Question
Is it true that GMO plants dont drop seeds to keep farmers having to go back year after year and buy new seeds? Essentially further commodifying the agricultural process?
Submitted by: apgarcia
Answer
Expert response from Jay Schultz
Farmer
Friday, 26/06/2015 13:35
The short answer is GMO plants will leave viable seed in a field; to fully answer your question is a bit more complicated.
With the exception of perennial crops like a hay field, farmers must plant new seeds every year and that seed has to come from somewhere. To clarify, seed does not drop and regrow a new crop the following year. There is always some seed that could not be harvested due to lodging or combine loss that could germinate in following years, and is referred to as “volunteers.”
The fact that a crop is a GMO or not is not relevant in terms of seed viability. More important is the fact of whether the crop is a hybrid or open pollinated. Hybrid seed, such as corn or canola, does not necessarily have to be a GMO. Hybrids offer some amazing agronomic advantages over their open pollinated counterparts, such as disease resistance or vigor. Producing hybrid seed is a complicated process involving cross pollination of male and female plants, which is just not viable to do for the average farmer.
Answer
Expert response from Jay Schultz
Farmer
Friday, 26/06/2015 13:35
The short answer is GMO plants will leave viable seed in a field; to fully answer your question is a bit more complicated.
With the exception of perennial crops like a hay field, farmers must plant new seeds every year and that seed has to come from somewhere. To clarify, seed does not drop and regrow a new crop the following year. There is always some seed that could not be harvested due to lodging or combine loss that could germinate in following years, and is referred to as “volunteers.”
The fact that a crop is a GMO or not is not relevant in terms of seed viability. More important is the fact of whether the crop is a hybrid or open pollinated. Hybrid seed, such as corn or canola, does not necessarily have to be a GMO. Hybrids offer some amazing agronomic advantages over their open pollinated counterparts, such as disease resistance or vigor. Producing hybrid seed is a complicated process involving cross pollination of male and female plants, which is just not viable to do for the average farmer.
Video: GMO Answers at SXSW