Someone mentioned on another forum, using durana clover as a grazing resistant foder and cover crop. After doing some research on it, the only information about it relates to biotech companies. I haven't found any information that exactly states it as a hybrid or GMO. There is some mention of cloning. But I am not sure if this is do through traditional or non-traditional plant propogation. This makes me suspicious. What exactly is it? Does anyone have experience with durana or patriot clover? Is it a GM crop? The person that told me said they read about it in an organic magazine. This leaves me even more confused as GM crops are supposed to be a prohibited in organic production.
Thank You
Durana White Clover...What is it?
I don't know why people think it is a GMO. Maybe because they use the term "synthetic"? The registration site describes its development in terms of traditional plant breeding.
http://crop.scijournals.org/cgi/content/full/45/2/797
Patriot appears to be a related but distinct variety used more for pasture restoration.
Both are licensed by Pennington.
"Synthetic" is a term used in plant breeding for a particular breeding strategy...not for producing GMOs:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/463294/plant-breeding/67749/Synthetic-varieties
This message was edited Mar 16, 2010 12:38 AM
Thank You for your response
I assumed that it was genetically engineered because it was patented by a biotech company. There was no mention of hybridization on any of the articles or websites about this variety.
The company I work for does not work with GMOs, but the push now is to patent, if possible, any novel trait so that you can hold your own with the really mega-giant companies. That usually involves analysing DNA...but that is not the same thing as genetic engineering...just looking at a genetic fingerprint. Even then, patenting is not limited to GMOs.
It doesn't look like Durana is patented...just registered. Seed companies will always register if they have something valuable that they have taken the time and expense to develop.
Where is Moxon?...She is the patent expert.
This message was edited Mar 16, 2010 2:04 AM
Sorry, I asked the question. Didn't mean to offend you. I just wasn't sure what it was.
Really, dbailey. You didn't offend me at all. It was a legitimate question and you were clearly trying to find out what the truth was.
I am not a strong proponent of GMOs and an excessive push for patenting can become dysfunctional and add extra pressure on the plant breeder. But I was a little alarmed at what I was reading against Durana by people who weren't asking questions, just making statements and claims that had no foundation.
Sorry for my delay in getting to this thread. I had a lamb death and have been off line.
Durana clover is definitely not GMO. It was developed through traditional plant breeding techniques. When we say "GMO" we generally mean a plant that has been altered through genetic modification using biotechnology, such as inserting DNA from other plants or other sources in order to change the genetic background of the original plant.
Durana clover was created by crossing existing clover species, repeatedly, and selecting those with the best traits. This can be done relatively quickly in controlled settings, much more quickly than it would ever occur naturally. It's just like people who repeatedly cross other types of plants, either by hand pollination or using insect pollinators, in a controlled way.
Patriot is a hybrid that has Durana as one of its parents.
Almost any plant (with some detailed exceptions I won't go into here) that is created by man (i.e. through deliberate breeding techniques, through biotechnology, etc) is eligible for patent protection, as are individual plant genes, modified plant genes, etc. I could not find any evidence of Durana being patented, although it is registered for plant variety protection, which is a different type of protection than a patent.
So sorry to hear you lost a lamb!