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Germplasm control

>So is this already in affect or is this something that they are
>considering?

"Germplasm Control" (for lack of a better term) is a reality, although the
degree to which it is actually being applied is a question that I cannot
answer.  For many years already, microorganisms such as bacteria have been
engineered to as to be viable only in the research laboratory.

>What does this mean for heirloom varieties? Would it then be
>illegal to save seeds from plants in a home garden? I wonder how this
>will affect companys that supply and specialize in these rare and/or
>heirloom seeds.  Surely they would not want to genetically alter plants
>such as these as well.

While none of us has a crystal ball to see into the future, you have to ask
yourself:  What drives this technology?  I wish I could belive that it only
altruism, but altruism works so much better when there is also a financial
incentive.  There will always be those that will ascribe dark motives to
the powers that are developing new technologies, and, to be sure,  we must
be vigilant to understand these technologies as best we can so that we can
make intelligent decisions on their implimentation.
My point here is there is little financial incentive to control existing
rare or heirloom seeds.  The biotechnology companies will, however, try to
control their "new and improved varieties".  The degree to which we (either
farmers or gardeners) desire these new varieties will determine whether we
will accept such germplasm control .





Don Martinson
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
d*@post.its.mcw.edu

"Existing order thrives upon ignorance and lies.
Objective truth and individual reason are feared above all."
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