I'd guess your brother doesn't grow GM crops Dove. As I understand it, the most likely route by which glyphosate ends up in the food chain is spraying it on glyphosate-resistant, genetically-modified wheat and corn, to kill competing weeds just before harvest. That's bound to result in residue in the harvested grain, you'd think... I don't know where in the world farmers grow such GM crops - but I'm pretty sure it's not in Britain.
The idea that home gardeners are responsible for this contamination is ridiculous. We know that virtually anything green which we spray with glyphosate will die, and so we don't spray the fruit and veg we grow. A lot of common substances are harmful, poisonous or carcinogenic but we don't all die - because we use these substances carefully and treat them with respect. We don't pour spare weedkiller into water courses etc.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
He is concerned about GM - his feeling is that the technique could be useful, but should be restricted so that not all modifications could be used at once - he believes that this would avoid the risk of 'super plants' being developed which would become 'monstrous' and invasive with no way of getting rid of them - however as he says, that would mean trusting the people who are developing the GM plants ...
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
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I'd guess your brother doesn't grow GM crops Dove. As I understand it, the most likely route by which glyphosate ends up in the food chain is spraying it on glyphosate-resistant, genetically-modified wheat and corn, to kill competing weeds just before harvest. That's bound to result in residue in the harvested grain, you'd think... I don't know where in the world farmers grow such GM crops - but I'm pretty sure it's not in Britain.
The idea that home gardeners are responsible for this contamination is ridiculous. We know that virtually anything green which we spray with glyphosate will die, and so we don't spray the fruit and veg we grow. A lot of common substances are harmful, poisonous or carcinogenic but we don't all die - because we use these substances carefully and treat them with respect. We don't pour spare weedkiller into water courses etc.
He is concerned about GM - his feeling is that the technique could be useful, but should be restricted so that not all modifications could be used at once - he believes that this would avoid the risk of 'super plants' being developed which would become 'monstrous' and invasive with no way of getting rid of them - however as he says, that would mean trusting the people who are developing the GM plants ...
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.