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Roundup Ready Alfalfa

     The use of Roundup Ready alfalfa in the United States is causing great concern among the farming and ranching communities.  This variety of alfalfa is genetically modified so that it is resistant to the herbicide Roundup or disambiguation, which is currently the most widely used herbicide in the United States.  Alfalfa is a very common crop and is grown nationwide, as it is a valuable feed crop for cattle.  The cause for concern is if we continue to use this strand of alfalfa, we will lose diversity and potentially create a weed resistant to herbicides as well.  These altered genes could potentially transfer their new traits to their natural relatives and also to weed species.  If this were to happen there would be weed tribulations that we will not be able to fix without genetically modifying yet another organism.

     Genetically modified organisms are living organisms that have been altered using a desirable gene.  Scientists believe that by genetically modifying crops we can solve many agricultural problems including food shortages, and the amount of pesticides that we use.  So far, our national government has spent over three point four billion dollars on supporting genetic modification research.  While our government supports this research, there are many consumers who use these products that disapprove of the alterations.  Many of the European consumers of American alfalfa want to ban the import of the modified organisms altogether.  Although there is no specific scientific data that has proven these organisms to be harmful to the environment or to humans and animals European producers are still proposing a ban.

     With the use of Roundup Ready alfalfa, we can turn once weedy fields into higher crop yielding and neater looking crops.  We will begin to see the benefits of using Roundup Ready alfalfa such as time savings and the value of the pest control when more and more growers begin to use the product.  The best benefit of all, this variety of alfalfa produces much higher yields than traditional alfalfa fields.  The Monsanto company, who has been leader in the development of genetically altered crops, states that Roundup Ready alfalfa will out yield its relative crop by three times.  Reduction in the amount of weeds will not only make the fields look neater, but it will also improve the quality of the harvest.  The negative impacts such as lower quality and reduction of the illness in cattle herds are greatly decreased with the use of this Roundup Ready alfalfa.  Some weeds such as common groundsel pose a risk to livestock because of the toxins they produce, however once the weed threat is reduced so is the hazard toward your herd.  When weeds are present in a hay crop, it causes the harvest to dry slower due to the larger mass.  Not to mention the fact that this will increase the risk of the curing hay being rained on, which will result in a longer bailing process.

     The opportune time to implement a Roundup Ready system is when you are establishing a new field.  Since alfalfa seeds are perennials and can be used for three to five years, it is important to start with an herbicide resistant crop.  This will give the alfalfa stand a step up when later invading weeds arrive, for their seeds will be more abundant and vigorous.  However this doesn't limit your application, you must still apply the Roundup even after the alfalfa stands have been established.  As the crop develops over time, it will naturally thin leaving it with a higher potential to be infested with weeds.

     Another way to ensure that you are reducing the weed population is to rotate crops in between growing years of alfalfa.  Rotating crops such as wheat or oats every few years is a weed management technique in itself.  By doing this, the ground becomes disrupted and it reduces the chances of weed populations establishing.  These techniques sometimes have to be done in certain times of the year and at certain temperatures.  With a Roundup Ready stand of alfalfa, you have a higher flexibility time to apply the herbicides and how often you administer them.