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Interesting Topic. GMO Alfalfa.

Dec 21, 2019
Today I heard something interesting. This would be classified as Glysophate related.
Our local county agent was doing his monthly show on the radio. He covered several topics. One topic was that they have been doing some studies, and similar studies have been done across a number of states on this issue.  What the deal is that they have observed that when it comes to Roundup Ready Alfalfa, that if the plant is at least 2 inches tall in the spring when the crop is sprayed with Glysphate, aka; Roundup, and then the crop is hit with a frost, he didn't define as to the severity of the frost, so we are to assume a frost, then the alfalfa will not recover during its first crop of the season. The yield of the 1st. crop will be down by at least 1 ton per acre, to 1 1/2 tons per acre. Subsequence crops are not affected. This amount of yield is roughly 1/2 of the total average production of the year for most alfalfa production. Usually the 1st. crop is the most productive crop of the year. So the cost can be horrendous for the farmer because of the cost to apply the herbicide, the lack of production and for most fields of alfalfa, the bugs; aphids, and weevils will move in and finish off the job. Most farmers will then apply insecticides, to further add costs, in what I feel is a losing battle, to kill off the bugs.
 
As a general rule, any alfalfa that is hit with a frost will be set back in production. But with Roundup Ready varieties, it is much more severe.  He said that science is baffled, they don't understand why and have no answers. But when the assaulted growth cycle has run its course, and the new one begins it's cycling, the growth has been renewed.  But the assaulted cycle on the GMO plant is damaged beyond repair. My guess is that since the cell is at the very least cracked by the frost, the cell is not able to repair/recover from that event. But with the non-GMO plant, the recovery can happen and likely will happen, if the frost is not too severe.
Of course, when a life form is damaged beyond reasonable ability to recover/repair, nature will send in the cleanup crew, aphids, and weevils, to breakdown and be returned to natural elements and recycled by nature.
My guess is that the answer might be found in the RNA, not the DNA of the plant. The herbicide messes with the RNA in some way so when this event happens with the frost action, signaling of repair doesn't happen.  However, in time, I am sure we will come to an understanding. This will have some undeniable connections to human health, I am sure.
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