It is my understanding that the DNA sequence that has been spliced into
the genome of many cultivars of soybeans, rape, corn and other crop
species to confer glyphosate/roundup resistance was obtained from glyphosate
resistant bacteria...
While I don't know where these specific glyphosate resistant bacteria were
obtained, I have no doubt that there are many bacteria in soil that are
glyphosate resistant... especially in soils that receive regular
applications of glyphosate...
As a result I don't think that ammending soil with glyphosate
resistant cabnola press cake would really be adding anything new to soil.
I can't think of any reason why the DNA sequence confering
glyphosate resistance would be any more recalcitrant to metabolism by the
soil heterotrophic community than any other DNA sequence...
As I mentioned in a different thread sometime ago, a very substantial
fraction of organic farmers are depedent on poultry litter from
industrial poultry houses... These
poultry are certainly fed GM grains... as well antibiotics, Cu and P
supplements and other things that have proven detrimental effects on soil
ecology...
I can see that organic growers might not want to buy GM by-products
because they want to take a stand against the current greed driven
applications of genetic
engineering in agriculture...
however, the genes that are being spliced in GMOs are not synthetic...
they are natural DNA sequences that are being moved about using
recombinant techniques...
it seems to me that a flounder gene in a tomato would decompose if added
to soil just as would a flounder gene in a flounder if you added it
to soil...
I would be much more concerned about ammending soil with pesticide
laden agro-byproducts or the multifarious additives in factory farm manure
then I would be about the residues of plants with glyphosate
resistance...
Joel Gruver
U of MD
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