Broad destruction of milkweed in farmland

[Monarch MaMa]

The following information may be difficult to believe but farmers can now kill ALL the milkweed in their fields with the herbicide Roundup. A few years ago I was discussing the problem of dwindling milkweed with a Canadian farmer and I was shocked to hear his story: Monsanto Corp has developed seeds for soybeans and field corn that is resistant to Roundup so a farmer who buys this type of seed can broad-spectrum spray for milkweed, foxtail, velvetleaf and other 'weeds' and not harm their crop. Milkweed can survive plowing but not Roundup. So whereas years past, monarchs had farm fields with milkweed as their waystations, some of them no longer exist where they farmer is getting this special seed. Monsanto sets forth a contract with the farmer to buy back the whole crop and they then sell it to the food industry. If the farmer doesn't sell the crop back to Monsanto, or if some of the product gets caught in machinery or falls out, Monsanto can fine the farmer up to $50,000 ! You see, Monsanto is insanely worried that another seed competitor will discover the DNA secrets of its product that they force the farmer to sell back to them. They also install a special radio-active isotope in the seed so they can use a special scanning device to search the farmer's property for 'hidden or smuggled' crops to prevent that farmer from selling it to a competitor. This farmer I spoke to refused to use this product because he was concerned a kernel of corn would get caught in the machinery and he'd be fined for it, besides he also wanted to use seeds from other companies. SO 1) Monsanto is indirectly destroying farm field waystations for our monarchs and 2) installing radio-active isotopes into food products- this makes me nervous. {Yes, I'm aware that we get radiation from the natural sunshine each day, but it seems wrong and immoral to supply additional radiation to our food, or the feed of the livestock that we consume (meat & dairy). }

I'm glad to have found this forum to alert people of another procedure that may be wiping out our monarchs. I have no reason not to trust this farmer, we are members of Rotary International and I met him at his Rotary Club. However, if anyone can update or correct this information, I welcome it.

[Mona Miller]

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1654&p=7969&hilit=bees#p7693
You should look through this discussion on roundup. You'll be shocked to find that some people don't believe pesticides or herbicides harm butterflies, milkweed, or wildlife. I think they do.

[Paul Cherubini]

The following information may be difficult to believe but farmers can now kill ALL the milkweed in their fields with the herbicide Roundup. I'm glad to have found this forum to alert people of another procedure that may be wiping out our monarchs.

Roundup Ready crops have been around since 1996 and by 2002 were widely adopted by the upper Midwestern corn and soybean farmers. Since 2002, are you aware of any books, articles or websites that have claimed monarchs and milkweed have been "wiped out" or severely depleted in the upper Midwest? I'm not. I've posted lots of photos in the following thread viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1629 showing how milkweed, monarchs and monarch caterpillars are still abundant around the margins of herbicide treated corn and soybean fields in southern Minnesota and Iowa (where the highest density of herbicide tolerant crops are grown).

Monsanto and Dupont could potentially do even more than I have done and produce a documentary film for the public showing how monarchs continue to be more abundant around margins of upper midwestern herbicide treated corn and soybean fields than anywhere else in the whole USA (the margins are not sprayed with herbicide so the milkweed and butterfly nectar plants are not harmed).

[Monarch MaMa]

I've been told that monarch populations were 20 millions a few years back, and are now down to 2 million. There has to be some reason why the total is only 10% of "normal" - the Roundup Ready crops arriving at nearly the same time as the population decline may be a viable clue. I agree that it needs to be more thoroughly investigated but with today's economy, that's unlikely. However DDT wasn't harmless - was it?

[texas butterfly]

On the other hand, as I was driving this evening near a railroad:

I was pleased with as much milkweed and other flowers growing along the road way and the railroad.
In some areas, it looked like some flowers were planted by someone and not just nature.

Another place, it looked like they intentionally mowed around flowers and some weed along a roadway.

So, some people are taking notice.

[Paul Cherubini]

On the other hand, as I was driving this evening near a railroad:
I was pleased with as much milkweed and other flowers growing along the road way and the railroad.

Wow, do you know what species of wild milkweed that was? I was not aware that wild milkweeds are still green in the Houston area in mid-summer. I heard they typically go dormant by then.

[Mona Miller]

I'd bet if they were planted, then someone has probably been watering and tending them. I know that tropical milkweed is perennial in Texas.

I was in NJ in June. We were at this beach club with manicured lawns, but down the street less than a block a way were private houses and one had common milkweed in the front yard. I think there are a lot of people looking out for Monarch butterflies.

[texas butterfly]

I'm not sure what kind. I'll have to go back and see if I can get photos.

Come to think of it, it is unbelievable even with our drought conditions that there was anything growing at all. I saw many nice flowers, etc.....

It is possible that someone seeded the areas. So, if it is milkweed confirmed then it may not be the common variety. It sure looked like someone had planted the flowers.

I saw flowers with 24 inch long spikes of purple flowers for instance. I'm not sure what kind of plant it is. In the 100 yards or so that this plant showed up, I didn't see it anywhere else in the 5 mile trip that I made near this rail road.

I'm very much wanting to go back and check it out. If I can and get photos, I'll post.

[Mona Miller]

The long purple flowers could possibly be liatris (blazing star).

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/86/

There are many varieties of this. Monarchs and other butterflies love to nectar this. Plant species only because some of the cultivars don't have very much nectar.

[NickiM]

The long purple flowers could possibly be liatris (blazing star).

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/86/

There are many varieties of this. Monarchs and other butterflies love to nectar this. Plant species only because some of the cultivars don't have very much nectar.

This is true of many of the showy hybrid varieties of flowers so common in most gardens. Plus, they don't produce the seeds for birds the way the species plants do.

[Paul Cherubini]

Hoskins, Nebraska is surrounded by vast monocultures of herbicide treated BT Corn and soybeans and yet there have been thousands of monarchs there in recent days:
http://www.learner.org/cgi-bin/jnorth/j ... 1251512337

"We own an 80 acre farm in Wayne County, near Hoskins NE and we have a bridle path running through our grove. On the evening of Aug. 28th, 2009 we were driving our Jeep through the path and at the base of the grove we saw thousands if not hundreds of thousands of monarchs flying in the trees trying to roost. At first we saw the trees moving not knowing what it was. Then when we saw what it was we were amazed. Our grandkids were in total amazment at the butterflies flying all around and above us. It was the greatest thing we have ever seen and we thank God and mother nature for such a wonderful sight."

[Mona Miller]

They are migrating, not eating/nectaring the corn/soybean.

What does this have to do with Monarchs now? It does mean that thousands of insects have died earlier. A lot of them beneficial.

[Paul Cherubini]

The reason there are so many Journey North reports of large monarch roosts around the corn and soybean crop monocultures of eastern Nebraska, central and southern Minnesota and Iowa is because millions of monarchs are born along the margins of these crops in mid-late August and in September.

Anyone who walks along the milkweed rich crop margins between about 9:30 am - 11:30 am in the morning will likely encounter newly emerged monarchs with soft wings that can only fly short distances because their wings aren’t fully hardened yet.

Like these newly emerged monarchs:

male monarch:
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87 ... orrisb.jpg

female monarch close up view:
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87 ... orrisd.jpg
same female monarch landscape view:
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87 ... orrisc.jpg

Likewise, anyone who walks or drives along the crop margins will encounter fall migrant monarchs nectaring next to these genetically modified fields of herbicide tolerant soybeans and BT corn.

Like these 4 monarchs:

Close up view: http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87 ... orrise.jpg
Landscape view: http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87 ... orrisa.jpg

[Mona Miller]

http://www1.umn.edu/webdd/resources/zone.html
Zone Map

http://allaboutsquarefootgardening.com/?page_id=8
Last Frost Date Chart by City

http://www.victoryseeds.com/frost/mn.html
Average First and Last Frost Dates for Minnesota

Look at these planting zones and hard frost dates. I don't think the soy or corn would be a problem this late in the season. But, it would be when it is bloom.

All of your pictures are photoshopped. I'd like to hear from some real people in those areas.

[Paul Cherubini]

All of your pictures are photoshopped. I'd like to hear from some real people in those areas.

What is your definition of "photoshopped"?

The dictionary offers these two definitions:

1) Used to describe something that is fake.
2) An image that has literally been drawn or editied with the program Adobe Photoshop.

My still images have not been edited to describe something that is fake. Each image is backed up with an unedited video which proves the still images have not been edited. Three specific examples:

1) Here is the still image of a newly emerged male monarch with soft wings that emerged from it1s chrysalis right next to a field of Roundup Ready soybeans near Morris Minnesota
on Aug. 18, 2009: http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87 ... orrisb.jpg

Here is the video of that same monarch plus another newly emerged monarch that was right near it at the time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8d8abPhdly0

2) Here are the still images of a newly emerged female monarch with soft wings that emerged from it1s chrysalis right next to a field of Roundup Ready soybeans near Morris Minnesota on
Aug. 18, 2009:
Close up view: http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87 ... orrisd.jpg
Landscape view: http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87 ... orrisc.jpg

Here is the video of that same female monarch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6wnMVo0bdc

3) ) Here are the still images of a newly emerged male monarch with soft wings that emerged from it1s chrysalis right next to a field of Roundup Ready soybeans near Elbow Lake, Minnesota on
Aug. 17, 2009:
Close up view: http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/cty8b.jpg
Landscape view: http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/cty8a.jpg

Here is the video of that same male monarch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXkrf7eZw5k

These photos and video demonstrate that monarchs breed successfully in large numbers in the areas of the upper Midwest where a whopping 70% of the entire landmass is covered with herbicide treated corn and soybean crops. I will be taking a similar series of still and video shots in early August again this year with a much high quality camera. I know in advance the monarchs will be there because GMO farmland continues to be highly productive monarch breeding habitat.

[Mona Miller]

Take a chill pill. We have better things to do that look or listen to your nonsense. Look up nonsense.

[Paul Cherubini]

Take a chill pill. We have better things to do that look or listen to your nonsense. Look up nonsense.

Independent authorities such as the Entomology and Plant Science Bureau Chief of the Iowa Dept of Agriculture agree with me.

[blazing star]

Yep, milkweed grows near GM farmland. Your point is?