# RR Alfalfa, Dr. Don Huber, livestock miscarriage rates, the dangers of RR alfalfa



## rupert0 (May 25, 2011)

Hi folks,
I finally found some audio and video of Dr. Don Huber speaking himself after he sent that letter to Sec. Vilsack to try to get the govnt to wait on approving RR alfalfa, because Huber has discovered a new, unknown pathogen that seems to thrive in Roundup Ready treated soils! "It is found in high concentrations in Roundup Ready soybean meal and corn, distillers meal, fermentation feed products, pig stomach contents, and pig and cattle placentas."

We need to listen and discuss this material. We might be making a huge, fatal mistake with this new crop. It's like when an "automatic update" comes for your PC or Mac that we're _supposed to trust_. Some of the updates break the damn computer! And then they have to issue an apology, and a "patch" and we suffer all the downtime and repair. Doesn't look like we can afford that kind of mistake in agriculture with these new GMOs. Alfalfa is a perennial.

BOTTOM LINE: we need to take responsibility for what we plant, because the seed dealers/makers care only about profits, not land stewardship or our ability to farm. Their shareholders demand profit. There's no argument about that fact. So what do you all think?

WATCH: Dr. Huber Explains Science Behind New Organism and Threat from Monsanto's Roundup, GMOs to Disease and Infertility on Vimeo
Dr. Huber Explains Science Behind New Organism and Threat from Monsanto's Roundup, GMOs to Disease and Infertility

LISTEN here: LSP Ear to the Ground Podcast
They are recordings of Dr. Huber lecturing at an event.

Ear to the Ground 102
Fri, May 06, 2011 02:47:00 PM
Don Huber describes how Roundup/glyphosate could affect livestock and human health (part 5 of 5).

Ear to the Ground 101
Fri, May 06, 2011 01:19:00 PM
Don Huber describes how farmers can recognize field damage caused by Roundup/glyphosate and how abuse of this chemical has undermined the usefulness of this weed control tool (part 4 of 5).

Ear to the Ground 100
Fri, May 06, 2011 11:51:00 AM
Don Huber describes how Roundup/glyphosate alters soil biology, making crops more susceptible to disease (part 3 of 5).

Ear to the Ground 99
Tue, May 03, 2011 10:47:00 AM
Don Huber describes how Roundup/glyphosate can create virulent diseases in crop fields as well as herbicide-resistant superweeds (part 2of 5).

Ear to the Ground 98
Mon, May 02, 2011 11:46:00 AM
Don Huber describes how Roundup/glyphosate works (part 1 of 5).

-----more notes--------------

Canopy Roads of South Georgia: Animal miscarriages from new fungus or virus in Roundup-read crops?

Animal miscarriages from new fungus or virus in Roundup-read crops?
Jill Richardson publishes a letter from Col. (Ret.) Don M. Huber, Emeritus Professor, Purdue University, who is APS Coordinator, USDA National Plant Disease Recovery System (NPDRS).

It begins:

Dear Secretary Vilsack: 
A team of senior plant and animal scientists have recently brought to my attention the discovery of an electron microscopic pathogen that appears to significantly impact the health of plants, animals, and probably human beings. Based on a review of the data, it is widespread, very serious, and is in much higher concentrations in Roundup Ready (RR) soybeans and corn-suggesting a link with the RR gene or more likely the presence of Roundup. This organism appears NEW to science!

What's an "electron microsope pathogen"?

Unique Physical Properties
This previously unknown organism is only visible under an electron microscope (36,000X), with an approximate size range equal to a medium size virus. It is able to reproduce and appears to be a micro-fungal-like organism. If so, it would be the first such micro-fungus ever identified. There is strong evidence that this infectious agent promotes diseases of both plants and mammals, which is very rare.

Pathogen Location and Concentration

It is found in high concentrations in Roundup Ready soybean meal and corn, distillers meal, fermentation feed products, pig stomach contents, and pig and cattle placentas.

Linked with Outbreaks of Plant Disease

The organism is prolific in plants infected with two pervasive diseases that are driving down yields and farmer income-sudden death syndrome (SDS) in soy, and Goss' wilt in corn. The pathogen is also found in the fungal causative agent of SDS (Fusarium solani fsp glycines).

Implicated in Animal Reproductive Failure

Laboratory tests have confirmed the presence of this organism in a wide variety of livestock that have experienced spontaneous abortions and infertility. Preliminary results from ongoing research have also been able to reproduce abortions in a clinical setting.

The pathogen may explain the escalating frequency of infertility and spontaneous abortions over the past few years in US cattle, dairy, swine, and horse operations. These include recent reports of infertility rates in dairy heifers of over 20%, and spontaneous abortions in cattle as high as 45%.

For example, 450 of 1,000 pregnant heifers fed wheatlege experienced spontaneous abortions. Over the same period, another 1,000 heifers from the same herd that were raised on hay had no abortions. High concentrations of the pathogen were confirmed on the wheatlege, which likely had been under weed management using glyphosate.

Well, I'm sure that couldn't affect humans, though, right? Well, of course if you ignore the research that's been done in Argentina and France....
Col. Huber sent this letter before USDA approved Roundup-ready alfalfa. Dr. Huber is not a newbie. As he says in his letter:

I have studied plant pathogens for more than 50 years. We are now seeing an unprecedented trend of increasing plant and animal diseases and disorders. This pathogen may be instrumental to understanding and solving this problem. It deserves immediate attention with significant resources to avoid a general collapse of our critical agricultural infrastructure.

According to his bio at the 2010 Acres conference:

Dr. Don Huber is professor emeritus of plant pathology at Purdue University. He received B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Idaho, a Ph.D. from Michigan State University, and is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command & General Staff College and Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

He was cereal pathologist at the University of Idaho for 8 years before joining the Department of Botany & Plant Pathology at Purdue University in 1971. His agricultural research the past 50 years has focused on the epidemiology and control of soilborne plant pathogens with emphasis on microbial ecology, cultural and biological controls, and physiology of host-parasite relationships. Research also includes nitrogen metabolism, micronutrient physiology, inhibition of nitrification, and nutrient-disease interactions. In addition to his academic positions and research, he is internationally recognized for his expertise in the development of nitrification inhibitors to improve the efficiency of N fertilizers, interactions of the form of nitrogen, manganese and other nutrients in disease, herbicide-nutrient-disease interactions, techniques for rapid microbial identification, and cultural control of plant diseases.

Robyn Griggs Lawrence points out that Dr. Huber
coordinates the Emergent Diseases and Pathogens committee of the American Phytopathological Society.

This is somebody who should know what he's talking about, and his letter calls for many other researchers to investigate what he thinks he's found. Too bad Sec. Vilsack didn't listen. Maybe too bad for all of us.
-jsq

------more notes-----
Dr. Don Huber's presentation

Dr. Don Huber's presentation 
Written by Jim Martindale 
With full credits to Dr. Huber and Jerry Carlson
====================
Jerry Carlson's Notes from Dr. Don Huber presentation Dec. 16, 2009

High yield hybrids: More N must be taken up after tasseling. Also, 
high yield corn can use ammonium better, as opposed to nitrate 
nitrogen. 75% ammonium, 25% nitrate N.
NServe takes nitrous ammonius out of the rhizosphere. Other 
organisms fill the void about 9 days.
Glyphosate takes entire groups of organisms out of the soil. 
Biological buffering becomes very difficult when you have a compound 
that persists in the soil for years.
About 80% of our nitrogen losses are conversion to nitrous oxide, and 
volatilization. Not leaching, which occurs only in sandy soils.
A lot of our ag chemicals are chelators. Tordon chelates copper. 
Glyphosate is a powerful chelator for many ions.

There's ten tons of living material in an acre of soil. It's a 
living entity and the quality of its life impacts mineralization of 
nutrients.
Manganese availability depends on biological activity; it can only 
use Mn2+ and not Mn4+ Most bio availability occurs between 5.2 and 
7.8 pH.
Take-all in wheat is a manganese converter. Amplify the take-all 
fungus with carbon and energy, it amplifies its growth.
Filaments of Take-all coat themselves with Manganese Oxide, MN04. 
Take-all ties up manganese and can impact the following crop.
Improved nutrition reduces disease. Manure on wheat stimulates 
resistant to rhizoctonia.
Copper deficiency: Ergot on wheat, produces LSD.
Ergot sclerotia -- closes the capillaries.
Closest I've seen in my 55 years to a prolonged recovery period from 
the impact of glyphosate.
Inserting the RR gene in plant reduces Mn uptake efficiency. It adds 
a stress on the plant's physiology. 
---rest at link above---


----------



## 4Gen (May 1, 2011)

Hey Rupert0, I have a bridge to sell you


----------



## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

It also may be part of a conscious effort to discredit any and all GMO crops?

I like to say coincidence may not be a cause. Superstitions may be mostly coincidence driven.

The official quote is: 
Correlation Does Not Prove Causation!
Post Hoc ergo Propter Hoc

Now DR Don Huber may be an unbiased researcher with a valid concern. The thing with research if it is to be validated, any finding needs to be repeatable by other researchers at other locations. 
There also should be peer reviewed articles in scientific publications. 
I suspect this latest finding will be run by a lawyer and a sympathetic judge as a substitution for the peer review process.

Though I should not put all that much faith in peer review as we have seen with the Global Warming that also can be manipulated.

The Gun Control and Partial Birth Abortion controversies are good examples of special interest advocacy masquerading as established scientific fact.


----------



## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

Just a couple of thoughts: The last major SDS (sudden death syndrome) outbreak in S. IN happened in the infancy of RR soybeans and conventional beans were affected just the same. Most of the soil at that time had had very limited amounts of glyphosate applied to it. Second, concerning the abortions in the bred heifers that Dr. Huber refers to, the only way you can say this was the actual cause was to have both groups eating the same diet of wheatlage, with one group eating wheatlage not exposed to glyphosate. Any one that has ever fed ruminants or worked with nutrition knows that things can go wrong with fermented feeds to cause abortions. The other group was fed dry hay, not much risk here. Fermented feeds can be high in nitrates, free ammonia, clostridia, salmonella, and a whole much of mycotoxins all of which can cause abortions. As a Purdue Ag Alumni, I am really concerned that Dr. Huber has been allowed to run rampant without the science or peers to back this up. I might be wrong, he could be right, but for now I think he got on the wrong bus and just can't admit it.


----------



## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

After losing in the Supreme Court, what are they going to try next. A quote from the initial blog in this Thread:

"For example, 450 of 1,000 pregnant heifers fed wheatlege experienced spontaneous abortions. Over the same period, another 1,000 heifers from the same herd that were raised on hay had no abortions. High concentrations of the pathogen were confirmed on the wheatlege, *which likely had been under weed management using glyphosate*."

What a false assumption!!!! It is my understanding that Monsanto gave up on Roundup Ready wheat years ago because the wheat farmers were against it. So, since there is no RR wheat being grown and treated with Roundup, where is the Roundup affected wheatlege coming from?


----------



## rupert0 (May 25, 2011)

Hi 4Gen,
I the spirit of keeping dialogue open and sarcasm from turning into flame, I accept your offer of a Bridge. Does this bridge lead to some conversation about what is said on the video or in the series of talks Dr. Huber gave? Did you listen to them? What are your comments? Do you grow alfalfa? Colonel Huber appears to be somewhat wise in his years, wouldn't you say? Are you of equal age as he? I'm only 37 and was taught to listen carefully to my elders. This elder is speaking to us. What did you hear?
-respectfully


----------



## Dolphin (May 21, 2010)

*grabs the wheel and steers to left fork of the road*

MANGANESE DEFICIENCY is suspected of calf fetus deformities. Research failed to provide any link between glyphosate tolerant corn or soy beans and manganese deficiency.

With producers using corn based feed, the supplement that appears to correct the deficiency in dairy and beef cattle costs 75 cents per cow per gestation. Or you can feed grass hay or mixed haylage according to researchers here in Minnesota, The Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostics Lab.


----------



## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

I can not say the tapes are all that interesting, but than again at this point I am at best a skeptic. 
I did not look at the 20 minute *Food Democracy Now *video. 
The thing was going to take forever to load so I could watch it in all it's glory. 
With That title I would normally disregard all the following. Still I did get through the introduction. 
Now I did listen to the Pod Cast. Unfortunately I did hear something that I thought insightful. 
He mentioned Sustainable Agriculture and Local Grown two key words that awaken a high level of skepticism on my part. 
Usually when I have heard those key words there was a flim flam artiste at work. Sort of like hearing the phrase "In all Honesty". 
I can well remember when that was all we had was local grown.

Now before the advent of Round Up I found a need to fertilize with a chelated manganese product. That was 25 years ago and there has not been a reappearance of Mn deficiency in the tissue analysis.

Now HERE on this heavy clay high pH soil there was a copper deficiency. I saw it in the hay analysis and corrected that with copper sulfate. If you do find a need for copper, I advise you tissue test for molybdenum deficiency. 
I learned that Cu & Mo work in tandem. 
Moly is easier to correct for than copper. I understand Iowa in It's Legislative Wisdom has determined Moly is not a problem, in Iowa, and it is not legal to use as a fertilizer.

I may have missed something but it appears the Study of cattle aborting is more in the form of a testimonial and not in random replicated plots. Plus what vhaby mentioned.

The local Experiment Station had a Japanese PhD who did a study on the local rivers. looking at phosphates in the water. 
A couple of questions blew that thesis out of the water, but never mind. The conclusion was the guilt lay with the Dairies on the upper reaches of the river system. 
The local governmental bodies party line has the dairies as the politically correct guilty parties. There is a small select collection of elite who want the dairies to be put out of business.

Poor fellow could not figure why the water coming out of the local lake is almost phosphate free. 
It should have been obvious to the most casual observer. 
The lake is lined with lime rock and the phosphate becomes an insoluble rock phosphate in the presence of free calcium carbonate.

Now I wonder just how and when the good Doctor Don acquired the title of Colonel. Seeing as how he spent 50 years as a plant pathologist. I suspect it was presented as an honor by a Political Body. Sort of like some politician being awarded an Honorary Doctorate.

*May you have heaven in your heart
starlight in your soul, and
miracles in your life.*


----------



## 4Gen (May 1, 2011)

rupert0,
I am sorry because unfortunately after reading my post and remembering tone is impossible electronically.... It came off as very brash or coarse.
Dr. Huber is well beyond my intellectual level at my current 27 years of age... And probably will be for my entire life. From the other posts already, I am sure you understand why my intial skeptisim of his work remains unchanged. Still it is very great to see that someone is looking at our current problems and not instantly blaming greenhouse gases.
I was taught from day one to respect my elders. I was also taught to think independently. E.g. I don't care how many credentials an elder of mine has, I would respectfully decline to jump off a bridge if they told me too.
On the subject of bridges and to get this light hearten again, i will get back to that bridge for sale. I am just old enough to realize that I don't know squat. Point in case, I bought a bridge.... The same one I was going to sell you. To show sincerity in my apology, I will now only sell you half of the bridge for very cheap.... Maybe a beer someday?


----------

