Organic activists and environmental extremist groups would have the public believe that Roundup Ready (glyphosate tolerant) alfalfa is a “threat to organic alfalfa and alfalfa export markets.” Reality says otherwise.

Of the 22 million acres of alfalfa grown in the U.S. last year, USDA estimates that only about 200,000 acres were Roundup Ready — about 0.01 percent of the total.

And the risk of cross pollination in forage production is extremely remote. According to the Univ. California Davis (http://alfalfa.ucdavis.edu, click on “Biotech Alfalfa”), for gene flow to occur from one hay field to another, the following must occur: 1) Fields must flower simultaneously; 2) Pollinators must move between fields; 3) Pollen must fertilize plants; 4) Embryos must turn into seeds: 5) Seed must fall to ground and germinate; 6) Germinating plants must compete with existing alfalfa.

Agronomic experts point out that there are severe environmental limits to each of these steps happening, and further, most hay is harvested pre-bloom; the few surviving seeds that may germinate do not contribute significantly to hay biomass (estimates at 0.001%).

RR alfalfa a threat to export hay markets? Hardly. About 90 percent of alfalfa produced in the U.S. is consumed domestically, much of it consumed on the farm where it is produced. Japan the largest recipient of U.S. hay, representing over 75 percent of all U.S. alfalfa hay and hay product exports approved RR alfalfa for import last year. Over 98 percent of U.S. alfalfa hay/hay products exported is concentrated in five countries: Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Canada and Mexico. All five countries have a process for approving import of biotech crops and currently import products derived from U.S.-produced biotech soybean, corn, canola and/or cotton.

The U.S. court has already accepted the fact that Roundup Ready alfalfa poses no harm to humans and livestock, and other regulatory agencies around the world, including Canada and Japan, have confirmed the environmental safety of RR alfalfa. Further, farmer stewardship agreements provide an expected level of responsibility, following proper production practices just as conventional and organic producers adhere to required production practices.

Montana is a leading alfalfa-producing state in the nation, and while RR alfalfa isn’t a fit for all producers, it offers distinct advantages for some, including a better chance of stand establishment in the spring, and for selling into segments of the hay and forage market that demands a high quality, weed-free product, such as horses and purebred livestock breeders.

What really happened here is that a bunch of environmental groups bent on an all organic, no biotech crop agenda went shopping for a judge friendly to their cause. It’s important to note, however, that the San Francisco judge’s ruling halting the production of RR alfalfa isn’t permanent. It’s only until USDA completes an Environmental Impact Statement.

Longtime ag writer Harry Cline, editor of the Western Farm Press, was sharply critical about the ruling. “All this to appease a bunch of radicals bent on destroying the American economy,” he wrote. “(The ag community) must appeal this ridiculous decision to protect American agriculture from a threat far more insidious than any transgenic gene or weed.”

Mike Waters, Froid, Mont., serves on the board of Growers for Biotechnology, a group of crop producers who volunteer their time to promote and facilitate the research, development and acceptance of biotechnology in agriculture.

The files information from: agweekly.com

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