eqYAEMBHDKXIBS3rvvM4s3p6R1D8vI3jdBlSobXBIlLa86zt-IJ-t/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-10-30+at+4.07.05+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="962" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3Fv5QqiN15D2_dCRFGKEtMN4bc23nfCZ1PGL0noEThyxYVrWtybLn8Hvb5jrtncJdanaGSSkwCOcZuq3ycO_Q_1eqYAEMBHDKXIBS3rvvM4s3p6R1D8vI3jdBlSobXBIlLa86zt-IJ-t/s640/Screen+Shot+2019-10-30+at+4.07.05+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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As with previous surveys, the results document the fact that the growers who produce our food are following the EPA label requirements that are designed
to insure that by the time it gets to consumers is quite safe. That safety standard is based on national standards set by the EPA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For 78% of the crops there we either no
detectable residues or residues below the legal limits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Few of the remaining examples were at all problematic</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizl9byHeS2rwNmcovqKRKE4r__RTdA9DCBLm1bWpHike1Z_zxd3r28dN9bi4UTqYvbKYy-wuDyDb5bsM2RU_UiUjqjvHcPxoBK3GPcxteqSGatvoi1OttcTaaj8Z01S9WBHtN_xS5-ylZA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-10-30+at+1.54.58+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a></div>
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Particularly for the US grown samples, excessive
concentrations were very rare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were
some residues of chemicals found which are not technically supposed to be used on that crop,
and as in the past most of these “no established tolerance” cases were on the imported
items.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizl9byHeS2rwNmcovqKRKE4r__RTdA9DCBLm1bWpHike1Z_zxd3r28dN9bi4UTqYvbKYy-wuDyDb5bsM2RU_UiUjqjvHcPxoBK3GPcxteqSGatvoi1OttcTaaj8Z01S9WBHtN_xS5-ylZA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-10-30+at+1.54.58+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="988" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizl9byHeS2rwNmcovqKRKE4r__RTdA9DCBLm1bWpHike1Z_zxd3r28dN9bi4UTqYvbKYy-wuDyDb5bsM2RU_UiUjqjvHcPxoBK3GPcxteqSGatvoi1OttcTaaj8Z01S9WBHtN_xS5-ylZA/s640/Screen+Shot+2019-10-30+at+1.54.58+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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The residue issues varied quite a bit by source. Those from different parts of the US were similar, but those from China, Mexico and Central America had more cases of "no tolerance." Perhaps the best profile was for crops imported from South America.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8ZMy_JiWcxBJttFM7BrA7mZfrAdpeaBGgJdqpj16uT95HsUQDVg3DSVyCPfnxZIqpwKcEn74Cwml5yeoftnOKH4CPcq9-oew12Beg5S5c4Awr11zFckvFAJP2ghgrfYgLrDiqGCaCj8k/s1600/By+crop+or+crop+group.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="968" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8ZMy_JiWcxBJttFM7BrA7mZfrAdpeaBGgJdqpj16uT95HsUQDVg3DSVyCPfnxZIqpwKcEn74Cwml5yeoftnOKH4CPcq9-oew12Beg5S5c4Awr11zFckvFAJP2ghgrfYgLrDiqGCaCj8k/s640/By+crop+or+crop+group.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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301 of the items were being sold as “Organic.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rule for organic set by the USDA is that
no detected residues should exceed 5% of the EPA tolerance .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2018 only 55.4% of detections from organic sample met that standard so they should not have been able to be sold as "USDA Organic Certified."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Imported organic residues over 5% of the tolerance made up 66.7% <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of detections which is very similar to that
same measure for domestic conventional produce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>55.4% of the detections on imported conventional crops would not have disqualified them if someone was trying to sell them as organic. Below is the list of specific pesticide residues that were found on organic samples. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Times; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; width: 409px; word-spacing: 0px;"></table>
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<tr height="200" style="height: 150pt;"><td class="xl66" height="200" style="height: 150pt; width: 307pt;" width="409">AMETOCTRADIN 1, BIFENAZATE 1, BIFENTHRIN 1, CAPTAN 1, CHLORPROPHAM 2, CYAZOFAMID 1, CYPERMETHRIN 1, CYPRODINIL 1, CYROMAZINE 1, <span class="font5">DDE 5</span><span class="font0">, DIELDRIN 1, FENAMIDONE 1, FLONICAMID 2, FLUBENDIAMIDE 1, FLUDIOXONIL 4, FLUOPICOLIDE 1, FLUOPYRAM 3, FLUPYRADIFURONE 1, IMIDACLOPRID 2, MANDIPROPAMID 1, PENDIMETHALIN 1, PENTHIOPYRAD 1, PERMETHRIN 2, PROPAMOCARB 1, PYRACLOSTROBIN 1, PYRIMETHANIL 1, ROTENONE 2, </span><span class="font6">SPINOSAD 16</span></td></tr>
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Those who think they are buying something safer by spending more for organic might want to rethink that logic. Only the 16 spinosad detections represent something allowed for use on organic, and organic still has the legacy of residual DDT metabolites like DDE.<br />
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While CalDPR made it very clear that this report was good news, they called out seven commodities for which they though the residues could be a legitimate health concern. These are Dragon Fruit (Vietnam), Chayote (Mexico),
Lychee (China), Cactus Pear (Mexico), Star Apple (Vietnam)m and Tomatillo (Mexico).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also added Star Apple from Vietnam <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and Guaje from Mexico because of products
found there for which there is no set tolerance.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigKzc09jxq-5QeUi2YDRrnw4IapG_jFTmN5Qr42Bh_JUT6L1D4hccAhGsf6nUB6ZR8t01tAv7Wvy7-066lqbRDfkVueFfPP17Q-qqWV6xoZSWV29OBSHlQLyO3M8amkGXQLPLTOIsNtaMb/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-10-30+at+1.52.38+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="740" data-original-width="882" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigKzc09jxq-5QeUi2YDRrnw4IapG_jFTmN5Qr42Bh_JUT6L1D4hccAhGsf6nUB6ZR8t01tAv7Wvy7-066lqbRDfkVueFfPP17Q-qqWV6xoZSWV29OBSHlQLyO3M8amkGXQLPLTOIsNtaMb/s640/Screen+Shot+2019-10-30+at+1.52.38+PM.png" width="640" /></a><br />
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Once again this is evidence that our food supply is safe and
also incredibly diverse. This testing program is different from the USDA’s
Pesticide Data Program (PDP) in that it includes a number of more exotic
items. However it also includes many more mainstream fruits and vegetables and among those there were no above-tolerance detections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in both cases the take-away
is that we should enjoy our fruit and vegetable options and consume them as part
of a healthy lifestyle.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-15942742847376017842019-10-07T10:31:00.000-07:002019-10-07T10:31:48.211-07:00<div class="elementor-element elementor-element-3117be3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-title elementor-page-title elementor-widget-heading" data-element_type="widget" data-id="3117be3" data-widget_type="theme-post-title.default" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; width: 630px;">
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Don’t buy organic food if you want to seriously address climate change</h2>
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<a data-wpel-link="internal" href="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/writer/steve-savage/" rel="tag" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">Steve Savage</a> | Originally posted on <a href="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2019/10/07/viewpoint-dont-buy-organic-food-if-you-want-to-seriously-address-climate-change/?mc_cid=cff877b0c0&mc_eid=84b0643a01" target="_blank">Genetic Literacy Project, October 7, 2019</a></div>
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />As we approach the 2020s, many consumers have accepted the marketing/activist narrative that organic farming would be the best option for food safety and to mitigate the most damaging effects of climate change. The inconvenient truth is that organic farming is a terrible option from a climate change perspective. Its dependence on manures and compost involves huge, but rarely recognized, greenhouse gas emissions in the form of very potent methane and nitrous oxide.</div>
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But perhaps its biggest climate change issue is that organic farms are mostly less productive per unit area than “conventionally” farmed land. With rising food demand driven mostly by rising standards of living in the developing world, there is a need to boost farm production, and that means the very undesirable conversion of forests or grasslands to agriculture in places like Brazil. That leads to major carbon dioxide release from what had been sequestered carbon in the soils, and also the loss of biodiversity and other environmental services provided by those natural lands.</div>
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<span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Background on “organic” farming</span></div>
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The organic farming movement started in the late 1800s and early 1900s in response to issues that had arisen in plough-based agriculture, which had converted most of the prairie land in the American Midwest to farmland through the process of sod-busting.</div>
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Spurred by the <a data-wpel-link="external" href="https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/homestead-act" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">Homestead Act</a>, Americans moved to the Midwest to claim their 640 acres of government land give-away. Most used the new polished steel plow made by the John Deere company to turn what was once a diverse grassland ecosystem into what became one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. However, the way that these farmers needed to control weeds and make the land suitable for planting was to mechanically disturb the soil, and that lead to the death of many soil organisms and the breakdown of the organic matter that they had made using the energy supplied by the plants that grew there.</div>
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Over time, as the soil was degraded by this tillage, it became less fertile, less able to capture and store rainfall and less productive. The common solution was often to move on to “virgin” land and do the same thing to the biome there.</div>
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The true innovation of the early organic movement was the realization that for a soil to remain productive over time, the organic matter content of the soil had to be replenished after each crop harvest. The movement’s solution was to import large quantities of organic matter from other sites in the form of the manure or composted manure from the animals fed on those other agricultural acres. This worked, but it was never, nor is it now, a viable solution for US or global agriculture.</div>
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Even so, starting with the Rhodale Institute’s publication of “Organic Gardening” magazine in the 1960s and the eventual establishment of a commercial organic industry in the 1970s, the mostly non-farmer consumers in US society were told the story that organic farming was the best way to both feed us and protect the environment.</div>
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In 1990, the USDA (US Department of Agriculture) was charged by Congress with establishing a national organic standard to supersede the fragmented certification systems that had evolved to that time. It was a major struggle because the very science-oriented USDA was at odds with the early organic marketers who had focused entirely on the narrative that what is “natural” is always best. The marketers finally prevailed. When the national organic standards were issued in 2002, they were not based on science but rather on the <a data-wpel-link="external" href="https://www2.palomar.edu/users/bthompson/Naturalistic%20Fallacy.html" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">naturalistic fallacy</a>.</div>
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<figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-2125328" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; opacity: 0.8; padding-top: 5px;">2016 US Crops By Class</figcaption><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-2125328" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; opacity: 0.8; padding-top: 5px;"><br /></figcaption><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-2125328" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; opacity: 0.8; padding-top: 5px;">So here is the big picture. The only crop category for which organic yields were higher than the 2016 US average was for forage crops for feeding animals. To have produced all of the US agricultural output from 2016 as organic would have required more than 100 million more acres to have been farmed—an area greater than that of the entire state of California, the third largest US state. That amount of new land suitable for farming clearly does not exist in the US, and so that shortfall would induce more conversion of forest and grassland into farming in places like Brazil, leading to major releases of previously sequestered carbon in those soils</figcaption><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNXG7n_3v3MhoCCSvzXgvlv8hvMmX21xWL1nVCb0dVQKYIQA-CICpHb9V_WipzvZJigV7Cs05cTfvg_4mZqKsGcjdxMjOnRrPoHhe1Tv9QG0rfOKOcHJKFgN0Q6AI8gLvTIGiR9UNrAuzI/s1600/Forage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="952" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNXG7n_3v3MhoCCSvzXgvlv8hvMmX21xWL1nVCb0dVQKYIQA-CICpHb9V_WipzvZJigV7Cs05cTfvg_4mZqKsGcjdxMjOnRrPoHhe1Tv9QG0rfOKOcHJKFgN0Q6AI8gLvTIGiR9UNrAuzI/s400/Forage.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-2125328" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; opacity: 0.8; padding-top: 5px;"><br /></figcaption><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-2125328" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; opacity: 0.8; padding-top: 5px;"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-2125329" style="box-sizing: border-box; opacity: 0.8; padding-top: 5px;">US Forage Crops 2016</figcaption><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-2125329" style="box-sizing: border-box; opacity: 0.8; padding-top: 5px;"><br /></figcaption><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-2125329" style="box-sizing: border-box; opacity: 0.8; padding-top: 5px;">There were higher yields for organic Hay and Haylage for animal feed in 2016, but for other animal feed crops, the organic yield was quite a bit lower. 17.1 million acres of alfalfa is grown for hay, mainly to feed dairy cattle. 1.71% of that land is in Certified Organic acres. Most of that land is much less productive.</figcaption><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Plant-based protein in an important component of the human and animal diet, but only relatively minor crops like pinto beans and Austrian Winter beans had higher yields as organic crops in the 2016 season. Nearly 2 million additional acres would have been needed to produce these crops as “Only Organic.” This is in spite of the fact that these crops require much less nitrogen fertilization, because they have an association with <a data-wpel-link="external" href="https://www.britannica.com/science/nitrogen-fixing-bacteria" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">soil bacteria</a> that <nobr style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit;">fix</nobr> atmospheric nitrogen for them in trade for energy.</div>
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Corn, soybeans and sorghum grown for grain accounted for 50% of all US crop acres in 2016. These crops provide most of the feed and biofuel for the US, as well as many major food ingredients. To have produced these crops as organic would have required 77 million acres to be farmed, something that would drive major land use conversion in places like Brazil and the associated climate and biodiversity impacts of that change.</div>
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Small grains are a major part of the human diet. With the exception of the relatively small crop rye, these plants do not yield very well in organic systems. To have supplied the domestic and important global market for these grains as organic would have required 33 million more planted acres, an area comparable to the entire state of Arkansas. Since many of these crops have quality issues associated with where they are grown, there really aren’t places in the US or the rest of the world where this could happen.</div>
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The only vegetable crop for which organic yields were higher was sweet potato. Organic represents 4.9% of total vegetable acreage in the US – much more than the overall 0.5% for all crops. Since many vegetable crops do best in specific climatic zones, that significant current organic footprint probably serves to raise overall prices for consumers, even if they do not <nobr style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit;">purchase</nobr> organic. When that issue is added to the fear of <nobr style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit;">pesticide</nobr> residues on vegetables driven by the <a data-wpel-link="internal" href="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/glp-facts/environmental-working-group/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">Environmental Working Group</a>’s “Dirty Dozen List,” this only contributes to the missed health advantages of vegetables in the diets of many consumers.</div>
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To have produced all the 2016 US grown vegetables as organic would have required 1.75 million more acres to be grown—something clearly not possible.</div>
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Tree nuts are considered to be a very healthy component of the diet, and may even reduce overeating that causes obesity because they make consumers feel full. These crops only flourish in certain climates, so there is no possibility that they could all be raised as organic. That transition would require 1.5 million more acres to be dedicated to those crops.</div>
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Organic yields of small fruits are often much lower than the national average. This is particularly true for strawberries, cranberries and wild blueberries. The one exception is tame blueberries, mostly in Washington state. To have produced all of this healthy fruit as organic would have required 238,000 more acres, which simply do not exist in areas with a suitable climate. In the case of strawberries, if the 11.6% of that valuable coastal land had been grown conventionally, there would have been 194 million pounds more strawberries available to consumers, probably at a lower price.</div>
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Organic makes up 2.61% of the land used to grow tree fruit and grapes. To produce all the fruit as organic would require a half million more acres of land. The organic vs. conventional citrus crop data is complicated by whether the crops are grown in California or Florida, where a devastating invasive bacterial disease has dramatically reduced yields. The best hopes for the future of the California industry depend on mostly non-organic pest control solutions.</div>
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Organic Tobacco constitutes 3.1% of the total acreage of this cancer-causing crop. Hops production, which is a booming industry these days for craft beer brewing, is 1.3% organic. Sunflower, which is the most significant crop on this list, is planted on 2.7 million US acres, and an additional 1.1 million acres would be required to produce it as organic.</div>
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Most cotton production has shifted to India and other places in Asia and Africa, because it is one of the very few crops grown in those regions with big grower benefits of insect resistance and herbicide tolerance. Still, there are 9.5 million US acres grown and it would take another 1.5 million acres to produce this important fiber crop as organic.</div>
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<span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Conclusion</span></div>
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So the good news is that organic remains a tiny part of US agriculture. The not so good news is that for key healthy fruit and vegetable crops, these antiquated farming methods are enough of a factor to raise the prices for even those who don’t buy organic.</div>
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Eliminating organic agriculture would not be nearly enough to help with climate change mitigation, but some alternative marketing category that would reward growers who practice the best kind of climate-friendly farming, those who utilize no-till methods and cover crops for instance, could make a real contribution. As consumers, our most climate-responsible buying behavior should be to reject organic and its false narratives.</div>
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<span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a data-wpel-link="internal" href="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/our-team/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">Steve Savage</a> is a plant pathologist and senior contributor to the GLP. Follow him on Twitter <a data-wpel-link="external" href="https://twitter.com/grapedoc" rel="noopener external noreferrer nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">@grapedoc</a>. </span><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">His <a data-wpel-link="external" href="https://www.popagriculture.com/" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">Pop Agriculture podcast</a> is available for listening or subscription on <a data-wpel-link="external" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/popagriculture/id1263517632?mt=2" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">iTunes</a> and <a data-wpel-link="external" href="https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Iib345rxu4cxm5qzodas2yuhz7e" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">This article has been adapted from a presentation given by Steve Savage titled <a data-wpel-link="internal" href="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Care-About-Climate-Change.-Dont-Buy-Organic.ppt" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #087093; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">Care About Climate Change. Don’t Buy Organic</a> and has been reproduced here with permission.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The GLP featured this article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. The viewpoint is the author’s own. The GLP’s goal is to stimulate constructive discourse on challenging science issues.</span></div>
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Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-46796150617905297452019-10-04T13:00:00.000-07:002019-10-04T13:00:06.601-07:00Exterminate!(This piece was originally posted on the <a href="https://www.popagriculture.com/blog/2019/9/19/exterminate" target="_blank">POP Agriculture Podcast 9/19/2019</a>)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The Tardis (photo by Zir, Wikimedia Commons )" height="320" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1568895262128-1FN6L4IJUP3JVP7J3LIB/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kB7jRAXYnud1GpUQmNttyhJZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWEtT5uBSRWt4vQZAgTJucoTqqXjS3CfNDSuuf31e0tVFT9fKV5OBz3MYceo3y5RVgjOOxuiKzLoeSJGRqF5pxSYk6F1R1CriF8Yes9BWbW6c/Tardis.jpg?format=1000w" style="font-size: 12pt; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: start;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4f81bd; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-align: start;">The Tardis (photo by </span><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TARDIS2.jpg" style="font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-align: start;">Zir, Wikimedia Commons</a><span style="color: #4f81bd; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-align: start;">)</span></td></tr>
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The show has been running on the BBC since 1963, and part of
what makes that long run possible is that the Doctor has the ability to be
re-born from time to time with a different human body (although supposedly with
two hearts).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There have been <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_actors_who_have_played_the_Doctor">13
different stars</a> playing the part of The Doctor, and the most recent one is
Jodie Whittaker (#13), the first female. I just finished binge watching that
season to catch up! Other recent leads have been David Tennant (#10), Matt
Smith (#11), and Peter Capaldi (#12). <o:p></o:p></div>
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Hard core Doctor Who fans call themselves <a href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Whovian">“Whovians,” </a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Urban dictionary puts it this way: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<span style="background: white; color: #2c353c; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">A few easy
ways to tell if someone is a Whovian are: Turn off all the lights while
repeating "Hey, who turned out the lights?", moving statues around
while they aren't looking or telling them not to </span><a href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=blink"><span style="background: white; color: #134fe6; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">blink</span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #2c353c; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">while staring at a </span><a href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=statue"><span style="background: white; color: #134fe6; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">statue</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #2c353c; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">, yelling </span><a href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=exterminate"><span style="background: white; color: #134fe6; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">exterminate</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #2c353c; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> at them in a freaky as hell robot voice, and watching
how they react. If they start screaming they're most likely a Whovian.” </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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So, what’s the “exterminate” thing about?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are new and different “bad guys” for
the Doctor to out-wit in most episodes, but throughout the years of shows, a
frequent “threat to the future of humanity” has been a strange race of robotic
space beings called the Daleks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back in
the earliest, obviously low budget days of the show, the Daleks looked a lot
like modified trash cans (I guess “dust bins” since it’s British) with toilet
plungers for arms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That basic, funky,
Daleck look has been preserved over the history of the show as has that creepy
chant that of theirs: “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQLbwOGT8eM">Exterminate!
Exterminate!</a> ….”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Dalek image by Nelo Hotsuma from Rockwall [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]" height="240" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1568895307292-RJVTB62BY64OH23FX2JR/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kL3VKmwKI3leYB51VJjLFB8UqsxRUqqbr1mOJYKfIPR7LoDQ9mXPOjoJoqy81S2I8N_N4V1vUb5AoIIIbLZhVYxCRW4BPu10St3TBAUQYVKcgK5SGg9Ovb1yloBBOHcruw_mYLfAhRzzgArFCB07Dw0L8n4JypuoE5Tg6Wg5Oyvs/Dalek.jpg?format=2500w" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4f81bd; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-align: start;">Dalek image by Nelo Hotsuma from Rockwall [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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So the Daleks of Dr. Who are a classic example of fictional,
pop-culture aliens who are out to exterminate humans. There are also many
examples of pop-culture stories of humans trying to “exterminate” some sort of
alien invaders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On today’s
POPagriculture podcast we are going to talk about a <a href="http://calag.ucanr.edu/Archive/?article=ca.v068n04p125">real world story</a>
about how humans successfully managed to “Exterminate” some alien invaders who
were threatening the grape industries of California.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Standard Intro<o:p></o:p></div>
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So, in California there are lots of farmers who tend <a href="https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/California/Publications/Specialty_and_Other_Releases/Grapes/Acreage/Reports/index.php">880,000
acres of grapes</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These include those
that are specifically for drying to make raisins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other grapes are grown as a nice, fresh,
mostly seedless snack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throughout the
state there are also various “appellations” for wine grape production.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Together these crops bring in about <a href="https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/statistics/">5.8 billion dollars a year</a> to
the state’s economy. These products are loved by not just Americans but by
people around the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>California has nearly
ideal climatic conditions for each of these grape categories, and since they
are relatively drought tolerant they are a good fit for our limited water
resources.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One nice thing is that we
don’t have much rain during the summer and so we don’t have to deal with some
difficult fungal diseases that are a big challenge in places like Europe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are still certainly pests that have to
be dealt with, but the grape industry has always been a leader in doing that is
a <a href="https://www.sustainablewinegrowing.org/CCSW-frequentlyaskedquestions.php">sustainable
way</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Lobesia: European Grapevine Moth image by Jack Kelly Clark , University of California Extension" height="213" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1568895364552-RFKZMLADSEM6U3F1FEHW/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kFWxnDtCdRm2WA9rXcwtIYR7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1UcTSrQkGwCGRqSxozz07hWZrYGYYH8sg4qn8Lpf9k1pYMHPsat2_S1jaQY3SwdyaXg/grapevine+moth.jpg?format=2500w" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4f81bd; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-align: start;">Lobesia: </span><a href="http://calag.ucanr.edu/archive/?image=img6804p125.jpg" style="font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-align: start;">European Grapevine Moth image by Jack Kelly Clark</a><span style="color: #4f81bd; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-align: start;">, University of California Extension</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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So that’s the background, but the drama for our story began
in the summer of 2009 in a famous, premium wine grape-growing region called the
Napa Valley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the growers there
spotted a caterpillar munching away on some of his grapes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now there are several kinds of moths that can
be pests of California grapes, particularly during their larval stage as
caterpillars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the grower noticed
that this one didn’t look like those familiar types. Being suspicious he sent a
picture to a county extension agent – a kind of University employee whose job
it is to support the industry with research and advice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It turned out that was a new kind of moth to
California – an alien invader!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ok, not a
space alien, but scary from the perspective of grape farmers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was called the <a href="https://www2.ipm.ucanr.edu/Invasive-and-Exotic-Pests/European-grapevine-moth/">European
Grapevine Moth or “EVGM.”</a> As its name implies it has been a pest in that
continent for a long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That name doesn’t
sound scary enough for our story so lets use the scientific name, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lobesia botrana</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-weight: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Now the thing is that this wasn’t
just another moth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The caterpillar stage
of this bug would do a lot more damage to the grape clusters than the other
moth species and that would mean nice things like “frass” or insect poop on the
grapes or later the raisins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To make
matters worse, the feeding opens the way for fungi that rot the grapes and that
kind of infection can spread from berry to berry throughout the cluster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This would make it a lot harder for the
raisin growers to have a high quality product, it would mean a lot more food
waste even all the way to the consumer level for the table grapes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moldy grapes definitely don’t make for high
quality wine!</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Rotting grape image by Andrea Lucchi , University of California" height="320" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1568895473241-ZF3RFOFF5MLH7F7YBIEF/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kOT4XFbjPh2wviguHcWSfHx7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QHyNOqBUUEtDDsRWrJLTmS0k9nmfOWkBD2X4dgpGrpTPEppH71Jxj5Xy1txktWwN6z35OdSjbl9A5nuJM5etC/rotting+grapes.jpg?format=2500w" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://calag.ucanr.edu/archive/?image=img6804p126b.jpg" style="font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-align: start;">Rotting grape image by Andrea Lucchi</a><span style="color: #4f81bd; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-align: start;">, University of California</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-weight: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Now of course there wasn’t an
extraterrestrial “Doctor” to lead this campaign, but even Dr. Who drafts a team
of regular humans to help defeat the aliens.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-weight: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">In this case the team comprised
representatives of the grower communities, university experts and government employees
from the relevant state and federal departments. They held an emergency meeting
and decided that they wanted to see if they could come up with a way to not
only stop the spread of the pest, but if at all possible to completely
eradicate it from California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eradicate!
Doesn’t sound quite as harsh as “exterminate!” but it’s essentially the same idea.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h3>
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<o:p> </o:p></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-weight: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">In order to see what they were up
against, sixty thousand “Sticky traps” were distributed state wide at a density
of 39 per square kilometer in vineyards and 10 per square kilometer in
residential areas. In the next 2010 growing season they found 100,000 moths in
several California counties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was
going to be a big challenge!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only a
comprehensive strategy with broad participation would give any hope of
winning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the team developed a multi-prong
strategy:</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-weight: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Those sticky traps continued to be
used to monitor progress, but they were careful to use red colored traps
because they are much less likely to accidentally trap honeybees.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-weight: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">It was important to find ways to
limit further spread of the aliens. The adult moths can fly, but they don’t
tend to fly too far as long as they can find the grapes they want. Quarantine
rules were set up to prevent fruit, farm equipment, recycled fence or grape
posts, or other things that might allow the pest to hitch-hike long distances. It
turned out that the moth larvae could survive the stemming and crushing and
even pressing of wine grapes – so it was critical not to move around those
by-products of the winemaking process. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-weight: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">They also used an approach called
“pheromone confusion” that was set up on an area-wide basis where the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lobesia</i> had been found.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This involves putting up emitters of the
specific sex hormone for this moth so that the males are getting so many “scent
trails” that they rarely actually find a female to actually mate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-weight: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">There were lots of outreach
programs to get everybody up to speed on the situation and to know their
role.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This included grape growers,
wineries, and fruit or raisin packers, and pest control advisors. The outreach
also had to include on the order of 3,000 homeowners because they also needed
to cooperate, especially if they had backyard grapes, as many did. The
coordinated task force would help those owners to treat their grapes or remove
their fruit so that they didn’t become a reservoir to then fan out into the
commercial vineyards. Not only were there public meetings to reach all these
groups, there was a Facebook page and a website at www.bugspot.org. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-weight: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The researchers developed a
sophisticated “degree day model” to predict when each of the 3-4 new
generations of moths would be coming out so that insecticide sprays could be
timed just right, not only to protect the crop, but to prevent the moth numbers
from really blowing up as they would if not strategically checked this way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Almost all of this spraying was done on a
voluntary basis at the grower’s own cost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In Napa and Sonoma in 2012 the growers treated more than 12,000 acres.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The organic growers also sprayed using the
insecticide options that are allowed under their rules. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-weight: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The combination of the
quarantines, the pheromone confusion and the well-timed insecticide sprays
achieved what is called an “allee effect” in population biology lingo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is when the population size gets down to
the point where there are too few of the pests in a given area to successfully
mate. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Historical progress towards eradication of EVGM from California. University of California." height="320" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1568895552898-1KJWWSMVR8LQIIOZEU18/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kGUFX89IQ7ljZ7iHYOYqUmR7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1UfvuFyNo3Ex2zWxUa6wtKCvnKVkiTnyZZrh8KnURFGYPEcpqqiibjsYZd52d9hiFyA/map.jpg?format=2500w" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="272" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4f81bd; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-align: start;"> </span><a href="http://calag.ucanr.edu/archive/?image=fig6804p128.jpg" style="font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-align: start;">Historical progress</a><span style="color: #4f81bd; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-align: start;"> towards eradication of EVGM from California. University of California.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-weight: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">This massive, voluntary,
cooperative effort was highly coordinated across the different counties of the
state and it began to pay off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2011
there were 2,335 acres quarantined because of the presence of the moth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By 2014 that number was down to 446 acres.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By 2016 the pest was officially declared to
have been eradicated. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Figure 2 Victory Lap! (University of California)" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1568895576207-HRABIZN87XB3D2K7RC07/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kLGmvfI3kH5VnLDXsfiXGj9Zw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWEtT5uBSRWt4vQZAgTJucoTqqXjS3CfNDSuuf31e0tVEb8KgTXj4KDOOn_FIViqYtJHufnEky2-B75RGEqbM03hur-lC0WofN0YB1wFg-ZW0/eradicated+sign.png?format=1000w" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4f81bd; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-align: start;">Victory Lap! (University of California)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h3>
<br />
<br />
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-weight: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">In the Dr Who shows the Daleks
don’t ever seem to manage to “eliminate” humans, but in this story the humans
managed to “eliminate” the alien pest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-weight: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">There have been some other
historical examples where the humans were able to “exterminate” a new insect
pest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another strategy that was used in
some of these battles was the intentional release of sterile males of the pest
species so that they so that they would out-compete the wild males trying to
breed with the wild females.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This helped
when the </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/pdep/target_pest_disease_profiles/mexican_ff_profile.html"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Mediterranean Fruit F</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">ly came to
California several times over the years. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-weight: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Another pest eradication success
story had to do with a pest of cotton called the </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/usda-pink-bollworm-proclamation.pdf"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Pink Bollworm</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In that case in addition to the release of
sterile males, pheromone confusion, area-wide “plow downs” and strategic
sprays, the growers also had the opportunity to use lines of </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="http://www.utcrops.com/cotton/cotton_insects/pubs/W129-BtCotton.pdf"><span style="font-weight: normal;">“Bt cotton,”</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> genetically
engineered to be resistant to the pest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-weight: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Now unfortunately, it will never
be possible to have this sort of victory over all the pests of grapes or any
crops for that matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, when
growers are only up against a familiar set of pests, they can achieve a
sufficient degree of control to protect their livelihood, keep food affordable,
and prevent the pest-related quality or food safety problems that would
otherwise flow on down to the consumer level. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></h3>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt;">
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</style>Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-80187693613606593902019-10-03T16:31:00.001-07:002019-10-04T13:01:21.937-07:00A Plant Murder Mystery<!--[if !mso]>
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(This Blog was originally posted as a Podcast/blog on the <a href="https://www.popagriculture.com/blog/2019/9/4/plant-murder-mystery-1" target="_blank">POPAgriculture website</a> on 9/5/19)</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.28px; white-space: pre-wrap;">For some reason, our culture seems to be fascinated by a good murder mystery. I think we all believe that murder is a horrible thing, but we love a story about “good guys” solving a murder case using smarts, careful observation and maybe a little luck. Then we can celebrate when they finally crack the case. “In Cold Blood”, Truman Capote’s book on the 1959 murder of a family in Kansas, played a large role in the growth of the true crime genre. The podcast, Serial, kicked off the most recent true crime renaissance, paving the way for many other true crime podcasts as well as series and documentaries like Netflix’s “Making a Murderer” and HBO’s “The Jinx.” And, who can discount the influence the show “Law & Order” has had, fueling our appetite for stories “ripped from the headlines”? But what about plants? Can they be murdered? Well there certainly are cases where people “murder” plants in a way that is bad, like deforestation. </span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Hlk14261873"><img alt="Image of deforestation by Vera Kratochvil . Actually, this was originally a pest-based mass murder – bark beetle infestation." height="192" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1567623406667-1UN1VRCGZ8LK8OM58H10/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kAms-83G2ZMZGyO488VAHYAUqsxRUqqbr1mOJYKfIPR7LoDQ9mXPOjoJoqy81S2I8N_N4V1vUb5AoIIIbLZhVYxCRW4BPu10St3TBAUQYVKcwqOKCtAuRf5duSA1ADWgOgDVuZvaW98EA9mzHIn9MVXWhdEMN-r9CIZ7XCfqdsTX/bark+beetle+infestation.jpg?format=2500w" width="400" /></a></div>
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></ins></span></span><span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Steve%20Savage" datetime="2019-08-27T09:25"><o:p></o:p></ins></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk14261873;"><span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Steve%20Savage" datetime="2019-08-27T09:28">Image of deforestation
by </ins></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk14261873;"></span><a href="https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=296125&picture=deforestation"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk14261873;"><span style="background: whitesmoke; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Steve%20Savage" datetime="2019-08-27T09:29">Vera Kratochvil</ins></span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk14261873;"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk14261873;"><span style="background: whitesmoke; color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Steve%20Savage" datetime="2019-08-27T09:29">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually this</ins></span><span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Steve%20Savage" datetime="2019-08-27T09:30"> was </ins></span>originally<span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Steve%20Savage" datetime="2019-08-27T09:30"> a
pest-based mass murder – bark beetle infestation</ins></span><span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Steve%20Savage" datetime="2019-08-27T09:29">
(purchased</ins></span> image<span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Steve%20Savage" datetime="2019-08-27T09:29">)</ins></span></span><span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Steve%20Savage" datetime="2019-08-27T09:24"><o:p></o:p></ins></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk14261873;">But plants are most
often murdered by other organisms from nature that we call “pests.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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I was originally trained as a “plant pathologist” and we are
the folks who study the diseases of plants. My graduate work was with diseases
of grapes, hence my Twitter handle, @grapedoc. Well, plants, including grapes,
can sometimes mysteriously die. On today’s <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>episode, I want to talk about an alarming new
disease of grapes that arose in the 19<sup>th</sup> century. It took a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>long time for scientists to track down the
culprit. For decades, the “murderer” couldn’t be identified and what was
happening in American vineyards really was a case of serial killings whose
trail ran cold. A couple of weeks ago, I had a chance to meet another plant
pathologist who was one of the key “detectives” who finally “cracked the case”
of the mysterious deaths of grapes. He was a player in a great story that I’m
happy to be able to share with you today.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When Europeans began to colonize North America 400+ years
ago, they brought along the crops they knew how to grow so they could have food
– things like wheat, barley, apples, and grapes. Over time, they also adopted
several kinds of plants that were unknown in the “Old World” like potatoes,
tomatoes, corn and blueberries, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which
were also taken back to Europe. Back to the settler’s familiar crops - some did
well in the New World, but others didn’t. Wheat did great in the Northern
Colonies, but poorly in the South because of a fungal “rust” disease favored by
the wetter, warmer weather there. The winters in the North were too cold for
one of the European’s favorite crops – grapes. When the settlers tried to grow
grapes in the South they would grow for a while, but then mysteriously die
after a few years. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<img alt="The Anaheim vineyards would have been "head-trained" like this rather than the modern system of trellising ( Image from UC Davis )." src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1567623473678-2JKW6ZALA5JVSCXBHQLA/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kOHJ2Y5lul0O2s3lDDLemXxZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWhcwhEtWJXoshNdA9f1qD7Xj1nVWs2aaTtWBneO2WM-tdkgKLAbAzq5zTHqfMPxqw9OFyjlKkjRbnyr0zvQyyWQ/anaheim+vineyards.jpg?format=500w" /><br />
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The Anaheim vineyards would have been
"head-trained" like this rather than the modern system of trellising <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(<a href="https://images.app.goo.gl/4xyRPQhFFmiWJAh37">Image from UC Davis</a>)<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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The Spanish brought the first grapes to the New World. The
Friars that set up the first set of missions in what would become California
needed the grapes to make wine for communion. The grapes thrived there because
of the “Mediterranean” type of climate which was much like that of Spain or
Italy or parts of France. For a long time, the grapes did well, but then in the
late 1800s they began to mysteriously die, particularly in the Anaheim area. Of
course, that is a city today and the home of Disneyland, but it started out as
a farming community. There is a <a href="https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SFC18941210&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">newspaper
article</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;"> about these mysterious
vine deaths that you can see online from “The San Francisco Call” from December
of 1894 about what had come to be called “Anaheim” disease. It describes how
over a period of 10 years the strange malady had ravaged over 20,000 acres of
grapes and nothing the growers did seemed to help. Anaheim has also been the
scene for some human disease incidents, like the 2017 </span></span><a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-ln-legionella-disneyland-20171115-story.html"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">outbreak
of Legionnaire’s disease</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;"> that was linked to those
who visited Disneyland. But the 1894 article was quoting a talk given by the
head of the State Viticultural Commission, E.C. Biehowsky, in which he was
celebrating the fact that the disease seemed to be abating although no one knew
why. But the case of vine deaths remained unsolved and there were </span></span><a href="https://www.wineinstitute.org/initiatives/issuesandpolicy/piercesdisease"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">other
outbreaks</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;"> that killed vines in the
1930s and 1940s. This eventually drove the grape industry out of Southern
California and into other parts of the state. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">Back in 1892, California’s
first professional plant pathologist, Newton B. </span></span>Pierce, tried<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">
to unravel the mystery of this disease. He suspected that it was caused by a
bacterium but he wasn’t able to culture any and use them to replicate the
disease – the protocol called “Koch’s Postulates” that is the required way to
provide proof of what kills or sickens something in the “courtroom” of science.
Others ended up naming this malady “Pierce’s Disease.” That’s not a great
outcome. I hope they never name some deadly plant disease after me!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">The next “detective” on
the case was Bill Hewitt at the University of California, Davis. He showed that
the disease could be transmitted from one vine to another by grafting and that,
in nature, the disease was spread by little sap sucking bugs called blue-green sharpshooters.
This fit the M.O. of a virus and that would also explain why you couldn’t
culture it. Suspect #2, a virus. Then, a competing set of detectives in Florida
showed that the disease could be </span></span>suppressed a<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">
bit with the antibiotic tetracycline. That made them suspect it was a
mycoplasma – effectively the third “suspect” in this case. One of those
researchers at the University of Florida is Don Hopkins and he is the actor
from this story that I recently met. The Florida group’s suspicion about a
mycoplasma was shared by a grapevine virus expert at Davis, named Austin Goheen,
because he showed that heat could also suppress the disease.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<img alt="Dr. Don Hopkins from the University of Florida (right) and Sonoma County grape farm advisor Rhonda Smith (left). We spent two days planting the young grapevines pictured here for a Pierce's Disease biocontrol trial this summer." height="320" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1567623532290-RJ3RNM1IB7YNL2IPCIIH/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kBelsVAev15nrlBAFMzKsdEUqsxRUqqbr1mOJYKfIPR7LoDQ9mXPOjoJoqy81S2I8PaoYXhp6HxIwZIk7-Mi3Tsic-L2IOPH3Dwrhl-Ne3Z2tU2ReFwpVgSm7x-SgOFtAmJMoyi-Ta5HHhO2BVXHKKXdZR9z9mxWb0yLUToVqwSd/Don+Hopkins.jpg?format=2500w" width="240" /><br />
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Dr. Don Hopkins from the University of Florida (right) and
Sonoma County grape farm advisor Rhonda Smith (left).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spent two days planting the young
grapevines pictured here for a Pierce's Disease biocontrol trial this summer<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">Now, the classic meme for
a detective show is someone with a magnifying glass. That might be enough
enlargement power for someone working on a homicide case, but the detectives in
the plant murder investigation needed something a lot more powerful. Fortunately,
there was a powerful new investigative tool that was becoming more available called
an electron microscope. </span></span><a href="http://www.leo-em.co.uk/history-of-electron-microscope.html"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">The
earliest work on this tool</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;"> was in the early 1930s
and it became more practical with work at the University of Toronto in 1938.
With this new tool, scientists were able to see </span></span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><u><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">far</span></u></span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">
smaller things than had been possible with even the best light microscopes. A
researcher at Davis in the 1960s and early 70s named S.K. Lowe assisted Goheen
and another scientist named George Nyland, using her skill with the
department’s new electron microscope. With it, they peered inside the grapevine
to see if they could catch the perpetrator of Pierce’s disease in the act. Inside
the plant’s xylem cells – essentially its water plumbing system - they saw
strange, elongated blobs which they decided to call “Rickettsia-like
organisms,” the fourth suspect in the case. They also described it as a
“fastidious bacterium” because it was apparently too picky to let people grow
it on normal culture media. Goheen, Nyland, and Lowe got a paper describing this
new finding accepted for publication in a journal called </span></span><a href="https://www.apsnet.org/publications/phytopathology/backissues/Documents/1973Articles/Phyto63n03_341.PDF"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">Phytopathology</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">
on October 3, 1972, but it didn’t actually publish until March of 1973.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1567623693961-D3A5WBFLUYZG0CIFGOTK/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kI8YbC3wcfCzlSObuyf-7XJZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZUJFbgE-7XRK3dMEBRBhUpxB0R1fy5u-6Ine15X-62tVhToOUWLrOxUXcO1RmTV9K_loK1bQeEUdBPEo8CCjw44/microscopic+image.jpg?format=1500w" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The image of the "culprit" taken with an electron microscope and published in the journal Phytopathology." border="0" height="320" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1567623693961-D3A5WBFLUYZG0CIFGOTK/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kI8YbC3wcfCzlSObuyf-7XJZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZUJFbgE-7XRK3dMEBRBhUpxB0R1fy5u-6Ine15X-62tVhToOUWLrOxUXcO1RmTV9K_loK1bQeEUdBPEo8CCjw44/microscopic+image.jpg?format=1500w" width="240" /></a><o:p> </o:p></div>
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The image of
the "culprit" taken with an electron microscope and published in the
journal Phytopathology<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">Simultaneously, the
Florida team, Hopkins and Mollenhauer, published similar findings in the
January 1973 issue of the prestigious </span></span><a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/179/4070/298.abstract"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">journal,
“Science</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">,”</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">
also based on what they had been able to see using an electron microscope. They
also classified the suspect as a “Rickettsia-like bacterium.” For both
investigations, those electron microscope images were “the smoking gun.” Even
though these two sets of “detectives” on opposite sides of the country fingered
the same culprit, there was actually somewhat of a rivalry. In a sense, the
Florida team “won” because their verdict came out in print two months earlier! (Remember
this was long before the internet.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">By the time I got to that
UC Davis plant pathology department in the spring of 1977, George Nyland</span></span>
had<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">
</span></span>retired,<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;"> and my new major
professor was the replacement for Bill Hewitt. Austin Goheen was still there
but would retire within two years. Since I was in the “Grape Lab,” I certainly
heard the UC Davis version of the tale of hunting down the culprit for Pierce’s
disease, and they were still just calling it a Rickettsia-like bacterium. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">Then in 1978, another team
of scientists/detectives at a different campus of the University of California
in Berkeley finally </span></span><a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/199/4324/75"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">caught
the culprit red handed</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;"> by coming up with a
recipe for the medium which would finally coax this picky perpetrator to grow
in their petri plates. These new players were Mike Davis, Alex Davis, and
Sherman Thompson. They found the same organism also caused almond leaf Scorch
disease. So, the “suspect” was now </span></span>“identified”<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">,
but we still didn’t know exactly what to call it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">It wasn’t until 1987 that
yet another team of six “detectives” used the rapidly advancing tools of
biotechnology and DNA/RNA sequencing to “fingerprint” the grape murdering
bacteria, and they declared it to be a </span></span><a href="https://ijs.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/00207713-37-2-136"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">brand
new genus</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">,</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">
which they gave the clever name </span></span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><i><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">Xylella fastidiosa</span></i></span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><i><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">Xylella</span></i></span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">
for the Xylem of the plant in which it lives, and </span></span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><i><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">fastidiosa</span></i></span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">
in acknowledgement of how challenging it had been to learn to grow it outside
of its unfortunate victims. This diverse team of scientists came from labs at
the USDA, Rutgers, the </span></span>Weyerhaeuser<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;"> company, the University
of Illinois, and the Centers for Disease Control, or CDC. Add that to the three
other institutions in this story and you get a sense for how hard it was to fully
understand this disease that had been killing grapes since those early days in
Anaheim, or the even earlier attempts to grow grapes in the American Southeast,
which turns out to be where the bad guys came from in the first place. In the
text version of this episode on popagriculture.com, you can also </span></span><a href="https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/57195#toDistributionMaps"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">see
a map</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;"> of where this bad
bacterium can now be found around the world – mostly in the Americas, but a bit
in Europe and Asia.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1567623742487-ZR7PB2VIKMZ8F9PXVGT1/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kFA7DpNs6B_dgvOtDwoDLRFZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZUJFbgE-7XRK3dMEBRBhUpxz2gBAIvk8ODk29gf7QpxqgNT1_HrzHYfKKOMR6AcZqK9ppYE2SeVr71kekmCfaZw/old+olive+grove.jpg?format=1500w" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="he tragic death of an old olive grove, "murdered" by Xylella (Sjor, Wikimedia commons )." border="0" height="240" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1567623742487-ZR7PB2VIKMZ8F9PXVGT1/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kFA7DpNs6B_dgvOtDwoDLRFZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZUJFbgE-7XRK3dMEBRBhUpxz2gBAIvk8ODk29gf7QpxqgNT1_HrzHYfKKOMR6AcZqK9ppYE2SeVr71kekmCfaZw/old+olive+grove.jpg?format=1500w" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">It turns out that Xylella
isn’t just guilty of killing grapes. It can cause problems for oaks, citrus,
and the ornamental oleander which is widely used for planting in the median
strips of California highways. Just recently, a new and unique strain of
Xylella showed up </span></span>in Italy<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;"> where it “murdered” trees
in venerable old olive groves. I’ve provided a link to a “</span></span><a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2018/08/italy-olive-trees-dying-xylella/"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">National
Geographic” article</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;"> about this – it’s so sad
to think about some of those ancient trees going down. It’s a threat to olives
in Spain and Greece as well.</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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The tragic
death of an old olive grove, "murdered" by Xylella (Sjor, <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0">Wikimedia commons</a>)<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1567623799977-X8XITUYL3GHPTT0KSZZY/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kBelsVAev15nrlBAFMzKsdEUqsxRUqqbr1mOJYKfIPR7LoDQ9mXPOjoJoqy81S2I8PaoYXhp6HxIwZIk7-Mi3Tsic-L2IOPH3Dwrhl-Ne3Z2tU2ReFwpVgSm7x-SgOFtAmJMoyi-Ta5HHhO2BVXHKKXdZR9z9mxWb0yLUToVqwSd/aerial+over+Sonoma.jpg?format=2500w" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="aerial over Sonoma.jpg" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1567623799977-X8XITUYL3GHPTT0KSZZY/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kBelsVAev15nrlBAFMzKsdEUqsxRUqqbr1mOJYKfIPR7LoDQ9mXPOjoJoqy81S2I8PaoYXhp6HxIwZIk7-Mi3Tsic-L2IOPH3Dwrhl-Ne3Z2tU2ReFwpVgSm7x-SgOFtAmJMoyi-Ta5HHhO2BVXHKKXdZR9z9mxWb0yLUToVqwSd/aerial+over+Sonoma.jpg?format=2500w" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A picture I took this summer while flying into Sonoma County. <br />
Note the missing (murdered) vines by the river</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">But just knowing the true
cause of Pierce’s disease didn’t make the problem go away. You can’t exactly go
out and arrest bacteria that live, as it turns out, in all sorts of plants – cultivated
and wild. What the grape industry had learned was that the bug that spreads
this malady – the blue-green sharpshooter - only likes to live and feed on the
plants that tend to grow along rivers in what are called “riparian habitats.” The
sharpshooters venture out into vineyards from time to time, so the typical
pattern </span></span>is you<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;"> see dying vines in the
parts of vineyards closest to the Napa River in Napa county, or the Russian
River in Sonoma county. </span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">There is an aerial photo</span></span>
above that<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;"> I recently took while flying into Sonoma</span></span>.<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">
You see that there are more missing (killed) vines on the side of a vineyard along
the river</span></span> but not as many near the reservoirs which don’t have a
true “riparian” zone<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">. No one would consider
taking out that natural vegetation in the riparian zone although there can be
state funds to selectively take out certain invasive plants which are actually
even worse than the native ones in terms of being a hiding place for the
bacterium and its vector. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">Grape growers in these
regions mostly just deal with a certain degree of vine death because these are
regions with a great reputation for wine quality.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">But there is a twist in
our murder mystery! In 1997, there was a dramatic die-off of grapevines in a
relatively new wine grape growing region called the Temecula Valley. This is in
southern California, but further inland than that original problem zone in
Anaheim. Temecula Valley</span></span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">had
not had any problems with Pierce’s disease because it’s pretty much a desert
and does not have those “riparian” zones that the blue-green sharpshooter accomplice
likes. But a few years earlier, probably because of some eggs on nursery stock
imported to California from the southeastern U.S., a new invasive insect had
arrived called the </span></span><a href="http://www.columbia.edu/itc/cerc/danoff-burg/invasion_bio/inv_spp_summ/Homalodisca_coagulata.html"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">glassy
winged sharpshooter</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">. </span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<img alt="The "accomplice" (Glassywinged Sharpshooter, image from the California Center for Invasive Species Research )." height="180" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1567623838532-F1FUA0XOKJ2C6608SAIJ/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kFTEgwhRQcX9r3XtU0e50sUUqsxRUqqbr1mOJYKfIPR7LoDQ9mXPOjoJoqy81S2I8N_N4V1vUb5AoIIIbLZhVYxCRW4BPu10St3TBAUQYVKcW7uEhC96WQdj-SwE5EpM0lAopPba9ZX3O0oeNTVSRxdHAmtcci_6bmVLoSDQq_pb/sharpshooter.jpg?format=2500w" width="320" /><br />
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The
"accomplice" (Glassywinged Sharpshooter, image from </div>
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t<span style="font-size: 9pt;">he </span><a href="https://cisr.ucr.edu/glassy_winged_sharpshooter.html" style="font-size: 9pt;">California Center
for Invasive Species Research</a><span style="font-size: 9pt;">)</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">Now our identified
murderous </span></span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><i><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">Xylella</span></i></span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">
had an accomplice that isn’t at all picky about what plants it feeds on. It’s
happy on citrus and there was a lot of that in Temecula intermixed with the
vineyards. Some of the wineries lost 80 to 90% of their vines in the first few
years of this attack and it seemed like the end of grapes, not just in
Temecula, but potentially throughout the state if that new insect would spread.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">The grape industry and its
supporting government agencies quickly mobilized to fight this dangerous new duo.
They found an insecticide that could be given to the roots of the citrus and
grapes through the drip irrigation system. It would then move up and protect
the plant from the sharpshooters. That put the brakes on the epidemic and the
vineyards of Temecula have been successfully replanted and protected. I visited
grape growers in that area in July and they have almost no dead vines and a
thriving tourist industry for wine tasting.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">The state also put in
place very rigorous inspections and quarantines of all nursery stock moving
north to prevent the sort of hitchhiking that got the glassy wing here in the
first place. Grape growers all around the state chip in for a state run
monitoring and targeted insecticide program that has, thus far, been able to
prevent that new accomplice from </span></span>moving to<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;"> the
rest of the state. It’s working</span></span> so far<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">, but
no one in the industry is complacent. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">The search is on for
additional tools to fight both the insect and the bacterium. It would take
another whole podcast to just list the research efforts, but briefly they
involve ideas ranging from conventional breeding, to biotech traits, to live
biocontrol agents, to insect predators and parasites, to various natural
products, to a new sprayable chemical bactericide. I’m tracking these now and
am even participating in one effort as part of my “day job” as a technology
consultant. I can’t think of anything I’d find more satisfying than to see the
grape industry find a robust set of strategies to shut down that murderous
bacterium once and for all!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">Good general reference on
PD including new Olive issues: </span></span><a href="https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/57195"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/57195</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">Big article Hopkins and
Purcell 2002 – talks about host range, geographic …<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/pdf/10.1094/PDIS.2002.86.10.1056"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;">https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/pdf/10.1094/PDIS.2002.86.10.1056</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 16.0pt !msorm;"><span style="mso-prop-change: "Steve Savage" 20190827T0930;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-73101154274441085412019-08-07T13:49:00.001-07:002019-08-07T13:49:35.199-07:00Three Foods I Wish I Could Buy At Costco<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWpvqOZuA1TYi0VZcL5RX5CJBDO72AwXLSUfjhU130KyfY6rFVKN7Dukd04V7uniX0AgqzSVD0jsWu8RKBK1tYUIS6TLYI4qGZse8uLOzVP4cklMtrY_mSDofjITKiepmsAG694_kDZpx6/s1600/1599px-CostcoMoncton.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1599" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWpvqOZuA1TYi0VZcL5RX5CJBDO72AwXLSUfjhU130KyfY6rFVKN7Dukd04V7uniX0AgqzSVD0jsWu8RKBK1tYUIS6TLYI4qGZse8uLOzVP4cklMtrY_mSDofjITKiepmsAG694_kDZpx6/s320/1599px-CostcoMoncton.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical Costco store front, image STU PENDOUSMAT</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: tabular-numbers, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: tabular-numbers, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; white-space: pre-wrap;">(This article was originally posted on <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2019/08/06/three-foods-i-wish-i-could-buy-at-costco/#3837377d34f7" target="_blank">Forbes on 8/6/19</a>)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: tabular-numbers, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: tabular-numbers, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; white-space: pre-wrap;">I enjoy shopping at Costco. I’ve been a member since the days when it was called </span><a class="color-link" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Costco" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; font-family: tabular-numbers, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; position: relative;" target="_blank">Price Club</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: tabular-numbers, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; white-space: pre-wrap;">. I like the diverse and yet selective range of products they offer and of course their reasonable prices. I find the staff friendly and helpful and I appreciate the fact that the employees must be treated fairly since so many are the same folks I’ve seen working there for years. The food court is an awesome deal and I almost always get my gas at Costco because it is the lowest price option in the area. The free sample thing is fun and sometimes educational. The store is well lighted, and its aisles are uncluttered. Their wine selection is great, and Costco is where I always get my eye exams and glasses. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jDQHs_LvVV5HSWexPun9_l3lrm9vIEvY7ftv4gXMH_JbmApS3M5BnTLJNJBteo1h4PUV4W9JOMwRvRTvnR7_0gh91sC1fzIv4kJQv5cCiDU53pl77tZmJVeNsFMIkj6GSew8yQrX9zoo/s1600/Cool+Room.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="506" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jDQHs_LvVV5HSWexPun9_l3lrm9vIEvY7ftv4gXMH_JbmApS3M5BnTLJNJBteo1h4PUV4W9JOMwRvRTvnR7_0gh91sC1fzIv4kJQv5cCiDU53pl77tZmJVeNsFMIkj6GSew8yQrX9zoo/s320/Cool+Room.png" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool room image from <a href="https://www.yelp.com.sg/USER_DETAILS?USERID=SBPGNCVOXFII_J2XOELJYQ" target="_blank">Yelp by Greg M.</a> Used with permission. </td></tr>
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I particularly appreciate the way that they keep much of their fresh produce in a walk-in cold room. Yes, it’s a bit uncomfortable, but by keeping these foods cold until sale, they are extending the shelf-life for the consumer and thus reducing food waste. Yes, the packages of produce they sell are large, but I can share them with friends and neighbors in cases where I can’t get through the whole amount in time. I think it is really cool that Costco uses the empty boxes from their produce shipments to package up a customer’s purchases to take home. It is also my understanding that Costco negotiates reasonable, long-term supply contracts with the grower/shippers who supply their fruits and vegetables. Treating farmers well is a big plus on my list. </div>
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So, you can see that there is a lot that I like about Costco. But there are three specific food items I would really like to be able to buy there but it seems unlikely that they will become available. This is because, like many retailers, Costco does not want to wade into the controversy surrounding genetically engineered foods, commonly called “GMOs.” As a scientist who has been <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://www.popagriculture.com/blog/2019/2/19/accidental-tourist" href="https://www.popagriculture.com/blog/2019/2/19/accidental-tourist" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">watching the advances in molecular genetics since 1976</a>, I find it tragic that the opponents of this method of plant improvement have been so successful in suppressing even the most logical applications for food. In many cases the losers here are that <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://www.popagriculture.com/blog/2019/6/20/will-you-still-feed-me" href="https://www.popagriculture.com/blog/2019/6/20/will-you-still-feed-me" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">small minority in our society that still feeds us</a>. The even greater tragedy is the extent to which those groups have <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://itif.org/publications/2016/02/08/suppressing-growth-how-gmo-opposition-hurts-developing-nations" href="https://itif.org/publications/2016/02/08/suppressing-growth-how-gmo-opposition-hurts-developing-nations" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">blocked</a> even free, improved crops for farmers in the developing world. But there are three specific foods I’d like to talk about which have been specifically modified for the benefit of consumers and which have actually made it through the <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/biotechnology/sa_regulations/ct_agency_framework_roles" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/biotechnology/sa_regulations/ct_agency_framework_roles" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">tortuous regulatory process</a> that the crop biotech industry self-imposed well before the first commercial plantings of biotech crops of the mid 90s. Overall, I think of Costco as a rationally, ethically run business that values its customers and respects their intelligence. Carrying these three foods would be a great way to demonstrate that respect. </div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><u style="box-sizing: border-box;">Product 1: </u></strong><strong data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://www.arcticapples.com/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://www.arcticapples.com/" href="https://www.arcticapples.com/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Arctic® Apples</a></strong></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZwaERfcMOCp2XWShgSplfnejbjqIeftmcKWpGdHcE4waYOkQlvHalS3pwOefrTbDgYpxi4fmJS5Mb6JXCv4NacNPcG39cBDzwTC-OGZALasgo7wEGEXbZKwREHfJOBrqItaX_i-E8tq6G/s1600/Arctic+Granny.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="974" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZwaERfcMOCp2XWShgSplfnejbjqIeftmcKWpGdHcE4waYOkQlvHalS3pwOefrTbDgYpxi4fmJS5Mb6JXCv4NacNPcG39cBDzwTC-OGZALasgo7wEGEXbZKwREHfJOBrqItaX_i-E8tq6G/s320/Arctic+Granny.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="color-body light-text" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; box-sizing: border-box; color: #737373; display: inline; font-family: "Work Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; line-height: 18px; margin-right: 8px; text-align: start;">
Arctic Granny on the left still white while ordinary apple has started browning losing flavor, aroma and vitamins</div>
<small style="background-color: #fcfcfc; box-sizing: border-box; color: #737373; font-family: "Work Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 9px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; line-height: 2; text-align: start; text-transform: uppercase;">USED WITH PERMISSION OF OSF</small></td></tr>
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A seven employee, farmer-founded business in British Columbia called <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://www.okspecialtyfruits.com/" href="https://www.okspecialtyfruits.com/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Okanagan Specialty Fruits</a> (OSF) developed apples that don’t turn brown when cut or bruised. They did this by simply turning off the gene for the enzyme called <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyphenol_oxidase" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyphenol_oxidase" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Polyphenol Oxidase</a> which is what causes the browning and also degrades things like vitamins in the process. The patent they needed to license to do this was from <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://www.csiro.au/" href="https://www.csiro.au/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">CSIRO</a>, a government sponsored research organization in Australia. Some plants, especially those in the nightshade family, have that same enzyme as part of their pest defense, but it isn’t really needed for the human-tended and <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2019/02/19/infographic-are-genetically-engineered-crops-less-safe-than-classically-bred-food/" href="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2019/02/19/infographic-are-genetically-engineered-crops-less-safe-than-classically-bred-food/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">already quite “genetically modified</a>” versions of those species. OSF was acquired by the brave, diversified biotech company, <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://www.dna.com/" href="https://www.dna.com/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Intrexon</a> in 2015 and they began commercial production of the apples in 2015, launching in test markets in the Midwest in 2017. It takes several years for new orchards to come into production, but as of today there are around 1,235 acres of several varieties being grown in the US and in Canada (Arctic® Grannys, Arctic® Goldens, and Arctic®Fujis). These apples are being sold in some grocery chains in the U.S. I once met all 7 of those employees (the company has now grown to 27) during their research phase and they mailed me a box of the apples back in 2014. They were really cool! You can cut them even as much as several hours before you eat them, and they still taste and smell like a freshly cut apple. You can keep apples from browning with something like citric acid, but that changes the taste and smell. Imagine slicing these for the kid’s lunch, bringing sliced apples to a potluck or getting them at a salad bar. These <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B1S8Z9Q" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B1S8Z9Q" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">apples can also be dried</a> without the need for sulfites so that the taste is not compromised and they are not problematic for people with an allergic response to that preservative. Costco – would you please start offering these apple products among your apple options? At least at my Carlsbad, CA Costco you only offer 2 or 3 non-organic choices of apple cultivars not including my favorites. I reluctantly deal with that limitation, but don’t your customers that care a lot about food waste and flavor also deserve the <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="InternalLink:https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2016/03/19/why-i-dont-buy-organic-and-why-you-might-want-to-either/#14a0ac769c35" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2016/03/19/why-i-dont-buy-organic-and-why-you-might-want-to-either/#14a0ac769c35" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">choices they would prefer?</a></div>
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Product 2: <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:http://www.innatepotatoes.com/" href="http://www.innatepotatoes.com/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Innate® White Russet™ Potatoes</a></div>
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An agricultural supply and potato processing company called <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://www.simplot.com/" href="https://www.simplot.com/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Simplot</a> has a relatively small biotech subsidiary called <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:http://www.simplot.com/plant_sciences/about" href="http://www.simplot.com/plant_sciences/about" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Simplot Plant Sciences</a>. They developed non-browning potatoes turning off the same gene as is in the Arctic® Apples – PPO. In addition, using all genetic material from potatoes <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1525145/" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1525145/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">(“cisgenic”),</a> they reduced the amount of the amino acid asparagine which can be converted to acrylamide – a possible carcinogen - during frying. They also worked with the <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:http://www.tsl.ac.uk/" href="http://www.tsl.ac.uk/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Sainsbury Laboratory</a> in the UK and the <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:http://2blades.org/2016/03/08/2blades-partners-with-the-sainsbury-laboratory-and-j-r-simplot-company-to-develop-resistance-against-potato-diseases/" href="http://2blades.org/2016/03/08/2blades-partners-with-the-sainsbury-laboratory-and-j-r-simplot-company-to-develop-resistance-against-potato-diseases/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">2Blades Foundation</a> to move some disease resistance genes from inedible, wild potatoes into commercially relevant cultivars. This is a really good thing for the potato growers because they have to spend far less time, fuel and money on fungicide sprays to control <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/factsheets/Potato_LateBlt.htm" href="http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/factsheets/Potato_LateBlt.htm" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">“Late Blight</a>”, the disease that caused the <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://www.history.com/topics/immigration/irish-potato-famine" href="https://www.history.com/topics/immigration/irish-potato-famine" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Irish Potato Famine</a>. This would have been extremely difficult to do with conventional breeding because potatoes very rarely reproduce through seeds. Back in 2016 I was gifted with a bag of these potatoes by Simplot. I put up a <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCczcA6KrXc" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCczcA6KrXc" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">video of making hash browns</a> with these and with regular potatoes. With the White Russets™ I was able to grate them and take my time forming them into nice shapes and to fry them without any of the browning that is normally unavoidable. They came out nicer looking and crispier. My conclusion was that these potatoes could “make America grate again.”</div>
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So, these non-browning produce options are much better in terms of the sensory experience, but they also help to reduce food waste throughout the supply chain and at the consumer level. </div>
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The many sustainability advantages of Innate non-browning potatoes</div>
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Today making a non-browning crop is even easier using something like <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://www.aspenideas.org/sessions/a-crack-in-creation-gene-editing-and-the-unthinkable-power-to-control-evolution?gclid=CjwKCAjw-ITqBRB7EiwAZ1c5U1SkwId99JwCZjPeKQWdrGHzD8TaXNJ6lNfKhfHc5oO8Pomdj2J45xoCNo4QAvD_BwE" href="https://www.aspenideas.org/sessions/a-crack-in-creation-gene-editing-and-the-unthinkable-power-to-control-evolution?gclid=CjwKCAjw-ITqBRB7EiwAZ1c5U1SkwId99JwCZjPeKQWdrGHzD8TaXNJ6lNfKhfHc5oO8Pomdj2J45xoCNo4QAvD_BwE" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">CRISPR technology</a> and the USDA has concluded that it <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://www.the-scientist.com/the-nutshell/usda-will-not-regulate-crispr-edited-crops-29852" href="https://www.the-scientist.com/the-nutshell/usda-will-not-regulate-crispr-edited-crops-29852" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">isn’t even something that needs to be regulated</a>. People have been working on non-browning <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://agsci.psu.edu/magazine/articles/2016/fall-winter/a-crispr-mushroom" href="https://agsci.psu.edu/magazine/articles/2016/fall-winter/a-crispr-mushroom" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">mushrooms</a>, and they should totally work on non-browning versions of bananas, lettuce and avocados! A way to reduce food waste and give customers a better sensory experience sounds like a good thing for a Costco to offer. Costco: could we please get these options at your stores?</div>
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Product 3: <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://aquabounty.com/" href="https://aquabounty.com/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">AquaAdvantage® Salmon</a></div>
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Costco is a <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://www.consumerreports.org/consumerist/salmon-from-costco-trader-joes-beat-out-fancy-expensive-fish-in-taste-test/" href="https://www.consumerreports.org/consumerist/salmon-from-costco-trader-joes-beat-out-fancy-expensive-fish-in-taste-test/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">major marketer of salmon</a> in the US and they do a great job of that. Salmon is a delicious fish and a <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/307811.php" href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/307811.php" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">healthy option</a> for consumers. But there is an even healthier and more environmentally desirable kind of salmon Costco could be selling in the near future. A small company in Canada licensed a technology from the University of Toronto and the Memorial University of Newfoundland <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://web.archive.org/web/20110628022809/http:/www.aquabounty.com/company/company-history-292.aspx" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110628022809/http:/www.aquabounty.com/company/company-history-292.aspx" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">in 1996</a> (That’s a very innovative country, eh?). It was a genetically engineered a line of Atlantic Salmon with a growth-related gene from chinook salmon and a promoter from Ocean Pout, that allows these fish to grow far faster and with less need for food. <a class="color-link" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://thefishsite.com/articles/the-fish-feed-story" href="https://thefishsite.com/articles/the-fish-feed-story" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">These improved fish</a> can gain a pound of weight from a pound fish feed making them 10 times as efficient as some wild-caught fish.</div>
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Comparing the Feed-Use-Efficiency of various meats</div>
<small style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #737373; font-family: "Work Sans", sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; line-height: 2; text-align: left; text-transform: uppercase;">IMAGE FROM MARINE HARVEST, 2016. </small><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: tabular-numbers, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Other sources say that the conversion rate for cattle is 6:1 and of course these and other ruminants give humans access to the huge energy supply in the form of cellulose and make millions of acres of pasture land not suitable for crops a usable resource for the production of human food)</em></span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: tabular-numbers, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">These </span><a class="color-link" href="https://aquabounty.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; font-family: tabular-numbers, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; position: relative; text-align: left;" target="_blank">AquAdvantage® Salmon</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: tabular-numbers, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"> are raised in inland aquaculture tanks and only sterile female fish are in the tanks so in the extremely unlikely case that they escaped to the ocean they would not have any effect on wild fish populations. </span></div>
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What one of the terrestrial fish-raising tank looks like</div>
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This multi-layered safety protocol has been scrutinized by regulators in the US and Canada over many years resulting in FDA approval in November of 2015 and the final approval for commercial sale in Canada in 2016. <a class="color-link" href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/aquabounty-gmo-salmon-1.4813758" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; position: relative; white-space: normal;" target="_blank">4.5 tonnes were sold in the second quarter of 2018</a>. The first US production site <a class="color-link" href="https://www.indystar.com/picture-gallery/news/2019/07/28/aquabounty-technologies-salmon-farm/1750357001/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; position: relative; white-space: normal;" target="_blank">opened this year</a> in Indiana. Ideally more sites can be placed near other population centers to minimize energy use for shipping. The terrestrial production eliminates issues of water pollution sometimes associated with ocean “farmed” salmon, “wild-caught salmon” or true oceanic fishing sources. The entire salmon industry has been shifting away from fish meal and fish oil for feed and these Salmon will be at the cutting edge of that trend. By sourcing from the crop <a class="color-link" href="https://www.rothamsted.ac.uk/articles/gm-camelina-trial-frequently-asked-questions" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; position: relative; white-space: normal;" target="_blank">Camelina</a> or using <a class="color-link" href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/03/140319-salmon-farming-sustainable-aquaculture/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; position: relative; white-space: normal;" target="_blank">yeasts</a>, both of which have been modified to produce the healthy <a class="color-link" href="https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/fish-and-omega-3-fatty-acids" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; position: relative; white-space: normal;" target="_blank">health-promoting omega-3 fats</a>, and even the astaxanthin pigment that gives salmon its red color. There are also some efforts to raise <a class="color-link" href="https://thefishsite.com/nutrition" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; position: relative; white-space: normal;" target="_blank">insects to feed to the fish. </a> These land-based sources can allow many more people to improve their diet without putting more stress on ocean resources. The other upside is that by using these feeds it is possible to avoid the mercury and microplastics issues that are unavoidable in ocean water. These pollutants can <a class="color-link" href="https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/pollutants/mercury-environment/health-concerns/food-chain.html" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; position: relative; white-space: normal;" target="_blank">“bioaccumulate”</a> in the ocean food chain having gotten there because of littering and from coal-powered electricity generation.</div>
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This is all a great example of <a class="color-link" href="http://www.ecomodernism.org/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; position: relative; white-space: normal;" target="_blank">Ecomodernism</a> – the philosophy that technology can be a means of achieving environmental goals. Doesn’t this seem like the sort of “green,” healthy option that a company like Costco ought to be offering their customers?</div>
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If Costco would rise above the <a class="color-link" href="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2019/02/22/from-a-sustainability-perspective-the-gmo-aquabounty-salmon-should-be-a-dream-come-true-why-do-environmentalists-oppose-it/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; position: relative; white-space: normal;" target="_blank">threats from anti-GMO </a>groups and offer these options alongside of “conventional” or “organic,” I believe that there would be lots of scientists like me who would happily volunteer to come in and answer customer questions during a launch program at one of those sample carts we so often enjoy at the stores.</div>
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(Disclaimer: although I know scientists and businesspeople from all of these companies, writing this article was just something that I wanted to do and not anything they asked me to do or for which I was compensated. This article was also not written on behalf of the non-profit CropLife Foundation for which I work part time <a class="color-link" href="https://www.popagriculture.com/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; position: relative; white-space: normal;" target="_blank">recording a podcast</a>.)</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: tabular-numbers, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-86434158716972173042019-06-03T08:06:00.000-07:002019-06-03T08:06:36.175-07:00...And We've Got To Get Ourselves Back To The Garden<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="File:Woodstock-kids.jpg" height="240" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Woodstock-kids.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids at the original Woodstock event (Photo by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Woodstock-kids.jpg" target="_blank">Ric Manning, Wikimedia Commons</a>)</td></tr>
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(This post originally appeared on the podcast site, <a href="https://www.popagriculture.com/blog/2019/5/22/back-to-the-garden" target="_blank">POPagriculture, 5/23/19</a>)</div>
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Did you know that 2019 marks the 50<sup>th</sup> anniversary
of Woodstock? There may be a 50<sup>th</sup> anniversary celebration<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a> this August in Watkins Glenn, NY, but it seems to have run
into some <a href="https://www.syracuse.com/entertainment/2019/05/will-2019-woodstock-festival-go-on-court-battle-set-for-monday.html" target="_blank">organizational issues</a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The original Woodstock music festival was a defining moment
for those of us in the “Baby Boomer” generation. It highlighted the emerging
“counter-culture” thinking of the time about “sex, drugs, and rock and roll.”
There were also anti-war and environmental themes. I was only in junior high at
the time, so I just heard about Woodstock on the news and I remember seeing the
rather shocking pictures featured in Time Magazine. We all got to hear some of
the featured music on the radio from festival headliners including Jimi
Hendrix, Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, and Joe Cocker. Crosby Stills and
Nash performed the emblematic song titled “Woodstock,” and that major hit was
then featured on their 1970 LP “Déjà vu.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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The song, “Woodstock”, was actually written by the Canadian
artist, <a href="http://jonimitchell.com/music/song.cfm?id=75" target="_blank">Joni Mitchell.</a>
Joni has always been one of my favorites because she combines creative music
with profound poetry. Her lyrics certainly spoke to our generation’s concerns and
to our search for identity. If you haven’t heard the song in a while or if you’ve
never heard it you should really give it a listen. You can hear both <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv=3aOGnVKWbwc" target="_blank">Joni’s version</a> and the
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrWNTqbLFFE" target="_blank">Crosby Stills and Nash version</a> on YouTube.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The song spoke of meeting a “child of God” who was “walkin’
along the road” “goin’ down to Yasgur’s farm” to “join in a rock ‘n’ roll
band”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and to “camp out on the
land” to get his “soul free.” It talked about going there “to lose the smog.”
And about “feeling like a cog in something turning.” The war allusion was, “I
dreamed I saw the bombers, riding shotgun in the sky, turning into butterflies
above our nation.” Joni even made what sounds like a climate change reference
with the line, “we are stardust, billion-year-old carbon.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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So, you may be wondering, “how is Steve going to connect <u>this</u>
bit of pop culture with agriculture?” That comes from the chorus of the
Woodstock song that ended with the line: “… and we’ve got to get ourselves back
to the garden.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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That desire to get “back to nature” was maybe one of the
better instincts from that era and still resonates today. There are many ways
to pursue the goal of getting in touch with nature, but I think that Joni was
“right on” with the whole garden thing. We may not have gotten to rock out with
the hippies at “Yasgur’s Farm,” but there are lots of benefits if we do “get
ourselves back to the garden,” and that’s what I’ll explore on today’s podcast!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now gardening is a pursuit that goes back a long time before
Woodstock. After all, that was supposed to be Adam and Eve’s job in the “Garden
of Eden” in the ancient Genesis narrative! For millennia, people grew a lot of
their own food, and not just those who were full time farmers. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="My grandpa retired in 1962 and became an even more serious gardener." height="320" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1558557894558-51HJTI8O3TAHTJGFKTSF/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kK5N7qXA4AbXmZI41NqhMVp7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z4YTzHvnKhyp6Da-NYroOW3ZGjoBKy3azqku80C789l0ktJPZ5nzlpAQ9l-HYKRq6UNGLqs6xwON-172tm4V59wkcaQZSZ3TZ5eWQbViwX8uA/grandpa+savage.jpg?format=750w" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="211" /></td></tr>
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My grandpa retired in 1962 and became an even more serious
gardener.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I had a happy introduction to the joys of gardening,
courtesy of my beloved grandfather. He was a WWI vet who took seriously the
WWII era challenge to grow a “Victory Garden” to support the war effort. From
early childhood, I got to help Grandpa with his garden, and I’m sure those
memories are part of why I have always gardened in the various places I and my
family have lived over the years. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Its not like many people in the “rich world” today need to
garden to eat. We have the privilege of a remarkable, diverse, tasty and affordable
food supply. I’ve observed the
steady improvement of the store-available food since the days of Woodstock,
particularly when it comes to the fresh produce options, whole grains and other
healthy choices. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But there are still a lot of great reasons to garden. Today it
is popular to talk about “urban farming.” I’d argue that is essentially still
“gardening.” I’d rather reserve the title of “farmer” for someone for whom growing
things represents a significant part of their income, but whether it’s called
urban farming or gardening, it’s a good thing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">A good day's harvest from my garden a couple of years ago</span><br />
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Even when I had 25 grapevines in the back yard I still considered it gardening<o:p></o:p></div>
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I believe there are lots of good reasons to grow things,
whether that involves a sizable part of a suburban yard or just some pots on
the apartment or condo balcony. So, here is a “click bait” kind of title for
today’s segment: “Seven Great Reasons to Get Ourselves Back to the Garden.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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1. Gardening can be a nice break from our indoor lives.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m sure that a lot of my listeners
are like me in that our day-to-day work involves a lot of time sitting at a
desk and looking at a screen. It’s great to have a change of pace, get outside
to enjoy the sun, get our hands dirty, and maybe do a little physical work. I’m
lucky enough to work from home so I can use time in the garden as a sanity
break.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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2. There is satisfaction in “doing it yourself.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s fun to be able to say, “I grew
this!” Your garden production doesn’t have to make a significant contribution
to your food supply to get that pleasure. For instance, we may never grow our
own wheat for bread or many other staple foods, but that does not diminish the
fun for what we can produce.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">A good days harvest from my garden a couple of years ago</td></tr>
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3. Gardening is an excellent opportunity to teach kids about
where food comes from.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As our society becomes ever more
urbanized, we have generations of kids who have no experience other than seeing
food bought from stores or restaurants. That’s not a good thing for many
reasons, but it is really fun to see the wonder that a child can experience
when they can actually watch something grow and then enjoy eating it. Again,
this upside does not require homegrown produce to be any significant part of
their diet, just that they see how food is grown and/or maybe get their hands a
little dirty helping you in the garden. My kids enjoyed helping and now I
sometimes get to provide that perspective with my grand kids who are growing up
in very urban London. For the text version of this segment, there is one of my
all-time favorite pictures that shows the expression on the face of my then 4-year-old
granddaughter when she picked her first apple. <o:p></o:p></div>
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c</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">My grand daughter picking an apple in my yard<br />
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My little backyard tree was no
great specimen, which I can partially excuse by the fact that apples are not
well-adapted to Southern California. Still, it was worth growing it if only to
give her that one particular childhood experience. <o:p></o:p></div>
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4. Gardening allows us to have something special to share
with others.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">One experience that gardening teaches us is that when growing things,
you sometimes end up with way more than you can handle or consume. You might be
able to deal with that by canning, drying or freezing. I remember that Grandpa
always seemed to have lots to share with us and he was such a serious gardener
that he provided a lot for his neighbors. If you’ve ever grown zucchini squash,
you may have had those times when the crop grows way faster than you even want
or need to work into your meals. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="My grandpa out in his garden." height="299" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1558558091615-5S6NN0C6T0IOSVIHPZZU/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kDHPSfPanjkWqhH6pl6g5ph7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z4YTzHvnKhyp6Da-NYroOW3ZGjoBKy3azqku80C789l0mwONMR1ELp49Lyc52iWr5dNb1QJw9casjKdtTg1_-y4jz4ptJBmI9gQmbjSQnNGng/grandpa+savage+2.jpg?format=750w" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Grandpa out in his garden<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.28px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Grandpa used to joke that during peak zucchini season he would put a bag of the squash at a neighbor’s door, ring the doorbell and slip away so they couldn’t turn it down! I never had to do that, but I definitely had times when I wasn’t keeping up on the squash harvest and some became three foot long “pool toys” for my kids. We used to have a fig tree in the yard and when those became ripe, we had far more than we could eat. We had friends and family members, however, who love figs and who were thrilled to get that treat. </span></div>
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<img alt="Some of our figs." height="299" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1558558133387-2H4U4L56V5FIFLCGDJAC/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kFr-MCz83LG2ZqzGFu9uALUUqsxRUqqbr1mOJYKfIPR7LoDQ9mXPOjoJoqy81S2I8N_N4V1vUb5AoIIIbLZhVYxCRW4BPu10St3TBAUQYVKcf42APUzg73I6BbvkUSZBpJhcOgRzHbaVuNgQSOKA8C5AwPhW16geOHSxinwWbjVI/figs.jpg?format=750w" width="400" /></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">5. A garden can be a way to get certain treats that aren’t generally available to buy. </span><br />
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Now as I said earlier, food choices that are available in modern, U.S. grocery stores are remarkable. There is a whole POPagriculture podcast about that topic titled, “<a href="https://www.popagriculture.com/blog/2018/6/7/an-apple-a-day" style="color: black; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">An Apple a Day</a>.” But even so, there are many really interesting and tasty crops that are either too delicate to make it to a store or not known well enough to represent a market. A garden can provide some real treats of that nature.</div>
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<img alt="Beet greens from the garden." height="298" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1558558159209-LJR5X38MNE3YIQMQ6PW7/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kPld63_RYnHMcuz04gzfy_97gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z4YTzHvnKhyp6Da-NYroOW3ZGjoBKy3azqku80C789l0qCSqOyuz_it4gynG9SI8gedUKb34hJpmvohlo5PcuVpERgirpQ9UdCYzdE1BqHy8g/beet+greens.jpg?format=750w" width="400" /></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.28px;">For instance, I like to grow beets specifically for the leafy tops. That particular option isn’t all that available in great condition in the store. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.28px;">Recently I found a local nursery that specializes in tropical plants and I bought a lychee tree and a dragon fruit tree. I’m spoiled enough to live in a frost-free location where those specimens might just survive in my care and provide some options, that at least for now, rarely show up in stores. I also like to grow some lettuce plants and then harvest it by the leaf, just enough for the salad that night so that it is super fresh. </span></div>
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<img alt="Freshly picked lettuce leaves." src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1558558229436-03KLRBVJC8UV09V7FKXB/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kMWzm52j9OXjLmyrEI0z0UxZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZUJFbgE-7XRK3dMEBRBhUpwyQ9HJBF9uu2vjnNfNOLtd7272sukX_owDS6_MDsbHSAaHmxSwY4aFn8mpQ_zQ1nw/lettuce.jpg?format=500w" /></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.28px;">Now, “bagged salad” is definitely a nice option in stores today, but it’s just fun to supplement my salad until it gets too warm here and my lettuce goes to seed and becomes very bitter. Wherever you live, you might check with the local “Master Gardener” groups to see what backyard specialties you might be able to grow.</span></div>
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<tr><td><img alt="I like to grow tomatillos to make green sauce." height="298" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1558558256647-XBPN6MHH4FG1VDCCI5J6/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kPld63_RYnHMcuz04gzfy_97gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z4YTzHvnKhyp6Da-NYroOW3ZGjoBKy3azqku80C789l0qCSqOyuz_it4gynG9SI8gedUKb34hJpmvohlo5PcuVpERgirpQ9UdCYzdE1BqHy8g/tomatillos.jpg?format=750w" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Tomatillos for making your own green sauce</td></tr>
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6. A garden can give you options to do something “green” with unavoidable food waste.</div>
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If you consume a lot of fresh produce, there are the parts that have to be trimmed off, husked, or peeled. If your local waste treatment plant does anaerobic digestion, the “greenest” thing you can do is send it down the disposal. What you really don’t want to do is send something like this plant waste into the landfill. As a gardener, you can have a “worm box” or maybe a small compost pile to recycle these materials. If nothing else, you can just bury it in the garden to let it decay and return to the soil. For instance, I like to fertilize things in my garden with my coffee grounds.</div>
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<tr><td><img alt="You can get the top of a store-bought pineapple to root and grow another pineapple in your own yard." height="400" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1558558194035-DPQQHNJXCIASQWJ9I8PJ/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kEpVg-ILAPna1wRh-xAJ9fRZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZUJFbgE-7XRK3dMEBRBhUpwEv36x-EUL2-BSQ5feDhwGCbXuJBFqZ-erYzVouT8yOb9TwqchglLQOCYTRn7ZGxI/pineapple.jpg?format=750w" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Did you know that you can grow a new pineapple by planting the top you cut off of one from the store?</td></tr>
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7. Gardening can help us to better appreciate what farmers do for the rest of us.</div>
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I’ve left what I consider to be the best reason to garden until last. In the modern, developed world, only a tiny subset of our population is directly involved in food production. While that is great because it allows most of us to pursue other fulfilling vocations, it separates us as consumers from the realities faced by those who do produce food. Even worse, we can drift into a sort of “armchair quarterback” stance in our thinking about how we think farmers <span style="overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: underline;">should</span> do their job. It doesn’t help that farmers are often the subject of seriously unfair and misleading narratives in the press, in the agendas of some activist groups, or on social media. As a non-farmer who got to spend my career with some connection to farmers, I got into blogging because I was so troubled by the misinformation out there about who farmers are, what they do and what they care about. I would encourage people to participate in some farm tours or agro-tourism to get themselves a somewhat more balanced view. If you can’t go to a farm yourself, gardening is a remedy for this sort of possible blind spot and can give you a bit more perspective on the many challenges and benefits to growing food.</div>
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Lots of things can go wrong in the life of a food crop and if you garden you are likely to experience at least some of those challenges – just without the potentially catastrophic economic effects faced by farmers. There can be damaging weather events like hail, frost, heat waves or drought and those will show a gardener just how delicate a plant might be vs the ravages of nature. </div>
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The other harsh reality of nature that a gardener is likely to experience has to do with pests. You might have the only local specimen of some kind of plant in your garden or on your balcony, but it is amazing how specific insects and diseases can find your crop and mess it up. </div>
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<tr><td><img alt="My grand daughter's reaction to seeing pest damage on one of my apples! She thinks that âpests are yucky!â" height="400" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1558558313773-WMLGSYTHK6E6WQ4Y639I/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kBUDAxm-FLUF-OJf9moK1kV7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1UT_TXfTUFcrrnRvtinoH4JYxq5g0UB9t65pVePltZrd1IKYY7Qu0iTZQJ-GJ4dsqLQ/sad+granddaughter.jpg?format=750w" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">My grand daughter's reaction to finding a pest on the apple!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.28px;">If you go to your local garden supply store, you can get some products to help you safely manage these pests. There are certainly not as many advanced options as are available to farmers or others with the appropriate certifications based on extensive training, but there are options that will work for you. You might want to check to see if there is any local guidance available to you through a Master Gardeners group or your state Cooperative Extension agents. </span></div>
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<img alt="Hornworms always seem to find your tomato plants." height="298" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1558558356631-QZ0ZW62TV1Z0VOL81CS8/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kPld63_RYnHMcuz04gzfy_97gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z4YTzHvnKhyp6Da-NYroOW3ZGjoBKy3azqku80C789l0qCSqOyuz_it4gynG9SI8gedUKb34hJpmvohlo5PcuVpERgirpQ9UdCYzdE1BqHy8g/hornworms.jpg?format=750w" width="400" /></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.28px;">One thing I really wish I could buy for my garden would be “GMO” sweet corn. There is usually nice sweet corn available in stores, but it would be fun to grow and it is a crop that can be grown just about anywhere at least some time during the year. Also, my grandpa used to grow sweet corn back in the days when you really had to cook it almost immediately after picking to keep it from going starchy. Breeding advances have turned that into a store-ready crop, but I’d like to grow it for nostalgic purposes, thinking back to the days when Grandpa would say, “Get the water boiling and then I’ll pick some corn.”</span></div>
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<tr><td><img alt="A nasty surprise when husking sweet corn." height="332" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1558558390419-I0SF6WNCTU2XSKJ9PVFM/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kNeSgRPswurclUnqJm5ZELFZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZUJFbgE-7XRK3dMEBRBhUpwlpfbpF0r1sbiGgDFGLEBaNkIPi2Pjwvt3Rjs7NONK7-afqfzp5u5zUKYNVFCDIDc/icky+corn.jpg?format=500w" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">A nasty surprise you can find when you husk your sweet corn!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.28px;">There are some nasty “worms” that eat their way into the ears of corn from the tassel end, and its really gross to start husking the corn where instead of finding nice kernels, there is a wriggling caterpillar in its frass (read “bug poop”). Farmers, including organic farmers, have been spraying a biocontrol bacterium called Bt since well before Woodstock, but for that to work you have to re-apply it every few days. Sweet corn hybrids exist that have been engineered to make their own Bt protein, so they might never need to be sprayed. That elegant and environmentally friendly option has been almost completely denied to farmers and certainly to gardeners because of anti-GMO phobia and the related brand protectionism in food retail. I really wish that wasn’t the case – more for the farmers than for me and other gardeners.</span></div>
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<tr><td><img alt="My Frank-N-Food plush asking "Why?" I let this happen to my corn." height="400" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b0bf627f2e6b1aad42be49d/1558558444813-Y68C1GIURZWQ2KMDV290/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kLBnCuLS4rYL7yVlMx_8oR57gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1UeSDz6IyKK09zZ-7q_gpQHSSpVyuY93tgEx5P2GE3RQd71VtgaaASevlyRsadXtEgw/plush%2Bcorn.jpg?format=750w" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">My Frank-N-Food plush asking why I let this happen to my corn?</td></tr>
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Sometimes, however, I do see some great pest management options available to consumer gardeners. For instance, I’ve purchased tomato plants at the local nursery, which were grafted on to pest resistant “rootstocks.” Often the “heirloom” tomato varieties that we gardeners like to grow are really wimpy when it comes to dealing with soil-borne diseases and nematodes, but if they are on a robust, resistant rootstock they will do much better.</div>
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Now, a gardener is likely to accept a much higher level of “cosmetic” pest damage on their own produce than they would in the store, but seeing what pests can do to plants is a good education and hopefully something that generates some perspective about what farmers have to deal with as they manage pest challenges on a much larger scale. A gardener might sometimes get by without any real pest issue, particularly on a quickly growing crop. The same is true when farmers get lucky in a given season. Still, a gardener is likely to get a dose of reality about the fact that nature includes many organisms that like to compete with us for the crops and food that we need someone to produce.</div>
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So, whether you want to go to the 50th anniversary version of Woodstock this summer or not, there are still lots of good reasons to want to “get ourselves back to the garden.”</div>
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Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-40017376411508626092019-05-01T09:08:00.000-07:002019-05-01T16:25:57.337-07:00Florida Citrus Industry Is Facing An Existential Threat From Bacteria, But A Virus Offers Hope<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHOKhEEfDUJEo2S2n8ihMW9XW96fK6nMZd-Lm7qGCzFIhfifq8ZvvK85e9DZFwSLoQlqZ1fYmn8S6-q1OC9CaaJEIAIS7CHgHD224DD3FQL3fzErmHp3p1gfnFXcgHrwVN6J29sGOot9LY/s1600/orange-juice-2816863_960_720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="960" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHOKhEEfDUJEo2S2n8ihMW9XW96fK6nMZd-Lm7qGCzFIhfifq8ZvvK85e9DZFwSLoQlqZ1fYmn8S6-q1OC9CaaJEIAIS7CHgHD224DD3FQL3fzErmHp3p1gfnFXcgHrwVN6J29sGOot9LY/s320/orange-juice-2816863_960_720.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orange Juice (<a href="https://www.blogger.com/Image%20by%20%3Ca%20href=%22https://pixabay.com/users/AlbanyColley-6298107/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=2816863%22%3EDaniel%20Albany%3C/a%3E%20from%20%3Ca%20href=%22https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=2816863%22%3EPixabay%3C/a%3E" target="_blank">Image by AlbanyColley, Pixabay</a>)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(This article was originally posted on <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2019/04/30/can-the-florida-citrus-industry-be-saved/#3e3a88122ecf" target="_blank">Forbes on 4/30/19)</a> When I was growing up in the early 1970s there was a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ffEJJhB8qI" target="_blank">ubiquitous television ad</a> promoting Florida orange juice including the line, "a day without orange juice is like a day without sunshine." That "dark day" could be approaching soon, at least in terms of the juices we get from the "Sunshine State" and the livelihood of the farmers who grow the trees that have long supplied us.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The iconic orange juice industry in Florida is facing an existential threat because of a severe bacterial disease of citrus that was introduced to the US from Asia in 2005 (the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaphorina_citri" target="_blank">Asian Citrus Psyllid </a>insect that helps to spread it was first found in Floria in 1998). A Florida homeowner may have inadvertently introduced the bacterium to the US in citrus budwood he brought home from Asia to graft onto his backyard trees. The malady is often called "Citrus Greening," but in Asia it is known as <a href="http://huanglongbing/" target="_blank">Hualongbong</a> and so we now tend to call it HLB. HLB has since spread to virtually all the back yard and commercial citrus trees in Florida, killing many of the trees and forcing the growers to struggle to keep the remaining ones alive with intensive nutrient feeding and other stop-gap measures. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6jv193yVa_pk5QGSnujm5-Jak3n3z0_8HgWipTLgDeZO5isY10BE6Vv80beVSWinOnf0G-rwVDXyiD17xuVvkuQc8-4_zErziCape8vYgN2Zz_cGsxCSgWx36tTMVhiJPw9RHpErvwLve/s1600/CitrusGreening1+USDA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="381" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6jv193yVa_pk5QGSnujm5-Jak3n3z0_8HgWipTLgDeZO5isY10BE6Vv80beVSWinOnf0G-rwVDXyiD17xuVvkuQc8-4_zErziCape8vYgN2Zz_cGsxCSgWx36tTMVhiJPw9RHpErvwLve/s320/CitrusGreening1+USDA.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oranges showing symptoms of "Greening" or HLB (USDA image)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">In 2013 journalist Amy Harmon wrote an excellent article for the New York Times about the history of this crisis titled: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/28/science/a-race-to-save-the-orange-by-altering-its-dna.html" target="_blank">"The Race To Save The Orange By Altering Its DNA."</a> She described in detail how this long-anticipated threat finally materialized and how the Florida growers funded university research to explore possible solutions including genetic engineering. A biotech solution was identified using some defensive peptides that are naturally made by spinach plants, but as Harmon explained, that sort of "GMO" solution was a hard sell to the big, brand-sensitive juice companies who buy the oranges. I have been personally disappointed to watch the way that the juice companies have acquiesced to the pressure to use a "non-GMO" label. That <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2016/06/11/the-non-gmo-food-label-is-a-lie/#e7a8fc34b70d" target="_blank">unfortunate marketing ploy</a> now appears on all the brands including the one company that relies exclusively on Florida fruit as opposed to a mix with imports. This is a classic case of how "<a href="https://appliedmythology.blogspot.com/2015/06/who-controls-food-supply.html" target="_blank">control of the food supply</a>" is really the in the hands of anti-technology activist groups, not the big companies most often so accused.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRGglRzBUUqHC5S3ePKsh7K-Ba1RpbwsdDdMC00pwl02yXB-V0vWT1Vbk83uSPAxMM17g5s0wNPoxJi5gtaBWhK8l5mZcJYBd0Sh9zSIDXwORVyNG9OYetyxK2GniF4znw1XHZMtuPY4js/s1600/Non-GMO+Juice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRGglRzBUUqHC5S3ePKsh7K-Ba1RpbwsdDdMC00pwl02yXB-V0vWT1Vbk83uSPAxMM17g5s0wNPoxJi5gtaBWhK8l5mZcJYBd0Sh9zSIDXwORVyNG9OYetyxK2GniF4znw1XHZMtuPY4js/s320/Non-GMO+Juice.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my current bottle of FL grapefruit juice, but I have to "hold my nose" when buying in because of the misleading "non-GMO" label (Ruby Red grapefruit was generated using mutagenesis breeding, no a problem but definitely "genetically modified")</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">But realistically, deploying a biotech trait like this in a perennial crop would be quite slow because the growers would have to start over with new trees or possibly graft onto the existing rootstocks and regrow the entire above ground part of the plant. In the mean time, the industry has been steadily declining and the fear is that it will reach a point where it just isn't worth maintaining the juice plants. Orange juice can certainly be imported, but for a time the Florida industry was able to distinguish itself by its better tasting <a href="https://appliedmythology.blogspot.com/2011/08/in-defense-of-orange-juice.html" target="_blank">"not-from-concentrate" advantage</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This same destructive disease now threatens the citrus industries in other states. The disease and its insect vector are <a href="http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74155.html" target="_blank">already present in California,</a> but for now it has been contained to mostly urban/suburban areas in the southern part of the state. If it spread to something like the tangerine/mandarin groves of the Central Valley and other parts of the <a href="http://citrusresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Economic-Contribution-of-California-Citrus-Industry21.pdf" target="_blank">$3.4 Billion California citrus industry</a>, that would be a disaster (think Cuties(r), Halos(r), lemons, navel oranges, grapefruit etc.)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmYjCqTvkh4uXPAGPo5KGwaDOgZcusV6c8q0s49CWavujGwFPRdMTMtG7njhTt2nEDNgLP5gUVTb_mEm_BCaJzeW6HLkHzGLfX9gbDH7IzjLvgeotHvvy7I9uf09D7WwO7xp7O7xGmt_u/s1600/Cuties+my+picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmYjCqTvkh4uXPAGPo5KGwaDOgZcusV6c8q0s49CWavujGwFPRdMTMtG7njhTt2nEDNgLP5gUVTb_mEm_BCaJzeW6HLkHzGLfX9gbDH7IzjLvgeotHvvy7I9uf09D7WwO7xp7O7xGmt_u/s320/Cuties+my+picture.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From my current bag of mandarins (again sadly with the misleading non-GMO label)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">But I'm happy to say that today I'm writing about a newer technological approach to deal with this disease. An extended public comment period ran through Tuesday May 30th in which the USDA asked for feedback on the question of whether or not to approve the commercial deployment of a different way to protect orange trees from the HLB disease. It is something which could possibly be implemented much more quickly than by genetically engineering the trees themselves. This is something that could be presented in a way that would make it sound scary, but its really not. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">There is a virus that infects orange trees called <a href="https://crec.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/plant_pathology/ctv.shtml" target="_blank">Tristezea</a>. It also came from outside the US and began causing problems in all the citrus growing regions of the US in the 1960s. At first it was also a lethal disease, but eventually it was found that by avoiding certain rootstock types, the virus could infect the trees with no symptoms at all. (Virtually all fruit crops have been <a href="https://appliedmythology.blogspot.com/2013/08/when-genetic-solution-saved-french-wine.html" target="_blank">grown on rootstocks for a centuries</a>). In Florida today all but the youngest trees are infected with Tristeza, but with strains that are benign for trees when they are on the rootstocks now used. The new biotech solution is to add genetic sequences for the spinach antimicrobial peptides to the RNA of the virus, and then get that virus to infect orange trees. This could be done with new trees when they are in nurseries, but it may be possible to also "graft transmit" the virus into at least they younger trees already out in the commercial groves. In this case that new small branch does not need to take over, it just allow the virus+peptides to move into the other parts of the existing trees. In any case, modifying the virus is far more efficient than having to separately engineer and propagate each of the popular citrus varieties in the industry.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">A small scale trial that was run for several years confirms that this sort of virus inoculation can make the trees resistant to the HLB pest and to allow full productivity. As part of that experiment, trees with no virus were planted all around these test blocks and then followed to see if the engineered virus ever moved into them (the virus can be transmitted by aphids under certain circumstances). In fact the virus didn't move, though even if it did it wouldn't be a big issue. Also, over time the modified virus loses the genes for the spinach peptides which is then another barrier to any sort of unwanted spread. Also it is clear that the Tristezea virus does not have any bad effects on other crops or wild plants since the virus has been very widespread for decades without causing problems in other species.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">I've included the comments that I submitted to the USDA below concluding with my hope that the experience in Florida will pave the way for using a similar approach in California if we ever have to save that industry as well. I sincerely hope that the USDA does approve this new method and I sincerely hope that those who control the juice plants will both help the growers that supply them and trust consumers to be smart enough to listen to the logic about this technology.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This is the Website about the USDA comment process:</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This is the link for comments followed by what I submitted:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica";">The </span><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica";">Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica";"> (APHIS) Notice: <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=APHIS-2017-0018-0155" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #0058ad; text-decoration: none;">Environmental Impact Statements; Availability, etc.: Preliminary PestRisk Assessment for Permit for Release of Genetically Engineered CitrusTristeza Virus</span></b></a></span><span style="font-family: "times";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica";">I am writing in
support of this release permit as I believe that it is a very logical strategy
with the potential to literally save the citrus industry in Florida. If it
proves successful it could play a similar role in the unfortunately likely
scenario that HLB becomes a more serious threat to citrus production in other
regions such as California. I am a plant pathologist with a Ph.D. from the
University of California, Davis. My own work there was with fungal diseases,
but I spent a lot of time in the lab of Dr. Robert Shepherd, a National Academy
virologist. Starting at that time in the late 1970s I had many close colleagues
who were working on the early stages of plant genetic engineering and I have
continued to follow that field ever since. The progress of the field has been
remarkable. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica";"><br />
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica";"><br /></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica";">In preparation for this comment I read all the available
documents from the USDA site and corresponded with some of the university
researchers who have done the relevant work on issues like the potential for
recombination and transmission of the modified Tristeza virus.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica";"><br /></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica";">This approach of using an asymptomatic strain of the virus is
particularly logical for this perennial crop. To engineer the orange scion
itself would require the generation of separate "events" in each of
the important cultivars and then a delay to graft those onto existing trees and
bringing that new "top" into bearing. Using the virus makes it far
more feasible to utilize more than one combination of antimicrobial peptides
which will help to prevent the development of resistance in the HLB bacterial
pathogen population. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica";"><br /></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica";">There are several convincing reasons that this strategy is
likely to be safe with regard to any potential for spread to non-target citrus
or to other plant species. There is very low rate of aphid transmission even
under ideal lab conditions. The track record of zero transmission to sentinel
plants in the previous limited release further demonstrates that the modified
virus is extremely unlikely to move beyond the intended trees. The fact that
recombination will likely lead to loss of the peptide part of the viral genome
is another safety factor and will again allow for the deployment of different
peptides in a follow-up grafting step if that is needed down the line. The fact
that the Tristeza strains to be used are already ubiquitous in Florida citrus
represents a multi-decade "experiment" showing that this virus
represents no threat to other species or to citrus that is grown on the rootstocks
for which infections by these strains are asymptomatic. With the tremendous
advances in the speed, sensitivity and affordability of genetic assays, it will
be possible to rigorously monitor the efficacy and safety of the strategy. As
for the anti-microbial peptides from spinach - long experience supports their
safety from a food point of view.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica";"><br /></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica";">I believe that this release can be the culmination of an
exemplary example of an effort funded by the grower community and partnering
with the public, academic community to employ state-of-the-art science.</span></span><br />
<br />
<!--EndFragment--><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span>Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-78511461232244848922019-03-23T07:50:00.001-07:002019-03-23T09:10:52.262-07:00Do You Really Need to Worry About Pesticides on Your Kale?<!--[if !mso]>
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<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvK3c9VB8gRfKSIzV3pGabxuIzg56Pq3OE6tXSiR85Kdvh377JF6zJSjbEADEInY_uhbP2J4a1EKYVDpo2XnTfRRTQUwkywN9KFHPkrToPu1uMvnFuwuKfn_1wwtOkcYRJRng10uqjIO0/s1600/1024px-Kale-Bundle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="649" data-original-width="1024" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvK3c9VB8gRfKSIzV3pGabxuIzg56Pq3OE6tXSiR85Kdvh377JF6zJSjbEADEInY_uhbP2J4a1EKYVDpo2XnTfRRTQUwkywN9KFHPkrToPu1uMvnFuwuKfn_1wwtOkcYRJRng10uqjIO0/s320/1024px-Kale-Bundle.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bundle of Kale (Wikimedia commons)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last week the Environmental Working Group (EWG) published
its annual “Dirty Dozen List” and highlighted Kale near the top of it’s list of
foods with “pesticide residue contamination.” They want you to buy your Kale as
Organic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>EWG claims to base that
recommendation on data from the <a href="https://www.ams.usda.gov/datasets/pdp">USDA’s
Pesticide Data Program (PDP),</a> but a closer look at the actual data suggests
a far different conclusion – that the Kale in our food supply is quite safe and
that there is not the big difference between organic and conventional that they
imply. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since EWG gets much of its <a href="https://www.ewg.org/about-us/funding">funding from large organic
marketers</a>, it is not surprising that their recommendation is to buy
organic, but the 2017 PDP testing included 67 samples that were labeled as USDA
organic (13% of the total for Kale).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Many of those organic samples had detectable residues representing 31
different chemicals, only one of which is approved for use on organic crops
(Spinosad).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQ15yGUiGubGmjWT9RE7HPkyr42joMZKwwAX-yQ1wDmDeRtHK0TDN-vICrV7qIA3gMnwavoXku9CgTZvPlCENOpNT2KK_NpkwCFaNuBDPPEdYO9W-drECrSjHwIi7Q5B-7J28Yct46tgB/s1600/Organic+Kale+Residues+2017.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="704" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQ15yGUiGubGmjWT9RE7HPkyr42joMZKwwAX-yQ1wDmDeRtHK0TDN-vICrV7qIA3gMnwavoXku9CgTZvPlCENOpNT2KK_NpkwCFaNuBDPPEdYO9W-drECrSjHwIi7Q5B-7J28Yct46tgB/s320/Organic+Kale+Residues+2017.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /><!--[endif]--></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now the levels at which chemicals were detected on the
organic were very low and of no health concern based on the very conservative <a href="https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-tolerances/about-pesticide-tolerances">“tolerances”
set by the EPA</a> through its extensive risk assessment process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the same can be said for the 455
conventional Kale samples tested the same year of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The residues we are talking about here are hundreds to
thousands of times below the relevant tolerance (see graph below).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vvD4kXtdxeFQdPmVO9NbtC9pBKNg43GDXXLCI2lZlAe4yNgGurP8zzjr9MHkt8NDEW2Gy74mAsLzs5MUe-cNKZu3UOL0zbEz9R0kU0QshB2IJ_ukIlM4psQIn6irQukLYTMihvUjLtLF/s1600/Kale+Rel+Tol+2017.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="969" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vvD4kXtdxeFQdPmVO9NbtC9pBKNg43GDXXLCI2lZlAe4yNgGurP8zzjr9MHkt8NDEW2Gy74mAsLzs5MUe-cNKZu3UOL0zbEz9R0kU0QshB2IJ_ukIlM4psQIn6irQukLYTMihvUjLtLF/s320/Kale+Rel+Tol+2017.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /><!--[endif]--></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In theory there wouldn’t be any synthetic residues on
organic, but the USDA’s certification rule allows for “inadvertent” presence of
synthetics at 5% or less of the EPA tolerance. (There is a separate
USDA-Organic compliance testing program that looks for residues, and in that
case the 5% rule applies).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>98.9%
of the 2017 PDP detections for organic Kale samples would meet that standard,
but so do 98.1% of the residues on conventional samples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not so different, eh? In the graph
above, only the red part of each bar would be a technical violation of the
organic rules and none of the Kale detections for either conventional or organic exceeded the tolerance. Note that
neither category is actually “dirty” based on a rational, scientific
assessment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, there were about three times as many residues/sample
found on the conventional Kale, but the USDA does not even test for a great
many of the pesticides that are approved for and regularly used on organic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This would include “natural products”
such as mineral-based materials (e.g. sulfur or copper compounds), petroleum
oils, plant extracts, and biologicals).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Those sorts of products make up a substantial part of what gets applied
to Kale. Thus, pesticides which are not part of the PDP testing make up 65% of
the total pounds of crop protection agents applied to kale and 44% of the
treatment acres (see graph below from the most recent available year of
California use data).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Approval for
organic is entirely based on what is considered to be “natural” and the USDA is
quite clear that the classification is not about relative safety.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDulkgCgk_n_l3Rbypmt_rp9DWBL5-7blJINQ3_CbfcwYtbH_vU9RtlsbsQXcRrCsQ5M5KIkm0q3fSvX8jRwhhs6uwsXY36U2V2gLw-mMWr0hiXMKt_BHZA0oiBRJZyDnvp7m6LJdD2YYe/s1600/Kale+Use+2016.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="994" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDulkgCgk_n_l3Rbypmt_rp9DWBL5-7blJINQ3_CbfcwYtbH_vU9RtlsbsQXcRrCsQ5M5KIkm0q3fSvX8jRwhhs6uwsXY36U2V2gLw-mMWr0hiXMKt_BHZA0oiBRJZyDnvp7m6LJdD2YYe/s320/Kale+Use+2016.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /><!--[endif]--></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The acreage of Organic Kale has been increasing over the
last 15 years and with it the use of the organic-allowed pesticides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(See the example of sulfur use on Kale
as linked to organic acreage in the graph below).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXgWzfXhv0fInXOzikZkzj4LqlZUHPSclnbDVc0C2iDPFMbU_785XfNCkh-wGx3WQZBTwPnjCp2EUxIv-69zYp-6PDcb8DeS2eSYHhDRGWDrKlcaHizi4gsmrGrtj-_hXPdzGYIHHp4qd/s1600/Sulfur+organic+kale+trend.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="939" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXgWzfXhv0fInXOzikZkzj4LqlZUHPSclnbDVc0C2iDPFMbU_785XfNCkh-wGx3WQZBTwPnjCp2EUxIv-69zYp-6PDcb8DeS2eSYHhDRGWDrKlcaHizi4gsmrGrtj-_hXPdzGYIHHp4qd/s320/Sulfur+organic+kale+trend.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /><!--[endif]--></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If the USDA tested for residues the natural product
pesticides, the number of “detections” for organic samples would certainly
increase. But as with the synthetics, the results would most likely indicate
that this is a perfectly safe vegetable to consume whether or not it is
organic. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bottom line, the wisest
thing for consumers to do is to <a href="https://mailchi.mp/56a536208671/safe-fruits-and-veggies-press-release-dirty-dozen-list-1156235?e=9852cca88e">ignore
the fear-mongering of the EWG</a> and simply enjoy <a href="https://www.safefruitsandveggies.com/residue-research/cancer-risk-benefit-study">a
healthy diet</a> including lots of this and other fruits and vegetables.</div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-7951748207210337102018-05-20T12:08:00.002-07:002018-05-20T12:16:16.199-07:00A Revised Assessment of 2016 USDA Pesticide Residue Detection Data<!--[if !mso]>
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On March 25 and May 10th I posted articles about the USDA’s
annual Pesticide Data Program (PDP) that takes a look at chemical residues on
various commodities in the US food supply (mainly fruits and vegetables).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I described the program and its various
levels of published summaries as a valuable example of a transparent data
resource, which it certainly is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately I made an error in my analysis, using the wrong year’s
“sample table” (10,365 rows) to identify which of the residue detections in the
“results table” were from organic or conventional sources (31,981 rows drawn
from a 2.2 million row table).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This meant that I erroneously overstated the number of pesticide
detections on organic samples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
had reported an average of 2.6 detections/organic sample and the actual number
is 0.75 detections per sample vs 3.2 detections/sample for conventional. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Journalist Tamar Haspel brought this
issue to my attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was
skeptical about the similarity of detection frequencies I had described for
organic and made the effort to check the original data.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I very much appreciate her persistence
on this question. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to
apologize for that error and any wrong conclusions that came from that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do this analysis of the data each
year as a personal project unrelated to my consulting and ag communications
jobs, so the responsibility for this error rests entirely on me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am striving to remove the content that
was based on the error, let people know about the mistake, and with this post,
get the analysis right. (Revised Forbes posts <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2018/03/25/in-defense-of-an-important-example-of-food-system-transparency/#3cdaacb21424">here</a> and <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2018/04/10/the-inconvenient-truth-about-the-environmental-working-groups-dirty-dozen-list/#46443016562a">here</a>)</div>
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Fortunately there is no change in the most fundamental
conclusion that should be drawn from the USDA’s data: our food supply and
particularly the fruits and vegetable are very safe and so we can all enjoy
them and benefit from their health-promoting characteristics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is fully true for both organic and
conventional options.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What also
remains true is that analytical chemists are capable of finding tiny trace
levels of chemicals, but finding those does not mean something is dangerous.</div>
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So, what has changed based on getting the data right is that
the data shows a distinctly lower number of synthetic pesticide detections on
organic samples (~1/4 as many).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That fact has to be balanced with the reality that there are many
natural pesticides commonly used on organic farms, which are not detectable
with of the testing technologies used in this particular USDA program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the most part these materials have
very low mammalian toxicity, but that is also true for a great many of the
synthetic pesticides that are part of the testing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Conventional farmers also use these same pest control
options, but possibly not as extensively as would be needed in organic
production.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, if there was
testing for these particular pesticides, it would almost certainly do nothing
to change the paradigm of overall safety of the food supply.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqlSPKHUKF7DSPn6EwG_UNIjjakwsPdGt2CStY5vjjxcQjseHlN7pMc06mYNHtspKYobbF6ioH_SXSzFUY5nF_vX6JXn3VHYhk0RXxdMPjaegC-iGWosR6sTvEAdx6TJOSobNLca4iymr/s1600/2016+PDP+Distributions.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1081" data-original-width="1210" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqlSPKHUKF7DSPn6EwG_UNIjjakwsPdGt2CStY5vjjxcQjseHlN7pMc06mYNHtspKYobbF6ioH_SXSzFUY5nF_vX6JXn3VHYhk0RXxdMPjaegC-iGWosR6sTvEAdx6TJOSobNLca4iymr/s640/2016+PDP+Distributions.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Although there were more residues detected per sample for conventional vs organic (3.2 vs 0.75 detections/sample), there are similarities in the distribution of those residues in terms of level relative to conservative, EPA tolerances</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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One retained conclusion that is of interest is that 80% of
the residues detected on conventional crops are at levels low enough so that
they would not be considered as a violation of the organic rules because they
are 20 times lower than the EPA tolerance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the case of organic (for which this statistic is 84%) the
assumption is that the presence of such low level residues is “inadvertent.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For conventional it means that by
following the EPA label requirements, growers can even exceed the safety
factors for which those requirements were designed through a rigorous risk
assessment process by EPA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The data does show that even though there are fewer residues
detected on organic, 16% of those are of synthetic chemicals at levels that
exceed what is acceptable under the organic rules (the corresponding number for
conventional is 20%).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
certainly does not represent any kind of health risk, but it isn’t consistent
with the organic “brand” or with the convenient fiction that organic means “no
pesticides.”</div>
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<br /></div>
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Finally, the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen
List” remains a misleading and science-free publication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is corrosive for trust in the food
supply and if believed, has the potential to make consumers pay more than they
need to, or even worse, be less likely to consume the quantity of fruits and
vegetables that health experts would recommend.</div>
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Once again, I apologize for my earlier error with the data.</div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-69682408530865479182018-04-26T10:51:00.000-07:002018-04-26T10:53:09.504-07:00A Remarkable New Technology That Will Diminish A Global Cancer Threat<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVma2m-ny8fd7aizZNPb1kzygmUHQza25BPzFgOdoAtDUdKFXBN9tLwjqXHGPX5BpPriS4KE8Yk8nRJJ6lSBA82Zsz9lFlN633oto9CoaZ-zKPxC5L5TBWbKXmrUX8YG787vCINpV3p1Mc/s1600/P0A6043_Maize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVma2m-ny8fd7aizZNPb1kzygmUHQza25BPzFgOdoAtDUdKFXBN9tLwjqXHGPX5BpPriS4KE8Yk8nRJJ6lSBA82Zsz9lFlN633oto9CoaZ-zKPxC5L5TBWbKXmrUX8YG787vCINpV3p1Mc/s320/P0A6043_Maize.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maize/Corn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We in the rich societies of the world don’t hear a lot about <a data-mce-href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/aflatoxins" href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/aflatoxins">aflatoxin</a>. It is probably one of the single largest causes of cancer in the developing world – particularly in Africa. Around a half a billion people are at risk from this toxin in their diet. At high doses it can cause acute poisoning and death. It also causes <a data-mce-href="http://www.aflatoxinpartnership.org/uploads/PACA%20Stunting%20Policy%20Brief.pdf" href="http://www.aflatoxinpartnership.org/uploads/PACA%20Stunting%20Policy%20Brief.pdf">cognitive stunting in children</a> exposed to it. Aflatoxin is a natural chemical that is made by a fungus called <a data-mce-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspergillus_flavus" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspergillus_flavus"><em>Aspergillus</em></a> that can infect crops like corn, peanuts and tree nuts particularly when there is damage by insects and/or stress from drought. People like Americans are well protected from this threat by farmers who exercise control measures for the insects and disease, by an advanced food system that monitors for the issue in the harvested crops, uses proper storage conditions, and excludes it from what is sold to us. For instance the EU standard for maize is that it must have less than five parts per billion of aflatoxin. Unfortunately only 20% of the normal maize supply in Kenya meets that standard.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", "Bitstream Charter", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
For high value crops like almonds and peanuts, there are not only concerted efforts to prevent this sort of contamination, there are also mechanisms to literally check each individual nut for the presence of the fungus and reject those that are suspect. That kind of detailed scrutiny has never been feasible for a lower value crop like corn (or Maize). But recently, a Swiss, family-owned grain handling equipment <a data-mce-href="http://www.buhlergroup.com/northamerica/en/home.htm#.Wtqgi9PwZfQ" href="http://www.buhlergroup.com/northamerica/en/home.htm#.Wtqgi9PwZfQ">company called Bühler</a> has cooperated with Microsoft to develop a system which can process corn at a rate of 15 metric tons per hour and reject any of the kernels that are contaminated with the nasty chemical aflatoxin. That is both amazing and very cool.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorB5oP-pmXZwxdXtYw4Kot_VS74PVVX7M0EWcJ8ql2tHEASva-sRm0hjd-4p-miNeO2AKLVVFMLa_ptgeTmFyREBcmQNxX6sBFVOknqLI4tYLJplrp2h2nFGKoIkCtRY2IwqK4nHTcaEM/s1600/P0A5925_Maize_sorting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorB5oP-pmXZwxdXtYw4Kot_VS74PVVX7M0EWcJ8ql2tHEASva-sRm0hjd-4p-miNeO2AKLVVFMLa_ptgeTmFyREBcmQNxX6sBFVOknqLI4tYLJplrp2h2nFGKoIkCtRY2IwqK4nHTcaEM/s320/P0A5925_Maize_sorting.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sorting machine in high speed process</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="background-color: white;">This remarkable system relies on very high speed imaging technology using LED lights to look for the florescence that suggests the presence of the fungus. It is applied to every single corn kernel even at that high rate of grain flow. The system uses Microsoft technology to pass all relevant data to the </span><a data-mce-href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/overview/what-is-azure/?&WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=AID631184_SEM_NgUqfWjc&lnkd=Bing_Azure_Brand&msclkid=f97ab8aa774a17b8445be270d0cd8084" href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/overview/what-is-azure/?&WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=AID631184_SEM_NgUqfWjc&lnkd=Bing_Azure_Brand&msclkid=f97ab8aa774a17b8445be270d0cd8084" style="background-color: white;">Azure cloud</a><span style="background-color: white;">, where visualization of the data, tracking, and reporting are possible in real time. Bühler can also tap into Azure’s massive cloud infrastructure, available in 140 countries, to scale the solution globally. A puff of air is used to knock the suspect grain out of the main flow and can achieve a 90% or better degree of contamination reduction with something like a 5% level of grain rejection.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYKQ3vM5LHDyMLaqVNVlpXCiV0UMQjczFMDONRx2qOTEtGT5t7D47BHN5BWAoXLL_d09PexLaIFaq2AZixKzSnWzcnBiaqsViBiIj6hdY5HxQld45ugRkl6rWbFOwJQ8ZqByBsWkQbaneN/s1600/P0A4808_Ben_Deefholts_in_Buhler_applications_lab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYKQ3vM5LHDyMLaqVNVlpXCiV0UMQjczFMDONRx2qOTEtGT5t7D47BHN5BWAoXLL_d09PexLaIFaq2AZixKzSnWzcnBiaqsViBiIj6hdY5HxQld45ugRkl6rWbFOwJQ8ZqByBsWkQbaneN/s320/P0A4808_Ben_Deefholts_in_Buhler_applications_lab.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the Buhler applications lab</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This technology will have immediate applications in the feed grain industry in the developed world because instead of rejecting entire loads that have some contaminated grain, it will be possible to protect the animals that eat the grain while still using as much of the yield as possible – a food waste reduction success. Also, since aflatoxin can come through to milk, dairy product consumers will also get an even higher level of protection.</div>
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Moving this sort of technology into key areas like Africa will require some creative public/private partnership approaches particularly in areas where there are not really any sort of commercial grain handling systems at, say, a village level. The grain equipment company behind this, Bühler has been doing business in Africa for 100 years and runs a milling school in Nairobi, so they are positioned to find creative solutions to the implementation of this advance.</div>
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As revolutionary as this technology promises to be, it is a good thing that it isn’t the sole solution. One way to reduce the infection/contamination issue is to intentionally spread a strain of the culprit fungus that does not happen to make aflatoxin. It’s a biological control strategy that was first developed by USDA researchers and <a data-mce-href="http://www.syngenta-us.com/biocontrol-agents/afla-guard-gr" href="http://www.syngenta-us.com/biocontrol-agents/afla-guard-gr">commercialized in the U.S</a>., but which has since been <a data-mce-href="https://www.aatf-africa.org/files/Aflatoxin-brief.pdf" href="https://www.aatf-africa.org/files/Aflatoxin-brief.pdf">re-developed in Africa</a>. Insect resistant, <a data-mce-href="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2016/09/23/gmo-bt-corns-underrated-ability-to-reduce-mycotoxins-benefits-health-and-economy/" href="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2016/09/23/gmo-bt-corns-underrated-ability-to-reduce-mycotoxins-benefits-health-and-economy/">“GMO” maize</a> also significantly reduces the incidence of the problematic infections. There is also a <a data-mce-href="http://appliedmythology.blogspot.com/2017/03/contaminated-maize-in-africa-image-from.html" href="http://appliedmythology.blogspot.com/2017/03/contaminated-maize-in-africa-image-from.html">“gene silencing” strategy proven by an Arizona State researchers</a> that would prevent the fungus from making its toxin even if it was able to infect the plant.</div>
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There has also been a very creative, to design an enzyme that breaks down aflatoxin into harmless bits that was actually facilitated by an on-line, <a data-mce-href="https://phys.org/news/2017-10-crowdsourced-game-aims-solutions-aflatoxin.html" href="https://phys.org/news/2017-10-crowdsourced-game-aims-solutions-aflatoxin.html">crowdsourced game effort</a> led by a researcher at UC Davis with support from Mars, Inc. Such an enzyme might be able to turn the rejected, contaminated grain from this new sorting mechanism into more food/feed or feedstock for bio-based materials. The most robust and resilient anti-cancer strategy would be to combine all of these methods and finish off with the high speed sorting technology.</div>
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So there is new hope for the mental development status of African children and for a lower incidence of cancer there and elsewhere. I guess I just have to say that technology can achieve some really cool results and I hope that non-profits and governmental entities will join Bühler in extending this to the poorest and most vulnerable populations.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">You can comment here and/or write me at savage.sd@gmail.com </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-47700513191642050802018-04-03T08:30:00.000-07:002018-04-03T09:16:43.495-07:00A Food Waste Solution You Might Not Know You Are Already Using<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The Food Waste Solution That
You Might Not Know You Are Using<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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Some of the bagged bread options in a local grocery store<o:p></o:p></div>
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Do you buy bagged bread in the grocery store?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are usually several options
including bread made with whole grains or containing several different kinds of
grain. You have probably noticed that such breads stay nice and soft for quite
a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some people are even
suspicious about that imagining that the bread might be “loaded with
preservatives.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you buy the freshly “baked in the
store” options like baguettes, or get those at a bakery, they are really tasty,
but they rather quickly become stale. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They become candidates for making French Toast or maybe
croutons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That kind of short-lived
bread is <a href="https://www.eater.com/2017/9/1/16239964/bread-excess-waste-production-problem-solution">amajor source of food waste</a> and some have even found creative ways to
collect stale bread from bakeries and <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/fwx/drink/beer-made-unsold-bread-helping-combat-food-waste">turn
it into beer</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Fresh bread from in-store bakery<o:p></o:p></div>
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The bagged bread on the other hand can remain good and
usable for a week or more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you
don’t get through using the loaf for a long time it might get moldy, but in
general each loaf can keep a family fed with morning toast or lunch sandwiches
for quite a while. That didn’t used to be the case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back in the 1960s the bread aisle was restocked almost every
day and you could buy “Day Old Bread” at a discount - but it wasn’t very
good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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So what changed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s an interesting story that involves crystals and enzymes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We think of stale bread as being “dried
out,” but that isn’t the real issue. Staling occurs when the starch changes to
a crystalline form in the finished bread. The solution to the food waste
problem of stale bread is a type of enzyme called “amylase” that can modify the
bread’s starches during baking and keep that crystalline structure from forming
after the bread is baked. To unpack that, I’ll go into some background on
enzymes and on starch.<o:p></o:p></div>
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OK, flash back to high school biology class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you remember learning about
enzymes?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those are proteins and if
you do the 23andme analysis of your DNA, a good deal of it codes for the
enzymes that make your body function.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These very cool proteins “catalyze” chemical reactions, serving
functions like digesting our food, or turning it into the energy that keeps us
going. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are also enzymes in
our liver that protect of from certain toxins.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bread is made from mostly wheat grains that contain
starch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Starch is a really big
molecule that is a long and branched chain built from many units of the simple
sugar glucose linked together. The reason that a wheat plant makes starch is so
the germinating seed can use it as a source of energy to start growing a new
wheat plant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About 10,000 years
ago, we humans started growing wheat as a crop and it has been a major source
of our food since then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We get
both energy and protein from eating wheat. <o:p></o:p></div>
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When we eat bread, there is an enzyme in our saliva called
amylase that starts breaking the starch into simple sugars and the process
continues in our digestive system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is a similar enzyme in the wheat itself because that seed needs to
be able to tap into the energy stored in the kernel when it starts to grow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The yeast we add to make bread also has
various enzymes including amylase and there are even more enzymes from various
organisms in something like sourdough bread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bread “rises” because the wheat and yeast amylase enzymes
make some of the starch into simple sugars that the yeast then ferments to grow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the process the yeast makes carbon
dioxide gas that makes bubbles in the dough that make the bread rise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So in the enjoyment of bread there are
already three different kinds of amylase enzymes involved- from the wheat, from
the yeast and later from ourselves.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But after the bread is baked, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-stale-bread-potatoes-rice-starch-retrogradation-20150623-story.html">the
starch that is still mostly undigested can “re-crystalize”</a> into forms that
make the bread taste “stale” to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We think of it as “dry” <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>but that isn’t really the
issue. It’s a texture thing based on those starch crystals. What the baking
industry discovered in 1990 is that they could add a different kind of amylase
enzyme to the dough that would control the starch in baked bread and slow down the
formation of the crystalline structure that makes the bread taste/feel
stale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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So if you look at the ingredient list of the bread in the
store, it could list “enzymes.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The one that keeps the starch from crystallizing is an amylase. Not only
does that reduce the amount of bread waste generated by stores and in
customer’s homes, it also has dramatically reduced the number of trips that
bread trucks need to make from the bakeries to the stores, thereby reducing the
amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH1fnvyMs15wGi_2KtlIk_2F2Fsapa-tYB20X1ESVoM9DEBSeX7vnbBxGvO5cWPn6BRtHCppsTXhJbEaRhxtLeliuz_ZzakrXI50G9Xl-Qz7lMDo_iJkXKEIcLGaSV9-6oVI4u5kLDuHfN/s1600/Bread+label.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH1fnvyMs15wGi_2KtlIk_2F2Fsapa-tYB20X1ESVoM9DEBSeX7vnbBxGvO5cWPn6BRtHCppsTXhJbEaRhxtLeliuz_ZzakrXI50G9Xl-Qz7lMDo_iJkXKEIcLGaSV9-6oVI4u5kLDuHfN/s320/Bread+label.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Note the Enzymes" in this bread
ingredient label<o:p></o:p></div>
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When we eat the bread, that tiny amount of enzyme is just a
protein that our own digestive enzymes easily break down into the amino acids
that we need as a part of our diet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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So the next time that you pull a loaf of supermarket bread
out of your breadbox and find it still soft and tasty, you can appreciate this
robust, enzyme solution to the food waste issue of stale bread! <o:p></o:p></div>
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(Note: I am writing this article as part of a partnership
with the enzyme producing company, Novozymes. This gives me the time to delve
into the technical details about specific enzymes and then try to explain those
in ways that make sense to as many readers as possible)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-52741877486941852672018-03-25T16:56:00.000-07:002018-03-25T16:56:06.985-07:00Update On The Rapidly Growing Biologicals Sector In Agriculture<br />
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This article was first posted on <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2018/03/15/update-on-the-rapidly-growing-biologicals-sector-in-agriculture/#6a31aa7355be">Forbes on 3/15</a></div>
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Biological crop protection products are an important set of options in the agricultural "tool box." Last week I had the opportunity to attend meetings held in California and get an update on that industry - one I have been following since the 1990s when I worked for Mycogen, one of the earliest companies in this field. The big take-aways from these meetings were: </div>
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1) this continues to be a rapidly growing sector, </div>
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2) the best fit for these products tends to be in integrated programs with synthetic chemical options, and </div>
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3) that the lack of international harmonization of regulations is problematic for even these "soft" products.</div>
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The meetings were <a data-mce-href="http://www.bpia.org/events/bpia-spring-meeting-and-the-biocontrols-east-conference-and-tradeshow-2018/" href="http://www.bpia.org/events/bpia-spring-meeting-and-the-biocontrols-east-conference-and-tradeshow-2018/">the Biological Products Industry Association Spring Meeting and the International Symposium and the Biocontrols USA West Conference</a>. Biologicals are crop products based on naturally occurring chemicals and/or live organisms, and thus they tend to get a positive reception from most who hear about them. They tend to be low in toxicity and generally “soft” when it comes to environmental impact. They have been a rapidly growing segment of the crop protection market for some time, expanding their sales at a compound annual growth rate of around 17%, but biologicals still represent only around 5% of the global market for products used in the growing of crops.</div>
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This kind of product is attractive in the sense that development timelines tend to be shorter than for synthetic chemicals and the development costs are much lower. These lower barriers to entry have encouraged nearly 500 companies to participate in that 5% of the market.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHK8g9PHtLB7vVKni0gsiDJjPBstMMcF_I6cnVytUILYKefPWAa5ZPvuzSRYAdSuTW6BhyN3k63rgBDP5Jd1hNWxOMiX4unp1zavzqEvtFETv_ydb3XIn7RolswyCKt1YFEF8jExta1cGq/s1600/Metarhizium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHK8g9PHtLB7vVKni0gsiDJjPBstMMcF_I6cnVytUILYKefPWAa5ZPvuzSRYAdSuTW6BhyN3k63rgBDP5Jd1hNWxOMiX4unp1zavzqEvtFETv_ydb3XIn7RolswyCKt1YFEF8jExta1cGq/s320/Metarhizium.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Locusts killed by the biocontrol fungus Metarhizium</td></tr>
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The biocontrol sector is an extremely diverse collection of technologies. There are natural chemicals that are extracted from plants or produced by microbes grown in fermentation tanks. There are bacteria and fungi that compete with pathogenic fungi and/or produce compounds that inhibit their attack of plants. There are live fungi and nematodes that can infect or attack insect pests and kill them. There are things like predatory mites or parasitic wasps that can be enlisted to help keep insect pest populations in check. There are viruses that infect very specific insect pests, and there are bacteriophages, which are viruses that can be used to control bacterial diseases of plants. There are “semiochemicals,” which might repel insects or attract them to a trap or be used to make it impossible for a male insect to find the pheromone trail to a suitable female for mating.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUdkrQDsoU3rf_ptcRE5XRR_Yz7_hwQbgr3b9muG3iwpyZd-pVNt2r9XYlz40-99TCHIP4ha230gGkbf-EQQIqR21lN3QR9PSsg5EsaZMnN1msWgqQ1iPZN-JCpZgEf50v_hf8EFGPOnQz/s1600/Confusion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="960" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUdkrQDsoU3rf_ptcRE5XRR_Yz7_hwQbgr3b9muG3iwpyZd-pVNt2r9XYlz40-99TCHIP4ha230gGkbf-EQQIqR21lN3QR9PSsg5EsaZMnN1msWgqQ1iPZN-JCpZgEf50v_hf8EFGPOnQz/s320/Confusion.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graphic showing how the "Pheromone Confusion" strategy works for crop pest control</td></tr>
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While most of these products are used in agriculture, some of them play an important role in vector control to combat the increasing threat that society faces from insect-borne diseases.<br />
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There is a large subset of biologicals called “bio-stimulants.” Some are based on seaweed extracts, some on yeasts, some on single-cell algae, and many that are mixed “consortia” of fungal and bacterial strains. (There are 235 examples of microbial biostimulants in the market, making it challenging for growers to even know what to try.) These agents can induce plants to activate their own defenses and stress-tolerance strategies.</div>
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This part of the industry was described as the “Wild West” of ag products. Its players are working actively to overcome some past tendencies toward the marketing of “snake oils” and to institute more rigor on quality control and the generation of independent data to back up claims. At this meeting, there was clear evidence presented that many biostimulants made a big difference in crop yield – particularly under stress conditions (e.g. heat, drought, cold).</div>
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At this meeting, I heard confirmation of a general observation I have made about biocontrols over the decades: They actually make the most sense as part of an <a data-ga-track="ExternalLink:http://www2.ipm.ucanr.edu/WhatIsIPM/" href="http://www2.ipm.ucanr.edu/WhatIsIPM/" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">integrated program</a> that also involves things like crop genetic resistance and the use of synthetic pest control products. The biologicals can often reduce the need for other chemical agents, and they can also reduce the risk of selecting for pest resistance, which would jeopardize the utility of those expensive-to-develop tools.</div>
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As popular as the biologicals approach has been, there are some challenges that were articulated by several of the presenters at this meeting. One issue is that although the food system as a whole is becoming increasingly globalized, the oversight systems under which these products are regulated are highly parochial, with no significant degree of international harmonization. This can undermine the very features of reasonable costs and at least somewhat predictable timelines for regulatory approvals.</div>
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As one would expect, the European regulatory system tends to be excessively precautionary and unpredictable. Europeans want their farmers to use more biological controls, but are not making that easy.</div>
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In the U.S., regulatory timelines are becoming less predictable because a system called <a data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://www.epa.gov/pria-fees/pria-overview-and-history" href="https://www.epa.gov/pria-fees/pria-overview-and-history" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">PRIA</a> is uncharacteristically caught up in a <a data-ga-track="ExternalLink:http://cpda.com/update-on-congressional-consideration-of-the-pesticide-registration-improvement-act-pria/" href="http://cpda.com/update-on-congressional-consideration-of-the-pesticide-registration-improvement-act-pria/" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">political struggle</a>between the Trump administration EPA and certain key Democratic legislators.</div>
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One of the hallmarks of U.S. regulation, relative to that in the EU, was that it tended to be relatively free of political influence. That status was eroded somewhat in the Obama era, and that change certainly continues today. The EPA is chronically understaffed, so in 2003 a system was set up to collect fees from the companies seeking registrations in order to augment the EPA’s budgets so that they could meet timeline goals. Unfortunately, Congress has not been appropriating its full share, and the FTEs at the EPA have been declining.</div>
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Now the reauthorization of the PRIA fee system is being held up by politics and may expire on March 23. It is not just the approval of popular technologies like biocontrol that are being disrupted in this spat. Training programs that are valued by farm worker advocates are also being affected. The industries that develop both biological and chemical control methods for agriculture are perfectly willing to work with a regulatory framework that is based on sound science and overseen by an adequately resourced EPA.</div>
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Another concerning issue discussed is that players like global food retailers are sometimes imposing their own rules on their suppliers in ways that go beyond the already-comprehensive regulatory systems. They argue that this is driven by what consumers want in terms of transparency and the absence of chemical residues. Serving customers is a positive goal, but it can be problematic when consumers have <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2017/03/14/is-conventional-produce-dirty-no-but-the-marketing-tactics-of-big-organic-are/#5b6896cc465c" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_self">misperceptions that have been intentionally cultivated by certain for-profit organic companies.</a></div>
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Overall, I was still encouraged by the progress that is being made in this broad category of crop protection and stimulation. There were several “old timers” like myself involved, but also a gender- and nationality-diverse set of younger participants. This is an important set of tools in the broader toolbox that farmers need in order to meet global food demand in a sustainable fashion.</div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">(Disclosure: I have worked for 40 years in the crop pest control area, including the biologicals and synthetic sectors. I currently produce a bi-weekly podcast on food and agriculture called <a data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://popagriculture.com/" href="https://popagriculture.com/" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">POPAgriculture</a>, and that communication effort is supported by the <a data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://croplifefoundation.org/" href="https://croplifefoundation.org/" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">CropLife Foundation</a>, which is the nonprofit arm of CropLife America.)</em></div>
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Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-10602356225241331132018-01-05T10:46:00.000-08:002018-01-05T10:46:04.910-08:00Yes, We May Have No Bananas, But Monoculture Wasn't So Easy To Avoid(This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2018/01/04/yes-we-have-no-bananas/#3b96941d1e83">Forbes, 1/4/18</a>)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standard retail banana display - photo by Steve Hopson via Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
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In 1923, Frank Silver and Irving Cohn published <a data-mce-href="https://youtu.be/PDd8shcLvHI" href="https://youtu.be/PDd8shcLvHI">a song that became a major hit</a> for the Billy Jones Orchestra, with the signature line “Yes, we have no bananas; we have no bananas today.” It turned out to be sadly prophetic as, in the 1950s, the banana trees that supplied the entire global banana export business were wiped out by a soil-borne fungal disease known as <a data-mce-href="http://www.fusariumwilt.org/index.php/en/about-fusarium-wilt/" href="http://www.fusariumwilt.org/index.php/en/about-fusarium-wilt/">“Panama Wilt.”</a></div>
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The industry at that time was almost entirely based on a single banana cultivar called “Gros Michel” (meaning “Big Mike”), and it was susceptible to infection by a strain of fungus called Fusarium. Once the soil of a given plantation was contaminated with that strain, any Gros Michel tree grown there would soon die.</div>
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By good fortune, a different banana cultivar that was being grown in the South Seas was able to substitute for Gros Michel as a commercial line, and this new “Cavendish” cultivar became the new banana of international commerce, as it remains to this day. (Check out <a data-mce-href="https://bananaroots.wordpress.com/2016/04/11/back-to-the-roots-part-ii-the-roots-of-the-cavendish-banana-in-england/" href="https://bananaroots.wordpress.com/2016/04/11/back-to-the-roots-part-ii-the-roots-of-the-cavendish-banana-in-england/">this interesting blog post</a> about the history of the Cavendish variety and how it actually passed through a greenhouse in England in that process! And here is <a data-mce-href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/crux/2017/12/27/banana-fungus-panama-disease/#.Wk5MolQ-cWo" href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/crux/2017/12/27/banana-fungus-panama-disease/#.Wk5MolQ-cWo">another good post</a> about the history of this disease and the industry.)</div>
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Unfortunately, it's about time for some band to cover “Yes, We Have No Bananas” because, evolution being what it is, a new strain of Fusarium — Tropical Race 4 — has arisen and it is lethal to the Cavendish. The disease is slowly <a data-mce-href="https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/abs/10.1094/PDIS-09-13-0954-PDN" href="https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/abs/10.1094/PDIS-09-13-0954-PDN">making its way around the world</a>, and since it can be spread in a particle of dirt on something like a boot, it will almost inevitably make it to the Central and South American growing regions that supply both North America and Europe with their bananas.</div>
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Although this unfortunate scenario has been on the minds of the banana industry for decades, it is now starting to get more attention in the mainstream press. One part of the story that has been shocking to these outside observers is that such a huge industry would ever be dependent on a single cultivar of banana. As Stephen Mihm put it for Bloomberg, this <a data-mce-href="https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-12-21/the-bananapocalypse-is-nigh" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-12-21/the-bananapocalypse-is-nigh">looming “bananapocalypse</a>” is attributable to a vulnerability that comes from the practice of “extreme monoculture.”</div>
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While I understand why observers might be shocked that a nearly <a data-mce-href="http://www.worldstopexports.com/bananas-exports-country/" href="http://www.worldstopexports.com/bananas-exports-country/">$12 billion industry</a> depends almost exclusively on the Cavendish banana, I do want to push back on the implied conclusion that this represents some sort of irrational or irresponsible expression of “big ag” or whatever other demons are imagined by the Food Movement.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Banana tree dying from Panama Wilt (Photo by Scot Nelson)</td></tr>
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When you see something that is a standard practice in a very large, nationally diverse and multi-company business like bananas, I would suggest that it is appropriate to ask not “what is wrong with this system” but rather, “What are the practical factors that drive this seemingly irrational practice?”</div>
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I’m not a banana expert, but in the mid-1990s, two of my first jobs as an independent consultant had to do with the banana industry. It was during the exciting early years of commercial plant biotechnology, and many industries were asking, “What might this new technology do for our business?” Both of my projects involved early-stage discussions between a major banana company and a plant biotech company — four different entities in all. These were “drawing board stage” projects, with the goal of figuring out if certain ideas could ever make economic sense: Would they be something worth years of effort and millions of dollars for research? Still, overall, biotechnology looked like a way for this industry to tap into genetic diversity.</div>
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The fun part for me was getting to do a deep dive into the details of how bananas are grown, handled, shipped and marketed. I got to travel to Honduras, Costa Rica and Ecuador to tour banana plantations and interact with experts at the major banana export companies. As I said, I’m not an industry insider, but I think I can shed some light on why there are not more kinds of bananas grown for export.</div>
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As modern consumers, we are offered an amazingly diverse selection of fresh fruits and vegetables year-round, so it is important to think back to the early days of this offer of plenty. Having grown up in Denver in the 1960s, I can recall that, except for a few summer months, almost the only fresh fruit options at the grocery store were bananas, apples and oranges. I have a podcast about <a data-mce-href="https://popagriculture.com/2017/09/07/an-apple-a-day/" href="https://popagriculture.com/2017/09/07/an-apple-a-day/">why apples were ever on that list</a>. But if you think about it, the very fact that we can so easily enjoy fresh bananas in temperate regions is a bit remarkable.</div>
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Bananas can grow only in regions where there is never frost, and they do best in truly tropical climates. How did a tropical fruit become a mainstream, reasonably priced, healthful, kid-popular fruit for people who experience winter?</div>
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In tropical regions, there is a great deal of genetic diversity among wild bananas and considerable diversity among the banana or plantain types that humans cultivate. However, very few of these bananas could ever meet the criteria needed to be a viable export crop.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical wild banana with seeds (image by Mkumaresa via Wikimedia Commons)</td></tr>
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First of all, a banana for export has to be seedless. Many wild bananas have large, very hard black seeds – not something that has much consumer appeal. The bananas that people like are seedless because they have triploid genetics – three of each chromosome vs. the two that we have. That is the same way we get seedless watermelons, grapes, etc. It's not some “GMO” thing; it happens at times in the plant kingdom, and we humans like it! Still, improving or changing the cultivar through “conventional breeding” isn’t an option if it makes no seeds.</div>
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Next, the banana needs to be productive in terms of overall yield per tree or acre. I’m sure no one in the 1920s was calculating it, but in modern “sustainability” thinking, the “land-use efficiency” of a crop is an important criterion. That, along with “water-use efficiency,” small “carbon footprint” and “energy footprint,” is all very much tied to good yield. The usable per-hectare yields of the Cavendish variety are quite high, and that is why it has been a both economically viable and environmentally sustainable choice for a long time.</div>
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But probably the most limiting requirement for a banana variety to be commercially acceptable is that <a data-mce-href="http://www.cargohandbook.com/index.php/Bananas" href="http://www.cargohandbook.com/index.php/Bananas">it has to be shippable</a>. In the modern era, we have lots of transport options for food products, but during the era when the banana was becoming an item of international trade, the only viable option was ocean shipping. A product being moved from the tropics to North America or Europe needed a very-low-cost transport option if it was ever going to be a mainstream consumer product. Most fresh produce products loaded onto a ship for a two-plus-week trip to a northern port would be a soup of decay by the time they arrived.</div>
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What made the Gros Michel and its successor, the Cavendish, remarkable was that they could make that trip at a temperature range of 55-58 degrees Fahrenheit, and so not even require lots of energy for refrigeration. Very few of the wonderful range of cultivated or wild banana types could ever do that, but because the Cavendish can be shipped this way, the energy and carbon footprint of its shipment is small. This crop has a very attractive "food-miles" profile.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Banana Black Sigatoka infection (Image by Scot Nelson)</td></tr>
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In addition, it turns out that the conditions under which bananas grow can affect their shipping potential. There is a disease that infects only the leaves of banana plants called “Black Sigatoka.” If a banana tree has suffered too much of that infection, even the robust Cavendish variety won’t be able to make the trip by sea. One thing I learned on my tour was that plantations have employees whose whole job is to survey the plantation on a tree-by-tree basis in order to qualify the fruit for shipment based on how well that disease has been managed.</div>
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But it gets even more complicated than that (<a data-mce-href="https://youtu.be/TV7tsXyq7ow" href="https://youtu.be/TV7tsXyq7ow">here's a good video summary of the process</a>). Bananas are picked in Central and South America at a “green” stage — imagine a fruit more completely green than the greenest one you've ever seen in the clusters in your store. When they get to their destination, they are put into “ripening rooms,” where they are exposed to ethylene gas to start them on the way to the ripe yellow fruit you know. Before you freak out, know that ethylene is the fully natural plant hormone that induces ripening in most fruits and vegetables.</div>
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There is a definite art to this ripening process, and highly valued experts who can assess each shipment of bananas know just how to handle them in the “ripening rooms” to achieve the goal of delivering “just right” bananas at retail. This process has to factor in issues like ups and downs in demand and turnover rates at key retail customer outlets, in addition to the condition of the incoming fruit.</div>
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I know that at the stores where I shop, I can consistently buy bananas that are close to ripe but not fully, such that I can hope to consume them all before they turn black. We consumers might think we have a balancing act to do when it comes to timing ripening and consumption of the bananas from our counters, but imagine that on a huge scale for the banana distribution chain.</div>
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There is one more critical element of the business model: Those ships that come to our ports loaded with bananas certainly can’t go back empty. The banana shipping companies are also seriously involved in their “back-haul” business of bringing back products of interest in the source countries. Having a well-understood, predictable crop helps with running that business efficiently as well.</div>
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So for the international banana business to work in a way that provides a relatively low-cost product acceptable to consumers, it needs to be able to function in a reliable and predictable fashion. Figuring out how to do this with a new banana variety would be a huge challenge. How do you grow it efficiently? Can the crop make the trip reliably? How can its ripeness be managed in order to meet both the distribution chain requirements and the needs of consumers for decent “counter life”? Will all of this work in a way that is compatible with a viable back-haul business?</div>
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So while it is easy to think that the banana industry is crazy to depend on one cultivar, I submit to you that it is not without reason and it implies no irresponsibility.</div>
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So does that just mean that we are inevitably going to live out the unintended prophecy of “yes, we have no bananas”? I think that depends on whether we continue to live in a world where anti-biotechnology groups are able to exercise the control that they currently have over our food system.</div>
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Let me explain. Remember that my introduction to bananas was based on excitement about what biotechnology could do for the crop. One of the concepts was to develop bananas that were resistant to that leaf infection disease that can compromise shipability. Control of that disease requires something like 40 fungicide sprays a year, so as you can imagine, there would be a huge cost savings if the trees could be made resistant.</div>
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The other concept on the table was modifying the banana so that it would stay in that nice yellow, but not yet black, stage longer on the consumer’s counter. I’ll never forget that in the first meeting about that idea, a participant who worked for a UK-based banana importer said in his very British accent: “Why would you want to do that? Don’t you know that the dustbin is a major consumer of bananers?” Obviously he wasn’t attuned to current sensitivity to the need for food waste reduction. I thought it was cool that a banana company was serious about an idea that might reduce food waste, with the hope that it would make consumers more comfortable about buying even more bananas.</div>
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Well, these were just theoretical ideas at the time, and they didn’t go anywhere because it soon became evident that the anti-GMO forces were quite successful at putting brand-sensitive companies in an untenable spot if they were using “GMO crops” not just for generic ingredients but for brand-central crops. <a data-mce-href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2015/06/26/who-controls-the-food-supply/#214ae9a72f9d" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2015/06/26/who-controls-the-food-supply/#214ae9a72f9d">A dramatic example</a> was how fast-food chains like McDonald's moved to avoid biotech potatoes for their signature fries.</div>
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It quickly became clear to the banana companies that their brands and their retail store access could be compromised if they pursued “GMO” options. The irony here is that this would have been the most viable strategy with which to bring genetic diversity into the logical but extreme monoculture of bananas.</div>
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So the irony is that if the “yes, we have no bananas” scenario becomes a reality, it will be because we as a global society didn’t use a safe, viable, scientifically sound strategy to rationally deal with the problem in the banana crop.</div>
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<a data-mce-href="https://m.phys.org/news/2017-11-cavendish-qut-world-first-panama-disease-resistant.html" href="https://m.phys.org/news/2017-11-cavendish-qut-world-first-panama-disease-resistant.html">Public institution scientists in Australia</a> and entrepreneurial scientists in the Latin America have come up with ways to modify commercially relevant bananas to resist the Fusarium disease. Ideally there would be the potential to use several approaches, either in the same banana or in different fields; that would avoid delay selection for resistance and avoid yet another dependency on a single line. It is likely that the "heritage variety" Gros Michel could be made commercially viable once again!</div>
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If the Fusarium-resistant biotech bananas were introduced, activists would almost certainly attack them as “GMO.” Would any of the big banana companies have the guts to move forward with the technology in spite of the inevitable brand attacks by NGOs? Would any big food retailers be willing to resist the inevitable pressures not to stock that fruit? That retail blockage strategy is being used today against other new biotech offerings such as <a data-mce-href="https://www.arcticapples.com/" href="https://www.arcticapples.com/">non-browning apples</a> and <a data-mce-href="http://whiterusset.com/" href="http://whiterusset.com/">potatoes</a> and <a data-mce-href="https://aquabounty.com/our-salmon/" href="https://aquabounty.com/our-salmon/">fast-growing, terrestrially raised salmon</a>.</div>
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At one level, this is a question about what will be available for us as consumers. Will we continue to have this highly consumed, reasonably priced, child-friendly, healthy food option? Maybe not. But there is another big question.</div>
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One thing I witnessed on those visits to the banana industry back in the '90s was that large communities in Central and South America flourish because of the jobs that this industry creates. We in the rich world will still have lots of other fruit choices if the stores have no bananas, but that flexibility isn’t there for the families that have been doing the work to provide us with this staple food option for so many decades. I would think that most activists are the kind of people who care about the availability of healthy, low-cost fruit options; I doubt that they would want to see the banana-producing communities impoverished. However, if the current paradigm of anti-GMO intimidation of fruit companies and retailers continues, that is where we are headed.</div>
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#yeswehavenobananas</div>
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You are welcome to comment here and/or to email me at savage.sd@gmail.com</div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Bitstream Charter, Times, serif;"><br /></span>Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541703279082624205.post-8399521095238293502017-06-21T09:40:00.000-07:002017-06-21T09:49:47.429-07:00Not Your Grandfather's Tobacco, Not Your Father's Marijuana<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A zero-THC variant of Cannabis could help not only with uses where the “high” is undesirable, it would also make this kind of relief more practical by clearly separating the medical and recreational uses of this plant. (Photo by Uriel Sinai/Getty Images)<br />
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<br />(This post originally appeared on <a href="http://blogs.forbes.com/stevensavage/?p=688&preview=true">Forbes on 6/19/17</a>)<br />
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A plant biotechnology company called <a data-mce-href="http://www.xxiicentury.com/" href="http://www.xxiicentury.com/">22ND Century</a> (NASDAQ: XXII) is developing two very interesting new crop varieties. One is a line of tobacco that barely makes any nicotine. The idea is to use that tobacco to make cigarettes that can help people quit smoking. 22ND Century’s other new offering is a line of marijuana that doesn’t make THC. The goal in this case is to make it possible for people to realize various medical benefits of Cannabis without the physical and legal complications of the high. Both of these offerings demonstrate how the increasingly sophisticated scientific understanding of plant genetics can lead to positive contributions.</div>
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The plants we humans enjoy as cultivated crops provide us with energy, protein, vitamins and micronutrients. Plants are also <a data-mce-href="http://www.science20.com/steve_savage/nature_the_original_chemist-224933" href="http://www.science20.com/steve_savage/nature_the_original_chemist-224933">pretty amazing chemists </a>that provide us with a diverse collection of and useful compounds. These include delectable flavors and fragrances that enhance the experience of foods. Many foods also provide beneficial “bio-pharmaceuticals” such as anti-oxidants.</div>
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Some plants provide us with chemicals we use as drugs. The coffee plant makes caffeine, which many of us use as a stimulant to help start our mornings. Some excessive consumption of caffeinated products <a data-mce-href="https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/5/17/15649722/caffeine-overdose-health-risks-coffee-energy-drinks" href="https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/5/17/15649722/caffeine-overdose-health-risks-coffee-energy-drinks">can be problematic</a>, but in general this is a plant-based drug that society uses safely and without regulation.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Tobacco makes </span><a data-mce-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine" style="background-color: white;">nicotine</a><span style="background-color: white;"> – a psycho-active chemical which stimulates certain receptors in the brain. Unfortunately nicotine is highly addictive and drives users to continue smoking in spite of the profoundly negative health outcomes of doing so. In spite of the extremely well documented risks to both smokers and bystanders, smoking remains a legal, if sometimes taxed or restricted, activity. According to the </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.who.int/gho/tobacco/use/en/" href="http://www.who.int/gho/tobacco/use/en/" style="background-color: white;">World Health Organization</a><span style="background-color: white;">, over 1.1 billion people smoke.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How smoking varies <a data-mce-href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/World_map_of_countries_by_number_of_cigarettes_smoked_per_adult_per_year.svg/2000px-World_map_of_countries_by_number_of_cigarettes_smoked_per_adult_per_year.svg.png" href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/World_map_of_countries_by_number_of_cigarettes_smoked_per_adult_per_year.svg/2000px-World_map_of_countries_by_number_of_cigarettes_smoked_per_adult_per_year.svg.png" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: #f2f8ff; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", "Bitstream Charter", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">around the world</a></td></tr>
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The main product concept for the very low nicotine tobacco is for prescription cigarettes that doctors can recommend to patients who want to stop smoking. Kicking the nicotine habit is quite difficult. <a data-mce-href="http://www.xxiicentury.com/published-clinical-studies/" href="http://www.xxiicentury.com/published-clinical-studies/">Independent studies</a> have been encouraging about the potential for smoking cessation aided with cigarettes made with the very low nicotine cigarettes (VLNC). The physical and sensory ritual of smoking without the narcotic effects seems to be an easier transition.</div>
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Cannabis contains the psychoactive drug, <a data-mce-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrahydrocannabinol" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrahydrocannabinol">THC</a>, which is the basis for its recreational use. The plant also makes a number of other chemicals that can potentially <a data-mce-href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3165951/" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3165951/">relieve nausea</a> for those in chemotherapy and prevent <a data-mce-href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-cannabis-treat-epileptic-seizures/" href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-cannabis-treat-epileptic-seizures/">seizures</a> for those with various conditions. Sorting out the medical potential has been complicated by the <a data-mce-href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map-of-US-state-cannabis-laws.png#/media/File:Map-of-US-state-cannabis-laws.png" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map-of-US-state-cannabis-laws.png#/media/File:Map-of-US-state-cannabis-laws.png">patchwork of differing legal status throughout the U.S</a>. and the rest of the world.<br />
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A zero-THC product could help not only with uses where the “high” is undesirable, but it will also make this kind of relief more practical by clearly separating the medical and recreational uses of this plant.</div>
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Low THC versions of Cannabis have long been grown as “Hemp” with many valuable fiber and food applications. But under some circumstances those earlier versions of the crop can still make too much THC. That is part of why they cannot be legally grown in many places and why the farmer faces some risk of having his or her crop rejected and subject to destruction. A zero THC Hemp could be free from those issues, and also more attractive to consumers interested in something like a source of hemp oil, hemp milk etc.</div>
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It should be obvious that these new versions of tobacco and Cannabis are “genetically modified,” as are <a data-mce-href="https://www.biofortified.org/2015/07/crop-modification-techniques-infographic/" href="https://www.biofortified.org/2015/07/crop-modification-techniques-infographic/">virtually all the crops we grow</a>. In this case the developers used the tools of modern molecular genetics like RNAi to figure out what metabolic pathways in plants are critical for the ability to make nicotine or THC. Armed with that information they could then find other ways to shut down the genes for specific enzymes to achieve the desired end result.</div>
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In making their final crop lines, the scientists behind the work at 22ND Century intentionally employed methods of genetic modification that wouldn’t trigger the regulatory or marketing problems for a “GMO Crop.” What does or doesn’t get classified as <a data-mce-href="https://medium.com/@kevinfolta/please-say-no-to-gmo-6a5e07f08c9b" href="https://medium.com/@kevinfolta/please-say-no-to-gmo-6a5e07f08c9b">“GMO” is not a science-based criterion</a>, and in a rational world, all advanced crop modification would be <a data-mce-href="http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/05/us-panel-releases-consensus-genetically-engineered-crops" href="http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/05/us-panel-releases-consensus-genetically-engineered-crops">regulated by the features of the final product</a>, not by the process used to get there. But the reality is that by avoiding the “GMO” controversy, 22<sup>nd</sup> Century can more practically and speedily deliver these good options to the people who need them.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The very low nicotine products are currently going through the FDA review process in the U.S. The Zero THC Hemp is only awaiting the production of commercial quantities of seed. It does not require any regulatory approval as it contains no foreign DNA and is not classified as “GMO.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">You are welcome to comment here and/or to email me at savage.sd@gmail.com</span></div>
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Steve Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408822620071396633noreply@blogger.com0