David Hare-Scott > writes
>
>"Oz" > wrote in message
...
>> David Hare-Scott > writes
>>
>> >True there are no certainties but given the amount of time we have been
>> >doing it and the number of cases of development of new varieties through
>> >selective breeding mean that we have reasonable confidence in the kinds
>of
>> >results that will be obtained.
>>
>> Hardly...
>>
>> Toxic potatoes (solanins)
>> Eczema celery (psilorins)
>> Lethal courgettes (cucubins)
>>
>> have all been bred in in recent decades and have come to market or very
>> nearly so (potatoes). These are just the ones one hears about.
>>
>
>So you are saying there are cases of selective breeding producing vegetables
>with toxins.

Selective breeding is 90% to do with producing toxins. Toxins is
typically how you produce plants resistant to pests and diseases.
Fortunately (or as a consequence) most of our food plants (pther than
cereals) come naturally packed with high doses of toxins so are pretty
pest and disease resistant.

>This may or may not be so, solanins are naturally occuring
>toxins that may develop in all potatos

Quite. Its expressed in different amounts so that (food) potatoes have
very high (lethal) levels in leaves and fruit whilst tomatoes have very
high levels in leaves but not fruit. The potato variety was one
developed to be particularly resistant to tuber attack by insects and
slugs (which it was).

>and I cannot find any reference to
>psilorins or cucubins, so please supply some references.

google curcubin threw up 13 refs you aren't even trying.

>If these cases are as you say what is your point? Are you saying this mean
>that selective breeding is a seriously flawed technique that should be
>abandoned? Given the benefits that have accrued over the history of mankind
>you have a long way to go to prove that. If not what are you saying?

That selective breeding is no more safe (and arguably less safe) than
typical GM methods.

--
Oz
This post is worth absolutely nothing and is probably fallacious.

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