I always eat the pips/seeds from an apple. Even is there were absolutely no
communication between seed and fruit flesh, and there must be. I would still
have a less than religious disgust for GM pollinated apples.
John
----- Original Message -----
From: Bluestem Associates <bluestem@webserf.net>
To: <sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu>
Sent: Monday, May 01, 2000 2:06 PM
Subject: Apple browning (news from BC)
> On Tue, 25 Apr 2000 13:41:58 -0500, E. Ann Clark wrote:
>
> >> SUMMERLAND, B.C. -- The provincial government in British Columbia
won't,
> >> according to this story, be participating in any more genetic research
into
> >> how to keep sliced apples from turning brown.
>
> How about growing 'Cortland' apples? They grow well in BC, and they
> already don't turn brown when sliced. Anyone who likes to dry apples,
> please take note. Alternatively apple processors already wash slices in
> citric acid and/or lemon juice to serve as termprary anti-oxidants
> until processing is finished.
>
> [snip]
> >> The story says organic growers were worried genetically-engineered
trees
> >> would cross-pollinate with natural ones, ruining their organic status,
with
> >> the release further quoted as saying, "There is no tolerance in the
organic
> >> market for product affected by genetic engineering. The produce could
not be
> >> sold as organic and the farm could become decertified."
>
> Generally mis-placed fear. Apples develop from one ovary of the mother
> plant (ie the tree) while the pollen from the paternal tree is
> incorporated only in the other ovary (which becomes the seeds). Unlike
> maize and such, the seeds aren't what you eat, and if organic people
> have trouble with *that* then they have fallen into religious legalism
> that makes the food laws in Leviticus look tame by comparison.
>
> Because they are complex hybrids, apples (and most other fruits) must
> be reproduced vegetatively --- for example by grafting. There is no
> danger that a 'Summerland Red' will ever be anything else, since new
> varieties are raised up from seed, and only about 1 in 10,000 seedlings
> is ever worth even a second look. Seeds from a 'Summerland Red' will
> *not* produce another 'Summerland Red.'
>
> Bart Hall
>
>
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu May 11 2000 - 22:02:13 EDT