What happens when genetically modified plants escape fields and start mixing with non-genetically modified, native plants? It seems you get a situation where one plant potentially shares its genetic material with another. New Scientist is reporting that canola weeds have been found in North Dakota containing genetic material that is resistant to both glyphosate, sold as Roundup by Monsanto, and glufosinate, ...

After a number of warnings by extension arborists, professors, and landscapers about damage the broad-leaf herbicide, Imprelis, has wreaked upon evergreen and ornamental trees across the country, the Environmental Protection Agency is prepared to issue a "stop sale" on the product. In June, Safelawns picked up a story by Biocycle, one of the first sources to break the news about the damage Imprelis was caus ...

Miracle-Gro Stock Drops 12 Percent on Monday Blaming bad weather, the leader of the world’s largest lawn chemical company announced this morning that Scotts Miracle-Gro earnings slipped 37 percent from May through July. The value of the publicly traded company has likewise plummeted during that same period, from a high of $60.62 per share on May 10 of this year, to $40.41 as yesterday's close. The company l ...

Behind closed, quarantined doors in Ewing, New Jersey, a small army is being tested. The troops in this army have six legs, and sometimes wings. At the Phillip Alampi Beneficial Insect Rearing Laboratory, entomologists with the State Department of Agriculture have been busy creating species of insects that would reduce the need for pesticides. Their current project is a pest predator for the Asian stink bug ...

We resumed our weekly videos for NBC recently. In this segment we review the basics of how to grow highbush blueberries, probably the greatest shrub for the northern climate: http://www.wcsh6.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=168195 ...

WREX Channel 13 News By Cynthia Ramnarace From Green Goes Simple Maintaining a lush, healthy lawn without resorting to harsh chemicals is no easy task. Fortunately, you don't have to have a supremely green thumb to keep your lawn naturally vibrant. According to Paul Tukey, author of The Organic Lawn Care Manual, a truly "green" lawn requires patience, diligence and, most importantly, a pair of blinders. "Mo ...

Although nearly 90% of the field corn grown in the U.S. is genetically modified, until now this corn has only been used as animal feed and in processed foods. Beginning this fall, however, Monsanto plans to introduce sweet corn. It will be the first corn manufactured for the consumer market. According to a report published by Bloomberg, the sweet corn seeds are engineered to kill insects living above and be ...

Last week town councilors in Scarborough, Maine, breathed a sigh of relief. After months of work, the Ordinance Committee has a policy that will restrict use of pesticides on municipal property. In an article written for the Scarborough Leader, Karen D'Andrea, Town Councilor and co-author of the policy, says, “It’s a public health issue,” D’Andrea said. “We know that many pesticides can cause things like ca ...

One of the biggest concerns of genetically modified plants is the ability for these plants to infect other plants through cross-pollination, thereby eliminating surrounding native species forever. Another is the recent development of weeds resistant to glyphosate, the main ingredient used in Round Up, spurring the growth of uncontrollable weed development in farms across the country. With these concerns alo ...

Following the lead of Quebec, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and hopefully, soon, British Columbia, New Brunswick is taking first steps toward banning use of cosmetic pesticides. The Daily Gleaner is reporting that 4,000 signatures were collected this past year by Tracy Glynn, forest campaigner for the Conservation Council of New Brunswick. In the article, Glynn said a Health Canada review of glyphosate- th ...