GM grass linked to Texas cattle deaths

[Jumping Frog]

GM grass linked to Texas cattle deaths

This is strange. Happened in Elgin, just east of Austin.

The grass is a genetically-modified form of Bermuda known as Tifton 85 which has been growing here for 15 years, feeding Abel's 18 head of Corriente cattle. . . .

Three weeks ago, the cattle had just been turned out to enjoy the fresh grass, when something went terribly wrong.

"When our trainer first heard the bellowing, he thought our pregnant heifer may be having a calf or something," said Abel. "But when he got down here, virtually all of the steers and heifers were on the ground. Some were already dead, and the others were already in convulsions."

Within hours, 15 of the 18 cattle were dead. . . .

Preliminary tests revealed the Tifton 85 grass, which has been here for years, had suddenly started producing cyanide gas, poisoning the cattle.

"Coming off the drought that we had the last two years ... we're concerned it was a combination of events that led us to this," Dr. Gary Warner, an Elgin veterinarian and cattle specialist who conducted the 15 necropsies, told Kelly.

What is more worrisome: Other farmers have tested their Tifton 85 grass, and several in Bastrop County have found their fields are also toxic with cyanide. However, no other cattle have died.

[A-R]

Elgin and Bastrop? Total layman here but based on location I'm wondering if some fallout from last summer's massive wildfire could be more culpable than the mere drought conditions alone

[Kiowa Scout]

It could be possible. It could also be that these GM grasses became hyper-modified. It has happened in other organisms.

[Heartland Patriot]

I read down through quite a few comments after the story. Its seems that quite a few common plants and grasses have a tendency to produce cyanide, especially when young and growing rapidly or under other certain conditions (defense mechanism, perhaps?). Anyway, look up "prussic acid poisoning" of livestock. You'll see that there is quite a bit of info out there. I certainly learned something new today, not being a farmer or rancher myself. Seems like the reporter of that story could have learned something, too, before "printing" what they did. But, hey, then they couldn't attack that grass hybrid as a GM crop, now could they?

[sjfcontrol]

OK -- I know that the death of cattle in Texas is a serious issue... BUT

This is the GM Grass that I thought was at issue based on the title of this thread...

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=hzyRjX_pX5c[/youtube]

[Heartland Patriot]

OK -- I know that the death of cattle in Texas is a serious issue... BUT

This is the GM Grass that I thought was at issue based on the title of this thread...

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=hzyRjX_pX5c[/youtube]

GROAN!

(Since we don't have a facepalm smiley...) I did chuckle a little, though...

[WildBill]

I read down through quite a few comments after the story. Its seems that quite a few common plants and grasses have a tendency to produce cyanide, especially when young and growing rapidly or under other certain conditions (defense mechanism, perhaps?). Anyway, look up "prussic acid poisoning" of livestock. You'll see that there is quite a bit of info out there. I certainly learned something new today, not being a farmer or rancher myself. Seems like the reporter of that story could have learned something, too, before "printing" what they did. But, hey, then they couldn't attack that grass hybrid as a GM crop, now could they?

Very interesting. I was aware about apple seeds, apricot and cherry pits containing cyanides, but didn't know about leaves or grass.

Apparently there are some other common plants that contain prussic acid. - Apple, Johnsongrass, Apricot, Lima bean, Arrow Grass, Peach, Birdsfoot trefoil, Poison suckleya, Cherry, Sudangrass hybrids, Elderberry, Sorghum-sudangrass hybrids, Flax, Shattercane, Forage Sorghums, Velvet grass, Grain Sorghums, Vetch seed, Hydrangea, White Clover, Indiangrass.

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/ansci/livestoc/v1150w.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[flb_78]

Can I buy some of this grass to keep kids off my lawn?

[WildBill]

Can I buy some of this grass to keep kids off my lawn?

They'd have to be some mighty strange kids if they were eating your lawn.

[gringo pistolero]

This is the GM Grass that I thought was at issue based on the title of this thread...

It would have solved a lot of problems if that GM grass had high levels of arsenic.

[Dave2]

Seems like the reporter of that story could have learned something, too, before "printing" what they did. But, hey, then they couldn't attack that grass hybrid as a GM crop, now could they?

Especially since the grass in question isn't actually a genetically modified plant.

[WildBill]

This is the GM Grass that I thought was at issue based on the title of this thread...

It would have solved a lot of problems if that GM grass had high levels of arsenic.

How so?