• fraksken
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    2 months ago

    the plants are cross bred for generations. Each time the seeds of the plants with the best desired properties are kept.

    the seeds can also be treated (see "feminizing marijuana seeds) with chemicals to produce certain traits.

    the producers of these seeds (like monsanto, bayer, basf, …) have large R&D groups where the dna of the seeds can be further tracked and modified if required.

    these producers have large green houses just for breeding the plants and collecting the desired seeds.

    these seeds are patented. The plants produce fruits to specifications. To protect the intellectual property, patents and business, they are made not to produce further offspring, so the farmer needs to buy the seeds year after year.

    another trait that’s being developped in the plants, for example, is making the plant immune to glyphosate, allowing the farmer to wastefully spray the herbicide on the field. It will kill all plants except for the desired crops.

    source: used to work in for one of the above mentioned companies in the cropscience division.

    • AmidFuror@fedia.io
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      2 months ago

      Your response is mostly irrelevant. Monsanto (now Bayer) had a patent for plants that would produce sterile seeds (not seedless), but they never commercialized them. Farmers buy hybrid seeds because second generation hybrids are inferior.

      There are many ways to produce seedless plants that don’t involve genetic engineering.

      • fraksken
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        2 months ago

        Your information is way off. Bayer bought the glysophate business from Monsanto. BASF bought the cropscience business from Bayer. The seeds are in production.

        I mentioned genetic engineering on top of crossbreeding. Yes there are many ways to achieve a goal. But a business is going to opt for the one with the fastest results.

        • AmidFuror@fedia.io
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          2 months ago

          Your first paragraph was:

          the plants are cross bred for generations. Each time the seeds of the plants with the best desired properties are kept.

          You’re sharing information and opinions about Monsanto, but it isn’t relevant to the topic of seedless fruits.

          • fraksken
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            1 month ago

            I did nothing of the kind. You’re trying to provoke me by saying so.

            I provided monsanto as an example next to other producers in the industry.

      • FalseMyrmidon@kbin.run
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        2 months ago

        He also didn’t answer the question other than “something something genetic engineering”

        • AmidFuror@fedia.io
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          2 months ago

          Also, RoundUp resistance means crops can be planted closer together, increasing the yield from the same amount of land.

    • jimrob4@midwest.social
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      2 months ago

      another trait that’s being developped in the plants, for example, is making the plant immune to glyphosate, allowing the farmer to wastefully spray the herbicide on the field. It will kill all plants except for the desired crops.

      That’s largely inaccurate and mostly just your biased opinions.

      If you were as much of an expert as you imply, you’d know that glyphosate doesn’t kill “all plants.” And it’s anything but wasteful.

      Source: Also work in crop science and agronomy.

      • fraksken
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        1 month ago

        I never claimed or wanted imply to be an expert. I worked with brilliant minds who were. My account here is a recollection of what was explained to me by them. Not an opinion. I honestly don’t even have an idea if it’s biased since thiis was my only source of information.