In
This Issue:
US ACREAGE
FOR BIOTECH CROPS INCREASE
The US National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reports that farmers
have been buying increasing amounts of genetically modified seeds and devoting
more acreage for crops like soybeans, cotton and corn.
Total area planted to corn is estimated at 76.1 million acres for 2001. Biotechnology's
share of corn increased from 25 % in 2000 to 26% in 2001. Total acres of cotton
were expected to be 16.3 million with biotech cotton increasing from 61 % in
2000 to 69 % in 2001. The planted area of soybeans is estimated at 75.4 million
acres. Biotech soybean percentages went up 14%, from 54% in 2000 to 68% this
year.
Brett Begemann, vice president of US-branded products at Monsanto says that
the figures demonstrate that there is a receptive market for these biotech
products. He adds that as farmers become more confident in the marketing options
for these products, they are inclined to plant more acres.
The strong market penetration in the past years, Begemann claims, indicates
that growers believe strongly in the technology. Despite the natural market
plateau, "we also should see it an annual vote of confidence in the technology."
NEW STUDIES
SHOW THAT BT CORN POSES "NEGLIGIBLE'' THREAT TO MONARCH
BUTTERFLIES
A collaborative research effort by scientists in the US and in Canada has produced
information to develop a formal risk assessment of the impact of Bt corn on
monarch butterfly populations. Mark Sears, a University of Guelph entomologist,
and his colleagues conducted a two-year study on the toxic effects of Bt corn
pollen and the degree to which monarch larvae would be exposed to toxic amounts
of Bt pollen on its host plant, milkweed, found in and around cornfields. They
found that in most commercial hybrids, Bt expression in pollen is low, and
laboratory and field studies show no acute toxic effects at any pollen density
that would be encountered in the field. Sears was quoted as saying, "In most
cases, there was no effect whatsoever... It would take a lot of pollen for
any caterpillar to succumb to it. Each grain is not very toxic."
To read more, six new papers discussing the results of these studies have been
published online this week by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. http://www.pnas.org/
papbyrecent.shtml
AUSTRALIA'S COTTON HARVEST
UP
Cotton farmers in Australia produced a record 3.4 million bale crop estimated
to be worth $US 779.25 million in exports. Philip Russell, chief executive
of Cotton Australia, says that despite unfavorable weather conditions, the
country's 1,300 growers were able to deliver a high quality, record crop. About
96% of cotton produced is exported mainly to Asia.
Russell noted that Australian cotton growers were the world's most efficient
large-scale growers, producing more cotton per unit of water than any other
country. About 430,000 hectares is grown to cotton.
It is estimated that about 30% of the total crop is genetically modified to
be resistant to some types of insects. Cotton Australia also reports that some
cotton growing valleys did not spray insecticide this season because of their
GM crops.
In related news, James Peacock, chief of CSIRO Plant Industry, said that biotechnology
has allowed a 50% reduction in the number of chemical sprays on cotton in Australia
and worldwide. He claims that by 2003, when a second variety of GM cotton is
introduced, the number of sprays will be reduced by as much as 90%.
BIOTECH EXPERTS
TO ADDRESS EU FARM MINISTERS
European farm ministers are expected to listen to the views of five international
experts on the benefits and pitfalls of biotechnology including a call that
developing countries be given a chance to grow their own genetically modified
crops.
This meeting at Alden Beisen in Belgium follows the European commission President
Romano Prodi's comments that the 15-national bloc needed a new coherent strategy
to deal with biotechnology in the 21st century if it was not to miss its industrial
and economic benefits.
Jaak Gabriels, Belgium's former agriculture minister, chairs the meeting. He
hopes that it will act as a counter-balance to the environment lobby that has
had a free hand in forming public opinion on the issue.
EU POLICY CONSULTATION
STARTS
A document entitled Toward a Strategic Vision of Life Sciences and Biotechnology
has been prepared by the European Union as a draft policy paper for public
consultation. The final version will be presented at the end of 2001 as a guide
for life sciences and biotechnology up to 2010 and beyond.
According to the report, the "cross-cutting nature and importance of life sciences
and biotechnology and their implications call for a careful reflection on overall
coherence and on the involvement of civil society and stakeholders."
The document states "life sciences and biotechnology are of strategic importance
in Europe's quest to become a leading knowledge-based economy. Europe cannot
afford to miss the opportunity that these new sciences and technologies offer."
The Commission invites comments from the public to contribute to its reflections
before finalizing the policy paper. Feedback on the document can be submitted
by mail to Biotechnology, BREY 7/329, European Commission, Rue de la Loi 200,
B-1049 Brussels, Belgium or via the internet on ec-biotechnology@cec.eu/int.
A new website http://europa.eu.int/comm/biotechnology,
was also launched as part of the consultation exercise.
CHINA NOT
TO BAN GM CROPS
Fang Xiangdong, a senior officer of the Department of Science, Technology and
Education of the China Ministry of Agriculture, said that China is not barring
imports of genetically modified crops. The government only issued the rules
on GM crops, to establish safety regulations on both imported and domestic
GM crops.
Fang further clarified that her government supports the use of biotechnology
in agriculture. It is still drafting the implementing guidelines for the management
of GMOs. The regulation issued in June 2001 required safety certification of
all domestic and imported GMOs and the labeling of GMOs and processed products
containing GMO materials.
RESEARCHERS CLONE
POWDERY MILDEW RESISTANCE GENE
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Iowa have successfully cloned
a gene that confers active disease defense to small-grain cereals. They cloned
and characterized the powdery mildew resistance gene from barley. A patent
was filed on the newly isolated genes.
Roger Wise, Dennnis Halterman, and Fusheng Wei of ARS collaborated with Paul
Schulze-Lefert's group at the Sainsbury Laboratory in the United Kingdom to
isolate from barley two of the 30 alternative forms of the Mla resistance gene.
Fungal pathogens are regarded as the greatest problem in cereal grain production
worldwide. They sometimes result in 50% yield losses. Plant breeders have focused
their attention on genetic varieties that resist fungal diseases.
The research will enable scientists to understand how disease resistance genes
work in interactions between pathogens and their crop plant hosts.
More details are available at http://www.cicgr.agron.iastate.edu/CICGR/home.html |
