Not that I would buy any GM food or food plant.
But a Rose well that would certainly be different if it came fungus free
So yes I would as where I live I have lots of problems with those kind of diseases.
MM.

Daniel, I don't know whether the following extract of my June 23/2003 letter to Australian Rose Breeders Association was the source of your interest? I was concerned about three aspects connected with sports. 1, Treating sports as equivalent of bred roses (cross pollinated), 2, Artificially induced mutation, and 3, Relative stability of sports. This extract relates to the second of my concerns.The first sentence in parenthesis is a statement by a former correspondent 'X', on the subject of 'sports' occurring naturally, and to which I am responding. I prefer to keep the identity of this person anonymous.

"This is not necessarily true as sports can be initiated by the use of colchicine or gibberellins and other factors." Being oblivious as to what these agents are, I again consulted my dictionary. "Colchicine" is defined in Macquarie as inter alia, "Used to obtain new agricultural and horticultural varieties because it causes abnormal division of some living cells with an increase in the number of chromosomes." For "gibberellins" I could only find "Gibberellic acid", defined as "a metabolic product of the fungus Gibberella fujikuroa; stimulates plant growth". That these agents produce mutation in roses I do not know, but I will accept XÂs word on the subject. If it were true, I would ask X whether in X's opinion X would compare an artificially induced mutated rose to be equal to one occurring naturally. I also wonder what the rose community would think of genetically engineered roses.

The truth is that rose breeders have been manipulating strains of rose for centuries. Traits like repeat blooming, double flowers and even single blooms per stem are all 'mutations' when compared to most of the original species roses, but because they are desirable they are now the norm.

But if the industry went that one step further, and played directly with the DNA... certainly some companies like Jackson & Perkins in the US would have the capital to make the investment. If a company were to introduce a genuinely care-free rose I suspect the public would buy it in enormous numbers.

And if supply were to follow demand, perhaps all the varieties we know and love today might be of historical interest only in 20 years' time. A worst case scenario, admittedly, but possible.

So I have mixed feelings on this one. Lozza, thanks for the article reference, I wasn't aware of it. What prompted me was another post requesting 'aphid-resistant' roses, which reminded me of the GM cotton that has been altered to produce toxins that kill sucking pests.

Here is a link that might be useful: CSIRO article about pest resistant cotton

Colchicine is commonly used for increasing ploidy in plants such as species iris, daylilies, etc. It is a carcinogenic agent and should be handled with care, in case any of you fancy using it :-)
Increasing ploidy is different to genetic engineering where genes are introduced from other plants/animals.
My main objection to genetic engineering is the effect the industry is having on third world countries who are used to growing grain from seed, and collecting new seed at the end of a crop. The incredibly increased cost of GM seed, and the control by companies like Monsanto, are good enough reason for me to want to boycott the GM industry across the board .... BUT .... I think like everything else, it will become the norm, and we will no longer think to even ask if it is GM or not.

Daniel, I can't see the connection between genetic manipulation using chemicals or other un-natural means, and cross-pollination by Man substituting for insects in Nature.

I can't claim to have seen any GM roses but I did read somewhere a while back that a UK university has become involved in an effort to create transgenic roses. They will contain a gene or genes which will render the resultant plants completely resistant to the common fungal diseases that infect roses today ie BS,mildew and probably rust. Certain species roses are being investigated to provide the gene material required.Of course the research is being funded by a prominent commercial rose breeder who will ,if all goes as planned, become the recipient of the genetically modified progeny.
The breeder involved is ...David Austin (Oh well he was having a hard time breeding hardy roses the conventional way)
The information I'm refering to here was somewhere on the internet about two months ago. I have since been unable to relocate it.However some brief, less informative references are still floating about on the web.
Other commercial,GM projects involving roses have been about for some time in the US(Novaflora, citrus scented glasshouse rose) and here in Australia(blue rose).Detailed information on the Aust. project is easy to find but don't ask me where right now.
I suppose you would have to be naive if you didn't suspect all the large, commercial breeders of roses (or any mass marketable plant types for that matter) of having an active interest in the development of GM varieties.

Ahh but I don't care . If plant breeding cheats like DA etc introduce these GM super varieties anytime soon they will have no way of protecting their new creations from those who wish to incorporate some of these hotted up gene combos'into their own traditional crossbreeding programs.And in the end most of this new stuff will pan out in ways we just can't possibly predict.
Mr Thrip

why spend a squillion dollars on actually creating a "pest and disease free rose" when all you have to do is say that it is!!!!....for example....a certain groundcover rose was/is marketed as "pest and disease resistant"....it's rubbish......but it has sold in the megasquillions.....just wait in the east......with the water restrictions we've had the "drought resistant rootstocks" ...rubbish....and on it goes cause no-one takes these people to task...bloody marketing

Yeah,thats true.Even if DA gets his way his new roses probably won't sell any better than the rest because half his new creations already read on their labels as "disease resistant".By the time people actually wake up to the fact that he's telling the truth this time every other breeder will have the improved genetics also.

Actually, Thrip, the use of identifiable gene changes is probably a plus for Austin and others - it would certainly help in any infringement lawsuit on Plant Variety Rights!

Well certainly, DA will obtain protection for his plainly original, disease free varieties, however the only interest(commercial) any other person is likely to have in these roses, would be in the gene/s they contain which make them non-susceptable to certain diseases. Once DA releases the plants for sale, these genes, now contained within a modern repeat flowering rose, could be incorporated (by simple cross-breeding) into roses within the conventional breeding programs of other breeders (no infringement of PBR/PVR etc.).Lifetimes of crossing and selection would be avoided.
I just wonder whether DA intends to produce more of the same types of roses (ie mod.shrub/austins) with this new gene/s intact or something else.I would imagine that a disease free, fragrant, HT or floribunda, suitable for cut rose production would be even more lucrative.
Then again I suppose other breeders would be better off just doing the GM thing themselves and disease proofing their own, already highly developed breeding lines.After all it will save them the trouble of having to breed out all the DA genetics that come attached with the good stuff.

p.s I could ramble on forever with this would be/could be trash but at the end of the day my motivating fear is that GM technology will change the ornamental plant scene massively,quickly and irreversibly.Plant breeding has been the forte of patient,persistent individuals, naturally intrigued by plants and the natural world and with an intuition for plant breeding which is derived from such.Alas,it may soon be no more.
I'm crying now
Goodnight
MrThrip

Unless of course, they introduce a gene that causes the roses to be sterile.

Check out this image of Suntory's "blue" carnation @
http://www.suntory.com/news/2005/9013.html
Maybe theres hope for traditional breeding/hybridising yet?
Thrip

I am really worried about the medications of many people use... thats the reason because show that theme to you... The Drugs like the COLCHICINE

the most important things about Colchicine
is a highly poisonous alkaloid, originally extracted from plants of the genus Colchicum .
Originally used to treat rheumatic complaints and especially gout, it was also prescribed
for its cathartic and emetic effects. Its present medicinal use is mainly in the treatment
of gout; as well, it is being investigated for its potential use as an anti-cancer drug.
It can also be used as initial treatment for pericarditis and preventing recurrences of
the condition.

In the same calification we can find drugs like

probenecid (sometimes referred to as Probenacid or Probenicid) is a drug that stimulates the kidneys to increase uric acid excretion.
This type of drug, known as a uricosuric, will cause the overall levels of uric acid in the blood to fall, thus reducing the chances of gout attacks in the long term.
However, in the short term, it can cause gout attacks as existing crystals re-dissolve.
For this reason, it is often prescribed along with a pain-relieving drug.
Probenecid will not normally prevent gout attacks until you have taken it for over 12 months.
Some people find they can stop taking it, once uric acid levels have been reduced and stabilized.
Regular uric acid tests will help to confirm your situation.
Note that you are at risk of contracting gout again if you stop taking the drug and have made no other lifestyle changes that reduce your gout risk.

Loratadine is used to relieve hay fever and allergy symptoms, including sneezing; runny
nose; and red, itchy, tearing eyes. Loratadine is in a class of medications called
antihistamines. It works by blocking histamine, a substance in the body that causes
allergic symptoms. Loratadine may cause less drowsiness than other antihistamines.

Flonase is a steroid. It prevents the release of substances in the body that cause inflammation, is used to treat the nasal symptoms of allergies and other seasonal reactions.,may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.
Use Flonase spray exactly as directed by your doctor. Read the information insert included with your medication. If you do not understand these instructions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.
To use the nasal spray:
Shake the bottle gently and then remove the dust cover,It is necessary to prime the pump
into the air the first time it is used, or when you have not used it for a week or more.

the fioricet is a pain reliever and fever reducer.
is in a class of drugs called barbiturates that slow down your central nervous system (brain and nerve impulses) causing relaxation.
is believed to constrict dilated blood vessels that may contribute to tension headaches.
Together, acetaminophen, butalbital, and caffeine are used to relieve complex tension...