Comments for Seed In Context Blog

Comment on Bowman v Monsanto: Part 2 by Paul Christensen

Paul Christensen — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:37:16 +0000

If readers would like a more legally oriented summary of the Bowman case they can consult: Do Patents Control Self-Replicating Technologies?: Supreme Court Hears Argument that Sale of Patented Seed Exhausts Future Patent Rights by William L. Warren and David E. Wigley, Ph.D. These lawyers focus on defining the issues in the case rather than attempting to read the final disposition from the questions asked by the Supreme Court justices.

Comment on Relationship between Chinese Economic Policy and Global Seed Demand by Paul Christensen

Paul Christensen — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:39:42 +0000

There have been a couple recent articles in the Wall Street Journal which emphasize the risk of a serious downturn in the Chinese Economy. The first is Hidden Risks of a Hard Landing in China . It provides some information about weaknesses in the current Chinese government estimates of economic growth. Estimates of inflation may be too low. The export growth estimates may be too high. Estimates of retail sales may be too low. The second is an editorial: China Has Its Own Debt Bomb . This article mentions some specific measures that indicate coming economic difficulties: high multi-year private debt as a share of GDP relative to previous time periods and multi-year periods where private credit grows faster than the economy. The question is ultimately how exceptional is China?

Comment on Bee Colony Collapse and Neonicotinoid Seed Applied Insecticides by Paul Christensen

Paul Christensen — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 10:43:25 +0000

This post contained an arithmetic error in the paragraph discussing the change in concentrations under discussion when shifting to non-lethal effects. My apologies.

Comment on Industrial Agriculture Supports Monarch Butterfly Populations by Paul Cherubini

Paul Cherubini — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 19:26:51 +0000

While Paul Christensen is mistaken about monarch caterpillars eating parsley, he is correct that the Deere plow vastly increased the amount of milkweed on midwestern farmland.

And despite recent reductions in milkweed abundance WITHIN corn and soybean fields due to the widespread planting to herbicide tolerant crops, monarchs, bumblebees and honeybees continue to be abundant along the roadsides bordering the GMO crops as you can see in this 16 minute video I shot last August in south-central Minnesota: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZCOJnJU1UE

Comment on Industrial Agriculture Supports Monarch Butterfly Populations by pd diaz

pd diaz — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 04:49:55 +0000

you sir are an idiot- the larvae which consume parsley, and fennel and dill, are of the black swallowtail butterfly, NOT the monarch. the tiniest effort to research would have revealed that information. if your first basic statement is so totally false, why would anyone believe anything else you have to say?

Comment on Industrial Agriculture Supports Monarch Butterfly Populations by Carole

Carole — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 03:01:41 +0000

Mr Christensen
If you observe the caterpillars on your parsley next year I believe you will find that they are the larvae of the black swallowtail.
Caterpillars will move away from their host plant when they are ready to form a chrysalis. Was the caterpillar you observed on your tomato eating the leaves? If a monarch, perhaps it was looking for a spot to form the chrysalis. If the worm on your tomatoes had a horn on the end, it was a tobacco or tomato horn worm which will become a sphinx moth.
There are so many wonderful discoveries to make in the insect world. I hope you will keep watching.

Comment on Industrial Agriculture Supports Monarch Butterfly Populations by Mel Marr

Mel Marr — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 02:37:55 +0000

BTW, after rereading your article, I realized why you would include such inaccurate information, it’s your job to misinform the public about Monsanto’s destruction of species like the Monarch Butterfly. That is what “consultants” are hired for. That is how these type of companies are run, they have no values or conscience they only have the next $billion in mind.. Whether ever it takes to hid the truth from the public. Yes, there are people out there that will believe what you say and will dismiss the Milkweed problem but not everyone is that stupid and even if you win in the race to kill off the species or another, you will have won nothing, only shame.

Comment on Industrial Agriculture Supports Monarch Butterfly Populations by Mel Marr

Mel Marr — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 02:25:36 +0000

Monarchs do not eat Parsley. Monarch caterpillars only eat Milkweed. Monarch Butterflies drink the nectar of many plants but the caterpillars ONLY feed on Milkweed. If you have seen a caterpillar eating Parsley or Dill, it is likely a Black Swallowtail (which looks similar but has stripes of green instead of white . Other caterpillars may eat lettuce or other weeds but they are NOT Monarchs. Viceroys (which look like Monarchs) nectar on milkweeds, butterfly bush and asters, the host plants for their young are the Aspen tree and willow. A Queen Butterfly which is also Orange will nectar on many other plants but will only lay eggs on Milkweeds, therefore the caterpillars only eat Milkweed. Your “expert”, Dr. David Thomas misinformed you on the facts. Before you consider yourself an expert you should at least know which caterpillars you are talking about. Using your experience as a source of expertise is like saying, I ate Wheaties so therefore you can’t be allergic to wheat. Monarch butterflies are declining at a rapid rate because despite the hundreds of people around the country who are aiding in the breeding and raising of this beautiful creatures, companies like Monsanto are more interested in making their trillions then giving a damn about who or what they damage or destroy along the way. When articles like this contain the wrong information, humans would rather not be bothered when they think that someone or something else will keep the species alive or the work of preventing a catastrophe like this is so simple… Thanks for writing an article but when you do, make sure you have the facts included.

Comment on USDA Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture: Locomotives, Lighthouses, Limited Government and the American Seed Trade Association by Specialty Crops Important for

Specialty Crops Important for — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 06:24:01 +0000

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Comment on Polarization of Seed Related Issues by Christina

Christina — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 18:15:05 +0000

I think this is a very important issue, as a steudnt in an International Agriculture program and coming from a country currently in development, where I have seen poverty and hunger in rural communities, being a part-time worker in a University Stadium in Oklahoma has made me very concerned with food waste. I have noticed that the football and basketball players that are having meals at the stadium, provided by their scholarships, are wasting incredible amounts of food without even realizing their actions. I wonder if going “tray less would also be a good option for buffet style dinning in Universities. In the University dining facilities one does not find trays and less food is typically wasted. But another way to go is to try to make steudnts aware and conscious of the impact of food waste on the community in general.