Backyard Aquaponics
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http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... nutrients/

Sounds good, but also sounds like a marketing gimmick.

The "GMO" debate is unfortunately shrouded in a lot of layers of public opinion, scientific dissonance (I didn't know what else to call it where the scientific community research is too far separated from the public), rumors/assumptions and a misunderstanding of the difference between GMO and NGO (among other things)...

Companies like Monsanto really don't offer much to help this, although their PR dept is almost impeccable. What I would say is that the biggest fears on GMO production are monocropping and seed invasiveness more than anything.

I'll skirt the long debate for now, and get back to the main aspect of this tomato. It is awesome.... unfortunately, it won't most likely be available [in our lifetime]. The research for it was tied in with other aspects and gaining public approval and getting this to be large-scale produced and distributed is highly unlikely. Also, it will probably never pass FDA regulations. I think they are investigating it for ways to utilize more medicinal research; I can find it if you like.

Either way, radical article! This is cool to view where the world is going.

So they are packing excessive nutrients in? how is this "good"?

X times more of Y nutrient than Z other product , but if product Z had 4 times the daily required amount.... whats the point?

e.g. The davidson plum has 100 times the vitamin C of oranges, so its touted as a "super food" and all that shit, but whats the point in caring when you can get enough nutrient from half an orange?


There is also factors like synthetic vitamin A is BAD for you, in too high of a dose, can kill you, yet "vitamin tablets are good" or some other malarkey like that.... not too sure on how natural these compounds will be.

Then there is the fact that nothing is "more is better", everything as to be in balance, they say "the plants can be engineered to produce specific compounds that are thought to have certain nutritional or health benefits", so really its another "wrinkle cream might help your aging issue" type of deal....

I'll agree with Yav that they aren't really needed. Mum always used to put vitamin c tablets down my throat as a kid, but these days it's shown that they just stop your body from naturally taking it up.

When they start GMO-ing tomatoes for flavour & productiveness, I'll pay attention. If they can get a tomato plant like yellow brandywine to produce like a feral cherry, I'll be a happy boy. But I'm sure that could be achieved with selective breeding too without messing with genes.

But GMO tomatoes are out there already, and in Australia.

They use GMO tomatoes for rootstocks of grafted tommy plants. Gives it better disease resistance, and more productive.

I'd rather work my way through the 50 bottles of red wine.

My problem with GMO is:-
1. the ownership!
2. mono-culture.

1. company 'M' owns this or that seed strain, you can only grow it with their approval (ie $$$$) and their way.
that sucks big time to me.

2. vast mono-culture crops from a common gene scare me, something is bound to go wrong.

Good points ...all. i agree with the mono cropping. It's doesn't work even in small scales.

Never heard about any research regarding taking vitamin supplements. Sounds interesting.

Regarding the "Who needs it?" comments. I don't think the article is touting these for direct consumption. What I get is that they will process these to extract the specific chemicals which would be cheaper than synthetically producing them.

So even in that vein, my question would be: What happens when the field cross pollinates with a local farmer and corrupts his seed? Does the gene inventor get a share of the crop $? do we all get megadoses of flavonoids from now on or stop eating tomatoes? Go ahead and tell me that can't happen, and I'll point out the myiads of invasive species that have wiped out or taken over the environment beyond all the safeguards and control strategies. Once out there's no corking the genie (ha!).

Monoculture is not a concern to me as there will always be people interested in heirloom and a good deal of the varieties will be preserved. It won't be great fro the monoculture farmers (think bananas, taro, mango, etc.) who are scrambling for alternatives.

I think GMOs are great, but require GREAT care, probably more than we are willing to take in the name of profit.

It's all a giant science experiment and Monsanto is at the wheel. They don't even want their final products labelled. Doesn't that say something?

I think GMOs are great, but require GREAT care, probably more than we are willing to take in the name of profit.

Poppa- That's probably the best statement that I've heard regarding GMO's. Hit the nail on the head. Is there a place for this type of science? I would think yes. Is it safe to assume that most (all?) companies would not do their due diligence in order to turn a profit? I fear that's the biggest issue.

i think the GMO technology should be saved for off planet stuff, like growing on the moon or mars when we finally get there.

Is there a plant species that humans cultivate today that ISN'T GMO in one way, shape, form, or fashion? We've been cross breeding plants for so long as a species that saying "NO-GMO" is asinine. If you want non-GMO, enjoy going back to corn that is so hard coming off the cob that it will break your teeth....

I don't know a great deal about the science underpinning GMO, but what scares me is the pace of organism change that it facilitates. Not saying it's a fundamental 'bad', just worry that we might not have time to discover any negative consequences before the GMO organism is too widespread to pull it back. I think the slower, but still unnatural, process of focussed cross breeding at least gives us that time to discover negative consequences while continuing to pursue positive ones.
Although, in the back of my mind is the thought that I may also just be fearing what I don't understand.

Cross breeding is nothing like genetic modification, don't get the two mixed up.

very wrong, stop reading monsanto sites.

or maybe you are a monsanto employee.