GURT - Genetic Use Restriction Technology. Disrupts seed development, making them sterile.

Farmer's Hat

Farmer's Hat

Well-Known Member
Is it ethical to incorporate this technology into freebie tester seeds? Lets explore this idea hypothetically. Tester seeds are given freely to dozens of growers. The goal is to collect information about how the strain performed. The plants grown from the tester seeds are essentially sterile and cannot produce viable seeds.

*Key Point:*
The GURT trait is designed to induce sterility in the second generation (F2) seeds, not in the first generation (F1) seeds distributed.

(Transformed Plant) → F1 (Viable Seeds, distributed to Farmers) → F2 (Sterile Seeds)


*GURT Seed Sterility Timeline:*

1. *Parental Generation (P):* The initial transformed plant with the GURT trait is fertile and produces viable seeds.
2. *First Filial Generation (F1):* Seeds from the P generation are harvested and distributed to farmers. These F1 seeds are viable and will germinate.
3. *Second Filial Generation (F2):* When F1 plants produce seeds (F2), the GURT trait is activated, making these seeds sterile. They will not germinate.


Has it been done before? What are your thoughts?
 
conor c

conor c

Well-Known Member
Farmer's Hat said:
Is it ethical to incorporate this technology into freebie tester seeds? Lets explore this idea hypothetically. Tester seeds are given freely to dozens of growers. The goal is to collect information about how the strain performed. The plants grown from the tester seeds are essentially sterile and cannot produce viable seeds.

*Key Point:*
The GURT trait is designed to induce sterility in the second generation (F2) seeds, not in the first generation (F1) seeds distributed.

(Transformed Plant) → F1 (Viable Seeds, distributed to Farmers) → F2 (Sterile Seeds)


*GURT Seed Sterility Timeline:*

1. *Parental Generation (P):* The initial transformed plant with the GURT trait is fertile and produces viable seeds.
2. *First Filial Generation (F1):* Seeds from the P generation are harvested and distributed to farmers. These F1 seeds are viable and will germinate.
3. *Second Filial Generation (F2):* When F1 plants produce seeds (F2), the GURT trait is activated, making these seeds sterile. They will not germinate.


Has it been done before? What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...
Your talking about Monsanto style terminator genes and it's not anything we want near our genepool it's unethical and downright risky genetic pollution isn't worth the risk as far as i know its not been done to that level with cannabis but it is just a matter of time they have done this with other plants already however.
 
Farmer's Hat

Farmer's Hat

Well-Known Member
conor c said:
Your talking about Monsanto style terminator genes and it's not anything we want near our genepool it's unethical and downright risky genetic pollution isn't worth the risk as far as i know its not been done to that level with cannabis but it is just a matter of time they have done this with other plants already however.
Click to expand...
I hear you, no one likes Monsanto. I guess the question im contemplating is whether the technology can serve a purpose without any of the moral implications regarding exploitation of farmers.

Im not fully educated on the topic. How would it pollute the gene pool if the plant cannot reproduce?
 
Farmer's Hat

Farmer's Hat

Well-Known Member
I was musing this thought, while eating breakfast.

To mitigate any unwanted damage caused by hermaphrodites, maybe tester seeds can be sterilized with the GURT technology? It would not prevent seeds from forming, but at the very least end the possibility of unwanted hermaphrodite genes contaminating the gene pool of other stable strains. I hear many hybrids are not properly tested and the number of hermaphrodites are pretty high among freebie tester seeds.

I dont know what the actual process looks like, but im certain it isn't something the average Joe can do. The technology and resources required would most likely be absurdly expensive.

Its just a musing. :eyesmoke:
 
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conor c

conor c

Well-Known Member
Farmer's Hat said:
I hear you, no one likes Monsanto. I guess the question im contemplating is whether the technology can serve a purpose without any of the moral implications regarding exploitation of farmers.

Im not fully educated on the topic. How would it pollute the gene pool if the plant cannot reproduce?
Click to expand...
Genes can get out of the species your modifying and make it into the gene pools of other plants it's a risk when dealing with GMOs it's called genetic pollution also this is how Monsanto keeps it's monopoly cos you always have to buy seeds from them so farmers lose out in the long run using this kind of stuff just isn't required your saying it can't reproduce but in reality nature finds a way sometimes and it only takes once cos once that genies outta the bottle there is no getting it back in so if it happens there's no going back even if it can't reproduce all it takes is some pest to feed on one plant and move to the other that's gene transfer possible right there I just feel the risks never outweigh the rewards when dealing with this kind of stuff
 
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