Here's the proof that it will kill

Winter Woman

Well-Known Member

Hybrid grass killing cattle. I call this proof.


(Newser) – A sudden die-off of almost an entire herd of Texas cattle has been linked to a hybrid of Bermuda grass, reports CBS. Fifteen of the 18 animals on an 80-acre Elgin ranch began bellowing, went into convulsions, and quickly died three weeks ago when they were let loose on the grass hybrid known as Tifton 85, which has been growing on the ranch for 15 years. Preliminary results showed that the Tifton 85 grass was mysteriously producing cyanide gas and poisoned the cattle.


Researchers aren't certain what caused the change, and USDA scientists are attempting to determine if there has been some new strange mutation in the grass. Other farmers have since tested their Tifton 85 grass to find it's also toxic with cyanide gas—though so far no other cattle have been killed. But for right now, the Elgin rancher is steering clear of Tifton 85: "The grasshoppers are enjoying it now," he says.
 

Ringsixty

Well-Known Member
wow...that sucks.
got to raise my own vegetables, beef, chicken and pork these days. I would have include fish...not a fish eater.
 

ismokealotofpot

New Member
They have to gmo everything these days. monsanto is making roundup ready vegetables. @ ring sixty I raised my own critters a while back started when corn was 6$ a bag now its $ 12 at the same store. its just not practical or cost effective. each chicken will end up costing you 20 bucks by the time they are big enough to eat. and the ones that get real big and fat fast are gmo birds they cant even walk they just sit there and eat until they die
 

ismokealotofpot

New Member
The sad thing is no one knows what the long term impact will be from the gmos and monsantos is in so many peoples pockets no one will do anything about it.
 

Winter Woman

Well-Known Member
It a hybrid not GM. It does show how mutations can be dangerous. I should not have jumped on this story like that.

I think that any monoculture is a problem and can be dangerous to our food production. And monocultures are promoted by seed companies.
 

cannabineer

Ursus marijanus
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/06/cyanide-and-poisoned-cows/


Here is an interesting article about this event and there is mention of some common food stuffs that can possibly do this...
Peach and apricot pits are notorious ... they contain the same protoxin, cyanogenic clycosides. The glycoside of lactose and benzaldehyde cyanohydrin (2-phenylglycolonitrile) is called amygdalin, and old hands may recognize it from a '70s health scam as Laetrile™. Stomach acid frees the hydrocyanic acid.

Interestingly, the Merck manual lists several cyanogenic grasses, but not bermuda. cn

<edit> Light bulb! Tifton 85 is a hybrid of Bermuda and star grass, which is known cyanogenic. Thanks Shannon.
 

Shannon Alexander

Well-Known Member
I chew them just like every other part of the apple, except the woody stem.. I use that to get the pieces of apple skin and the seed casings out of my teeth...
 

Cut.Throat.

Well-Known Member
It a hybrid not GM. It does show how mutations can be dangerous. I should not have jumped on this story like that.

I think that any monoculture is a problem and can be dangerous to our food production. And monocultures are promoted by seed companies.
Thank you. I've been saying this for years. It's why the irish potato famine was so devastating. They only grew one type of potato and it was wiped out in a matter of days.

Russet potatoes are going to be the next one.
 

cannabineer

Ursus marijanus
I chew them just like every other part of the apple, except the woody stem.. I use that to get the pieces of apple skin and the seed casings out of my teeth...
I hope you haven't simply been lucky!

Thank you. I've been saying this for years. It's why the irish potato famine was so devastating. They only grew one type of potato and it was wiped out in a matter of days.

Russet potatoes are going to be the next one.
That goes far to explaining why having a network of hobbyist gardeners to keep heirloom and landrace strains of all the major&minor food crops is just a darn good idea. cn
 

Red1966

Well-Known Member
I read a news report of a teenager who saved up a small jar of apple seeds, then ate them. It killed him. Apparently, if you eat the apple whole, you can not consume enough seeds to cause death, but eating a whole jar (report didn't mention size of jar) can be enough toxin to kill you.
 

Cut.Throat.

Well-Known Member
I read a news report of a teenager who saved up a small jar of apple seeds, then ate them. It killed him. Apparently, if you eat the apple whole, you can not consume enough seeds to cause death, but eating a whole jar (report didn't mention size of jar) can be enough toxin to kill you.
Am I the only one who remembers the G.I. Joe episode where they kill a mutant blob monster by making it eat a whole field of apples? That's what I remember when I think about apple seeds being poisonous lol.
 

Shannon Alexander

Well-Known Member
I hope you haven't simply been lucky!



That goes far to explaining why having a network of hobbyist gardeners to keep heirloom and landrace strains of all the major&minor food crops is just a darn good idea. cn
It's just one of those irrational fears that people have...

I watched a doco when I was much younger, more than half my life ago *sigh*... and this doctor dude in the white lab coat and all explained about the poison in apple seeds and demonstrated how many apple seeds the average person would have to consume in one sitting to have a lethal overdose... and I'm not sure that I could eat enough apples in a year to get a jug full of seeds like he had...

Even before that I'd always eat the whole apple... If it was good enough for my nan it was sure as heck good enough for me...
 

cannabineer

Ursus marijanus
That's like the awful old joke about ... the worst part about eating plenty of vegetables is that after a while, you run out of spots to stack the wheelchairs. cn
 
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