How is this possible?
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-5745…
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-5745…
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It's not possible at all! This is all due to poor reporting and bad management, not to mention misinformation. The animals were killed due to irresponsibility on the owner's part, and death by PRUSSIC ACID poisoning, NOT cyanide gas. The owner shouldn't have turned these roping steers out on fresh, drought-stressed pasture that had not been grazed all year in the first place.
You folks can go on about your GMO and cyanide stuff, but the truth is that Tifton 85 did NOT produce cyanide gas and it really isn't a GM grass.
Besides, this has been asked before already. See here: http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/ind…
You folks can go on about your GMO and cyanide stuff, but the truth is that Tifton 85 did NOT produce cyanide gas and it really isn't a GM grass.
Besides, this has been asked before already. See here: http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/ind…
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I think it's very possible. A lot of times stories like these don't really either know or provide enough details to answer the question. They just include what they need to. But one question that came to my mind was when they first tested the grass, would their test have shown that it was present? Or would it not have shown the cyanide in the results until they were looking specifically for something wrong? If that was the case then how would they know it wasn't there all along? Obviously there were other grasses at different places that contained cyanide and their cattle are fine.
I do think that it is possible that the grass contains cyanide, but my belief is that it was probably there all along and just not known about. Of course, it's only my opinion. But, apple seeds contain cyanide (if you crack open the seed you can smell it--smells like cleaning products. Smells good) that is used as protection because it kills smaller animals when they eat it. So then other animals will learn not to eat it. So maybe the cyanide was there all along that protects against smaller insects eating the grass. Now that I think about it, when I've looked at grass I rarely see any small pieces missing from it...
Little bit of a ramble, but I'm real interested in science, so that is my opinion on that story. But, can't science can't really ever be "known".
I do think that it is possible that the grass contains cyanide, but my belief is that it was probably there all along and just not known about. Of course, it's only my opinion. But, apple seeds contain cyanide (if you crack open the seed you can smell it--smells like cleaning products. Smells good) that is used as protection because it kills smaller animals when they eat it. So then other animals will learn not to eat it. So maybe the cyanide was there all along that protects against smaller insects eating the grass. Now that I think about it, when I've looked at grass I rarely see any small pieces missing from it...
Little bit of a ramble, but I'm real interested in science, so that is my opinion on that story. But, can't science can't really ever be "known".
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It has nothing to do with genetically modified but they said they changed the title. There are some plants that start producing toxins when signals are received by other plants.
"According to a professor at Pretoria University, the Acacia trees emit ethylene into the air whenever antelopes start grazing on their leaves. This travels up to 50 yards, warning other trees that herbivores are in the area. Once the alarm signal is given, the trees start producing leaf tannin in quantities lethal to the antelopes."
http://scienceray.com/biology/killer-tre…
There are several species of grasses that produce cyanide. It is probably possible for any of them to produce it with a few mutations if they don't produce it naturally.
"According to a professor at Pretoria University, the Acacia trees emit ethylene into the air whenever antelopes start grazing on their leaves. This travels up to 50 yards, warning other trees that herbivores are in the area. Once the alarm signal is given, the trees start producing leaf tannin in quantities lethal to the antelopes."
http://scienceray.com/biology/killer-tre…
There are several species of grasses that produce cyanide. It is probably possible for any of them to produce it with a few mutations if they don't produce it naturally.