Seed Today - Q3 2008 - (Page 78)

International Biotech Notes Disease Resistant Crops - Why So Slow Coming? Genetic engineering has been viewed as an important technology to help develop disease resistant crops, but to date only few disease-resistant GM crops have been introduced in the market. This is in stark contrast with the rate of adoption of insect pest-resistant and herbicide-tolerant crops, which represents more than 90 percent of the commercially available GM varieties. Why are disease-resistant crops so slow coming? According to a paper published by the European Journal of Plant Pathology, the answer lies primarily in the complexity of the biology of disease resistance. The differing biology of the various types of plant pathogens presents substantial problems in developing GM resistant plants. Plant pathogens, including bacteria, fungi, oomycetes and viruses, are physiologically very different, and thus no single gene product can be expected to have a direct toxic effect on these organisms. Three factors must be present for the successful adoption of disease resistant GM crops: Australia GM Wheat In late June, the Victorian Department of Primary Industries received an approval from Australia’s Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) for the limited and controlled release of more than 50 wheat lines genetically modified for drought tolerance. The release is expected to take place at two sites on a maximum total area of 0.6 acres per year between June, 2008 and March, 2010. Based on the prepared Risk Assessment and Risk Management Plant, the proposed release would pose negligible risk to human health and safety, or to the environment. None of the GM wheat will be permitted to be used as animal feed or human food. • The technical solution to a problem which has no other obvious alternative. • The economic incentive for implementing the solution. • Market and public acceptance. The combination of these factors is present, for example, in the virus-resistant papaya developed in Hawaii. Global Land Degradation Land degradation is increasing in severity and extent according to a new report released by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Environment Programme and World Soil Information. The report reveals that more than 20 percent of all cultivated areas, 30 percent of forests and 10 percent of grasslands are degrading. Some 22 percent of degrading land is in arid areas, while 78 percent of it is in humid regions. Land degradation results in reduced productivity, migration, food insecurity, damage to basic resources and ecosystems, and loss of biodiversity through changes to habitats at species and genetic levels. FAO estimated that 1.5 billion people, or about a quarter of the world’s population, depend directly on land that is being degraded. Uganda Australia 8x Increase Rodeyns Nicolai, a Belgian, came to Nalweyo, Uganda in 1996 and teamed up with the Catholic church to run NALWEYO SEED Company (NAESCO) on the departed Asians’ property in the area. The property had been vacant since 1972 when president Idd Amin expelled Asians from Uganda. Located in Nalweyo sub-county, Kibaale district, NASECO initially supplied only maize and bean seed. It has expanded to soybeans, cow peas, sorghum, groundnuts, millet, sunflower and rice seeds. Nicolai says since the introduction of improved seed varieties, farmers’ produce production has increased almost eight-fold. GM Cotton The Acting Gene Technology Regulator has issued a license for limited and controlled environmental release of up to 20 cotton lines genetically modified for enhanced waterlogging tolerance. The release is expected to take place in Narrabri, New South Wales, on a maximum total area of 0.3 ha (0.1 hectare per year) between October 2008 and May 2011. Each cotton line contains one or more of three genes derived from either thale cress or cotton. All lines also contain one or two antibiotic selectable marker genes. 78 Third Quarter 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Seed Today - Q3 2008

Seed Today - Q3 2008 Contents Editor’s Notes Cover Feature Fred Miller, Ph.D., MMR Genetics Crosbyton Seed Company AOSCA Greg Lowry Floyd Hansmeirer AOSA/SCST According to ASTA Seedsellers, Inc. BinMaster Blake Sieker Ad Index

Seed Today - Q3 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.