Levin Branch Newsletter - July 2006

21-07-2006

ORGANIC GROWING NEWS - Newsletter No 230, July 2006

On Sunday 30 July, Claire Bleakley will bring us up to date on genetic engineering in New Zealand.

Claire is President of GE Free (NZ) in Food and Environment. She has been passionate and active in the GE field for 10 years and works with local bodies, government and grass roots groups to keep GE out of the commercial environment. Claire is also a qualified Classical Homoeopath and mother of five, and stood for the Green Party in Wairarapa in the last election.

Claire vigilantly monitors the activities of regulatory agencies such as ERMA and the Food Safety Authority, calling them to account over issues such as GE, food labelling and terminator technology. In 2000 Claire launched a successful High Court appeal against ERMA’s approval of a proposal to develop gene constructs and genetically modified cells and embryos of NZ Friesian Dairy cattle.

The GE debate has slipped out of the news in recent times, so this is the perfect opportunity to find out what is going on behind the scenes.

The meeting starts at 1.30pm in Thompson House, 4 Kent Street, Levin. A $2 gate charge includes afternoon tea, and we will have a sales table with produce and plants. Remember that our meetings are open to the public, so please feel free to bring a friend and help spread the word.

PRUNING DEMONSTRATION REPORT

Over 30 people turned up to our pruning demonstration on 25 June at the Storey family’s Imago Organic Orchard, Levin. Colin Spicer, President of the Central Districts Tree Crops Association, led proceedings.

The first thing to consider when pruning is the shape of the tree. This could either be a central leader with branches radiating from it, or a vase shape with four or five leaders starting at two to three feet above the ground. Whatever the shape, it should be considered as a framework on which to hang the fruiting material.

With apples and pears, the vegetative or leaf buds form on first-year wood. These buds are shield shaped and pressed close to the stem. The second year sees the formation of flower buds, which are bullet shaped and stand out from the stem. In the third year the flower buds bear fruit. After fruiting for two seasons the buds are past their best and their branches should be cut back. This encourages the production of new first-year vegetative buds, and the cycle begins again.

You should leave about 40% of each season’s new vegetative buds, to maintain the balance between fruiting and leaf growth. Ideally, you want a lot of leaf early in the season to build up the tree’s food reserves, and then to have all the energy going into fruiting later in the season.

Branches fruit best when approaching the horizontal. Overly long branches should be cut back to encourage growth closer to the centre of the tree, resulting in a stronger sturdier tree with better fruit. Where one fruiting arm radiates directly above a lower one, there should be 50-70cm vertical distance between them to ensure adequate air and light. With badly overgrown trees, don’t try to do everything in the first year. Develop the framework first by making some large selective reductions. Cut back old wood that is no longer serving any useful purpose. Leave the smaller finer pruning for the second or even third years.

With plums and other stone fruit, it is preferable to prune in dry weather after the harvest in autumn, to prevent silverleaf infection. Prune young plums to shape, developing five or six leaders. With older trees, the aim is to improve fruit quality and induce new growth by thinning to reduce the size of the crop. Ideally, every shoot should be shortened by 50-60%.

GENETIC ENGINEERING UPDATE

With this month’s meeting focussing on the current state of affairs with GE in New Zealand, here are some excerpts from articles that have recently appeared in the Giant Experiment newsletter. To see the full range of articles, go online at www.giantexperiment.co.nz
 

Monsanto trying to sneak GE corn into food supply – 16 June 2006

FSANZ is about to recommend to its Ministerial Council (which makes the final decision) that genetically engineered high lysine corn be approved for human consumption … In essence, FSANZ has not assessed whether the corn is safe for humans by considering what will happen to it when it is cooked. Instead it has only considered data pertaining to uncooked corn, because its primary purpose is for use as animal feed. Some of the lysine, when cooked, will combine with sugars in the corn to form substances (known as AGEs) which are implicated in causing various diseases such as Alzheimer’s and diabetes. The risk here is additional to the usual risks of unknown effects of GE. High lysine corn would be risky even if it were conventionally bred.

Furthermore, FSANZ compared the high lysine corn with another genetically engineered corn rather than with a conventional corn. This is contrary to its own stated procedures. It is supposed to compare the new variety with conventional varieties prepared in the same way (cooked or uncooked).

Also, the approval, if given, would extend to hybrids of the high lysine corn with other types of corn. This could be a back door way of getting approval for a new variety designed for human food on the back of an approval issued for a variety intended to be used only for stock feed. Any hybrids involving the high lysine type of corn should be independently assessed rather than automatically given approval. It appears that Monsanto is trying to prevent having to deal with another Starlink. Starlink was approved only for animal feed but got into products for human consumption. The recall and subsequent actions cost Monsanto millions. Seeking approval for high lysine corn to be used in human foodstuffs, even though it is intended to only be used in stock feed, appears to be a devious way to avoid having to keep its product out of the human food supply.

GE Free Whaingaroa - Media Release - 6 March 2006

Waikato District Council (WDC) this week received a report from its planners that risks from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) “could be serious and long lasting or irreversible”, that “there is a risk that Councils may face environmental clean up costs” and offering the option that, “a high level of financial accountability by GMO users for ecological damage could be achieved through the use of well framed RMA consent conditions”. Yet WDC's planners have recommended that their Draft District Plan should make no mention of GMOs. This is despite a record 57 submissions saying they should.

GE Free Whaingaroa expressed disappointment that the recommendation was not to follow the lead set by Northland councils. Group member, Malibu Hamilton, said, “We've already had the 3000 GE sheep that were slaughtered near Whakamaru a couple of years ago. They were meant to be part of ‘promising research’ into cystic fibrosis, but the company running the project went into liquidation after it became apparent that the research was going nowhere. That might still end up costing ratepayers money to clean up after the bankrupt company. As the report recognises, WDC could insist on the GE industry paying its own bills. Just because insurance companies say GE is too risky is no reason for the rest of us to subsidise developments that over 70% of New Zealanders don't want.”

Herbicide resistance spreads from GE crop to weed - 10 August 2005

A single herbicide resistant “superweed” has been found growing on the site of a former GE crop trial in the UK.  The charlock plant, a distant relative of canola, was cross-fertilised by GE canola plants, the Guardian reported. Like the GE canola crop, the charlock plant was resistant to glufosinate-ammonium herbicide.

Scientists from the environment department had previously said this was virtually impossible, because the plants were too distantly related. Seeds from the single charlock plant were not believed to be fertile, however the GE trait could potentially be spread to other charlock plants through pollen. Geneticists said even a very rare event such as this one was highly significant, as the plant would have a massive advantage when the herbicide was sprayed and could spread rapidly.

Former UK environment minister Michael Meacher called for a ban on planting any GE crops which have wild relatives growing in the countryside. “It means we just cannot afford to take the risk that GM crops will not cross-contaminate wild plants in unpredictable and unforeseeable ways,” he told the Guardian newspaper.

Strict liability for GE damage needed to protect farmers - 15 Dec 2005

GM WATCH has issued a series of reports into how an Australian GE field trial has led to widespread GE canola contamination in certain states. They say the lesson being learned by farmers is that “if you grow this stuff anywhere, any time on any scale, you're opening up a world of problems and not only for yourself”.

Australian farmers hit by the contamination have again demanded legislation to hold users of GE organisms responsible for the harm they cause. Denmark is reported to have just passed such legislation to protect its farmers and economy.

The New Zealand government refuses to consider similar moves though the threat to local communities, ratepayers, and the public are highlighted in the recent independent report to Local Councils.

Simplest solutions can be the best - 27 July 2005

Rice growers in Nepal are doubling and tripling their crop yields, simply by changing the way they plant seed. “This is not a high-yield genetically engineered rice but the normal mansuli variety of local seed,” says the Nepali Times. The seedlings are transplanted at two weeks instead of six, and fields are drained of excess water instead of being flooded. The seeds are also planted further apart, so that only 10kg of seed is used per hectare instead of 50 kg.

The new system was developed in Madagascar and has been trialled successfully in many rice-growing regions. Farmers need to be educated to deal with drainage, weeding and planting issues, but the results can be dramatic. “Kathmandu Valley farmers presently grow 5.2 tons of rice per hectare, with SRI [System of Rice Intensification] they could grow up to 12 tons, save most of their seeds and use less chemicals and water,” reports the Nepali Times. Local agriculture extension officer Rajendra Uprety sums it up: “Sometimes the best solutions are the simplest solutions.” 

NORTHERN COUNCILS TAKE A STAND ON GE

The GE Free Northland website, www.gefreenorthland.org.nz, reports that a number of northern councils have recently adopted resolutions in relation to genetic engineering, as a result of submissions to their Long Term Council Community Plans (LTCCPs).

Auckland City Council voted to join the inter-council Working Party on genetically modified organisms (GMOs), to adopt a precautionary approach to biotechnology in general and GMO land use in particular, and to investigate ways to maintain the Isthmus and Hauraki Gulf Islands environment free of GMOs until outstanding issues such as liability, economic costs and benefits, environmental risks, and cultural effects are resolved. Ratification occurred on 23 June 2006 and the resolution now forms part of Auckland City’s LTCCP 2006-2016. ACC will be attending the next meeting of the inter-council Working Party on GMOs and it is possible that council will contribute funds to the region-wide community consultation on GMOs.

Rodney District Council has decided to “investigate options for community management of GMOs and adopt a precautionary approach to the field trialling or use of GMOs…Council is now well advanced in its investigations of risks and response options in respect of GMOs. In practical terms Council has undertaken a precautionary approach to date and is about to embark on public consultation subject to the participation of other contributing councils.”

Kaipara District Council has adopted an official precautionary approach to GMOs in its LTCCP. KDC held a workshop on 19 June in response to the concerns of ratepayers and the lack of strict liability guidelines for GMOs. The workshop also looked at the ability of local authorities to act on a local level on their duty of care to their ratepayers and the environment regarding GMO land use.

Our branch recently made written and oral submissions to Horowhenua and Kapiti Coast District Councils, and Wellington and Manawatu Regional Councils, based on the excellent material provided by GE Free Northland. Their LTCCPs have yet to be released, and we await their findings with interest.

First quarter 2nd
Full moon 9th   
Last quarter 16th   
New moon 24th

• Sow cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, silver beet and lettuce 27th through to 31st.
• Sow annual flowers 3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th.
• Sow carrots and plant potatoes, gladioli, canna lilies, trees and shrubs 11th, 12th, 15th.
• Complete pruning 18th, 19th, 22nd, 23rd.
  

This month sees the start of our three month winter talk season at Thompson House, with Claire Bleakley bringing us up to date on GE in New Zealand.

Next month, on Sunday 27 August, we will hear from consultant medical herbalists Colin Dowsett and Sara Hamer of Levin. They will explain what their work as medical herbalists involves, with a particular focus on treating our winter ailments.

On Sunday 24 September we round out our indoor sojourn when we explore the fascinating world of bees with Amor Walter.

Our October meeting sees us back outdoors in the Spring sunshine (we hope) at Common Property, Te Horo. Organic market gardener Rochelle Hopping from “The Art of Life” will let us in on her preparations for the growing season ahead. Date to be advised.

All meetings start at 1.30pm and are open to the public.

The next committee meeting will be held at 10am on Monday 14 August at the home of Ray and Winifred Bourn, 23a Fairfield Road, Levin. All members are welcome to attend.