Commodities: Field Crops: Forages: FAQs
What is the current status of Roundup Ready® alfalfa?
D.W. Hancock
Roundup Ready® alfalfa is a term that collectively refers to alfalfa varieties that have been modified to create resistence to the non-selective herbicide, glyphosate (of which "Roundup" is the most common trade name). Although there has been much interest in RR alfalfa, a March 12 injunction in the U.S. District Court for the District of Northern California currently prevents the purchase and planting of RR alfalfa seed. If you have purchased RR alfalfa, it must have been planted by March 30, 2007. See your seed supplier for further details on how to return any unused seed.
Specific orders on how to report and handle RR alfalfa can be found on the USDA-APHIS website (here). Other information about the case is updated there on a routine basis. There is also a list of counties where RR alfalfa has been planted. RR alfalfa is located in at least 32 counties in Georgia (at last count).
The issue being raised in the lawsuit is not explicitly about whether or not RR alfalfa is safe. The lawsuit, brought by the Center for Food Safety (CFS) against the USDA-APHIS, alledges that the USDA-APHIS did not prepare an adequate environmental impact statement before allowing the distribution and sale of RR alfalfa. More information about the lawsuit and the reaction of Monsanto (patent holder for the Roundup Ready technology) can be found in a recent article from Hay & Forage Grower magazine. The University of California has developed a very informative Extension publication on RR alfalfa that includes a description of the product, its management as a hay crop, the potential for the buildup of glyphosate resistent weeds, and the potential for gene flow between RR and conventional alfalfa.