Emergency! Pathogen New to Science Found in Roundup Ready GM Crops?

ISIS Report 21/02/11

USDA senior scientist sends "emergency" warning to US Secretary of
Agriculture Tom Vilsack on a new plant pathogen in Roundup Ready GM soybean
and corn that may be responsible for high rates of infertility and
spontaneous abortions in livestock. Dr. Mae-Wan Ho

An open letter appeared on the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance founded and
run by Judith McGeary to save family farms in the US [1, 2]. The letter,
written by Don Huber, professor emeritus at Purdue University, to Secretary
of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, warns of a pathogen "new to science" discovered
by "a team of senior plant and animal scientists". Huber says it should be
treated as an "emergency'', as it could result in "a collapse of US soy and
corn export markets and significant disruption of domestic food and feed
supplies."

The letter appeared to have been written before Vilsack announced his
decision to authorize unrestricted commercial planting of GM alfalfa on 1
February, in the hope of convincing the Secretary of Agriculture to impose a
moratorium instead on deregulation of Roundup Ready (RR) crops.

The new pathogen appears associated with serious pervasive diseases in
plants - sudden death syndrome in soybean and Goss' wilt in corn - but its
suspected effects on livestock is alarming. Huber refers to "recent reports
of infertility rates in dairy heifers of over 20%, and spontaneous abortions
in cattle as high as 45%."

This could be the worst nightmare of genetic engineering that some
scientists including me have been warning for years [3] (see Genetic
Engineering Dream or Nightmare, ISIS publication): the unintended creation
of new pathogens through assisted horizontal gene transfer and
recombination.

Huber writes in closing: "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."

The complete letter is reproduced below.

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!

This is highly sensitive information that could result in a collapse of US
soy and corn export markets and significant disruption of domestic food and
feed supplies. On the other hand, this new organism may already be
responsible for significant harm (see below). My colleagues and I are
therefore moving our investigation forward with speed and discretion, and
seek assistance from the USDA and other entities to identify the pathogen's
source, prevalence, implications, and remedies.

We are informing the USDA of our findings at this early stage, specifically
due to your pending decision regarding approval of RR alfalfa. Naturally, if
either the RR gene or Roundup itself is a promoter or co-factor of this
pathogen, then such approval could be a calamity. Based on the current
evidence, the only reasonable action at this time would be to delay
deregulation at least until sufficient data has exonerated the RR system, if
it does.

For the past 40 years, I have been a scientist in the professional and
military agencies that evaluate and prepare for natural and manmade
biological threats, including germ warfare and disease outbreaks. Based on
this experience, I believe the threat we are facing from this pathogen is
unique and of a high risk status. In layman's terms, it should be treated as
an emergency.

A diverse set of researchers working on this problem have contributed
various pieces of the puzzle, which together presents the following
disturbing scenario:

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.

Recommendations In summary, because of the high titer of this new animal
pathogen in Roundup Ready crops, and its association with plant and animal
diseases that are reaching epidemic proportions, we request USDA's
participation in a multi-agency investigation, and an immediate moratorium
on the deregulation of RR crops until the causal/predisposing relationship
with glyphosate and/or RR plants can be ruled out as a threat to crop and
animal production and human health.

It is urgent to examine whether the side-effects of glyphosate use may have
facilitated the growth of this pathogen, or allowed it to cause greater harm
to weakened plant and animal hosts. It is well-documented that glyphosate
promotes soil pathogens and is already implicated with the increase of more
than 40 plant diseases; it dismantles plant defenses by chelating vital
nutrients; and it reduces the bioavailability of nutrients in feed, which in
turn can cause animal disorders. To properly evaluate these factors, we
request access to the relevant USDA data.

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.

Sincerely,

COL (Ret.) Don M. Huber Emeritus Professor, Purdue University APS
Coordinator, USDA National Plant Disease Recovery System (NPDRS)

References

1. "Researcher: Glyphosate (Roundup) or Roundup Ready Crops May Cause Animal
Miscarriages", Jill Richardson, La Vida Locavore, 18 February 2011
http://www.lavidalocavore.org/diary/4523

2. "Researcher: Glyphosate (Roundup) or Roundup Ready Crops May Cause Animal
Miscarriages", 18 February 2011,
http://farmandranchfreedom.org/gmo-miscarriages

3. Ho MW. Genetic Engineering Dream of Nightmare? The Brave New World of Bad
Science and Big Business, Third World Network, Gateway Books, MacMillan,
Continuum, Penang, Malaysia, Bath, UK, Dublin, Ireland, New York, USA, 1998,
1999, 2007 (reprint with extended Introduction). http://www.i-
sis.org.uk/genet.php

Read the rest of this article on the ISIS website
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/newPathogenInRoundupReadyGMCrops.php
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