Difference between revisions of "Roundup"

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Some [[genetically engineered crops]], called [[Roundup Ready Crops]], have their DNA altered to allow them to withstand glyphosate. These include [[Roundup Ready soybeans]], [[Roundup Ready corn|corn]], [[Roundup Ready canola|canola]], [[Roundup Ready sugarbeets|sugarbeets]], and [[Roundup Ready alfalfa|alfalfa]].
 
Some [[genetically engineered crops]], called [[Roundup Ready Crops]], have their DNA altered to allow them to withstand glyphosate. These include [[Roundup Ready soybeans]], [[Roundup Ready corn|corn]], [[Roundup Ready canola|canola]], [[Roundup Ready sugarbeets|sugarbeets]], and [[Roundup Ready alfalfa|alfalfa]].
  
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== History ==
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Glyphosate's usefulness as an herbicide was discovered by [[Monsanto]] scientist [[John E. Franz]] in 1970.<ref>[http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/franz.html Inventor of the Week: Roundup], Accessed July 12, 2012.</ref> It was first introduced in the herbicide [[Roundup]] by [[Monsanto]] in 1974. As of 2005, Monsanto's glyphosate products alone were registered in more than 130 countries for use in more than 100 crops. Much of Roundup's success is due to the perception that it is safe and nontoxic, as well as the fact that it is effective against so many species of plants. However, its safety is the subject of controversy and several studies have shown evidence to the contrary.
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Glyphosate's usefulness as an herbicide was discovered by [[Monsanto]] scientist [[John E. Franz]] in 1970.<ref>[http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/franz.html Inventor of the Week: Roundup], Accessed July 12, 2012.</ref> It was first introduced in the herbicide [[Roundup]] by [[Monsanto]] in 1974. As of 2005, Monsanto's glyphosate products alone were registered in more than 130 countries for use in more than 100 crops.
 
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Much of Roundup's success is due to the perception that it is safe and nontoxic, as well as the fact that it is effective against so many species of plants. However, its safety is the subject of controversy. In 2005, Monsanto wrote:
 
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:"Glyphosate binds tightly to most types of soil so it is not available for uptake by roots of nearby plants. It works by disrupting a plant enzyme involved in the production of amino acids that are essential to plant growth. The enzyme, EPSP synthase, is not present in humans or animals, contributing to the low risk to human health from the use of glyphosate according to label directions."<ref name="Monsanto05"/>
 
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Another description reads:
 
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:"The broad-spectrum, post-emergence, glyphosate-containing herbicide Roundup® eliminates over 125 kinds of annual and perennial weeds. It is not active in soil and is readily metabolized to innocuous products... Glyphosate inhibits a key enzyme found primarily in plants, having no effect on mammals, birds, fish, or insects. Roundup® allows farmers to control weeds with minimal tillage, conserving topsoil, time, and fuel."<ref>[http://www.invent.org/hall_of_fame/333.html Inventor Hall of Fame: Roundup], Accessed July 12, 2012.</ref>
 
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Roundup has won awards due to its perception of effectiveness and safety. In 1987, Franz received the National Medal of Technology for his work on glyphosate. In September 1994, Farm Chemicals magazine named Roundup one of the "Top 10 Products That Changed the Face of Agriculture." In 1996, Monsanto received the Presidential Award for Sustainable Development for "pioneering sustainable technologies" including glyphosate. The same year, Monsanto received the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award for "environmentally responsible systems used in the manufacture of glyphosate herbicides.<ref name="Monsanto05"/>
 
  
 
For more information, see the article on [[glyphosate]].
 
For more information, see the article on [[glyphosate]].

Revision as of 07:24, 13 July 2012

Roundup is an herbicide sold by Monsanto. It includes an active ingredient (glyphosate), water, and and a surfactant, polyoxyethylene-alkylamine (POEA), which allows the herbicide to adhere to a plant's leaves so that the active ingredient can penetrate them.[1] Roundup was the first glyphosate herbicide sold and, while numerous glyphosate products are now sold worldwide, Monsanto continues to sell glyphosate products under the brand name Roundup. Some genetically engineered crops, called Roundup Ready Crops, have their DNA altered to allow them to withstand glyphosate. These include Roundup Ready soybeans, corn, canola, sugarbeets, and alfalfa.

Glyphosate's usefulness as an herbicide was discovered by Monsanto scientist John E. Franz in 1970.[2] It was first introduced in the herbicide Roundup by Monsanto in 1974. As of 2005, Monsanto's glyphosate products alone were registered in more than 130 countries for use in more than 100 crops. Much of Roundup's success is due to the perception that it is safe and nontoxic, as well as the fact that it is effective against so many species of plants. However, its safety is the subject of controversy and several studies have shown evidence to the contrary.

For more information, see the article on glyphosate.

Articles and resources

Related SourceWatch articles

References

  1. ↑ History of Monsanto's Glyphosate Herbicides, Monsanto, 2005.
  2. ↑ Inventor of the Week: Roundup, Accessed July 12, 2012.

External resources

External articles

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