In
This Issue:
CHINESE
SCIENTISTS DEBUNK REPORT PUBLISHED BY GREENPEACE
Chinese scientists Professor Xia Jingyuan and Dr. Cui Jinjie, from the Cotton
Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS),
issued a statement debunking the conclusions made in a report published by
Greenpeace entitled "A Summary of Research on the Environmental Impact of Bt
Cotton in China". The report was made by Dayuan Xue of the Nanjing Institute
of Environmental Sciences using data from four studies on Bt cotton including
research of the said scientists. Dayuan Xue concluded that laboratory experiments
and field research on Bt cotton demonstrated adverse impact on the environment.
According to the two Chinese scientists, cotton bollworm is one of the most
important pests in China and controlling it through pesticides in the past
20 years has resulted in insecticide resistance, pollution, resurgence of secondary
pests, decrease in the population of natural enemies, and poisoning of people
and animals. They stressed that planting Bt cotton to control cotton bollworm
is more beneficial to farmers and that transgenic Bt cotton has not destroyed
the environment.
Dr. Kongming Wu, of the Institute of Plant Protection of CAAS, whose study
was also referred to by the Greenpeace report, said that "our studies on ecological
impacts of Bt cotton were summarized incorrectly" in the Greenpeace report.
Dr. Wu's statement clarifying matters on the Greenpeace report can be found
in http://comet.sparklist.com/scripts/lyris.pl?visit=agbioview&id=185457295.
The statement of Professor Xia Jingyuan and Dr. Cui Jinjie can be downloaded
from the CropBiotech Net website at http://www.isaaa.org/kc/Services/pub_downloads/Bt_Cotton_China.pdf in
PDF form.
RICE
BLAST FUNGUS GENOME SEQUENCED
The joint project between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) Microbial Genome Sequencing Project has recently
released the partial draft genome sequence of the fungus Magnaporthe grisea.
The fungus causes the rice blast disease. It is considered one of the most
agriculturally important disease worldwide having destroyed enough rice to
feed 60 million people annually. The fungus is not only pathogenic to rice
but also to barley, wheat, pearl millet and turf-grass. Because of the threat
it poses to food security, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention of
the US Department of Health and Human Services, has recently acknowledged the
fungus as a "significant biological weapon".
Chemical treatments to control rice blast disease proved to be costly and hazardous
to both the environment and human health. The fungus is also known to easily
develop new races quickly making it harder to create stable and effective resistant
crop varieties. It is therefore best to have a thorough understanding of host-pathogen
interaction in order to develop rice blast resistant crops.
Patrick Dennis, NSF's microbial genetics program director, believes that sequencing
the fungal genome is an important first step toward understanding how the fungus
causes rice blast. "The scientific community needs this information to fill
long-standing gaps in our understanding and to develop new strategies for controlling
this destructive pathogen. This will be a springboard to a new discovery",
Dennis adds.
The Magnaporthe greisea Project aims to sequence approximately 40Mb
genome of the fungus contained in 7 chromosomes. As of June 5, 2002, scientists
were able to sequence more than 85% of the genome coverage.
To know more about the project, see http://www.genome.wi.mit.edu/
annotation/fungi/magnaporthe/
DROUGHT
RESISTANCE RESEARCH UNDERWAY
Research is underway for drought resistance, one of the awaited traits for
transgenic crops. Scientists from the United States and Europe have been trying
to identify genes that help plants cope with arid conditions. Drought resistance
trait would also allow plants to withstand cold temperature and high salt concentration
in the soil because all three conditions result in the plant's dehydration.
Researchers found that plants have developed several mechanisms to guard against
drought. One way is through compounds called 'osmoprotectants'. These compounds
shield proteins and membranes from the damaging effects of dehydration by forming
a protective shell on their surfaces or by removing destructive hydroxyl radicals
that would otherwise chop up proteins. However, not all crop plants produce
osmoprotectants.
Hans Bohnert, of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, is currently
working on osmoprotectants. He took a gene that produces the osmoprotectant
D-ononitol from ice plants and introduced it into tobacco plants. Though the
modified plants were able to withstand stress more, the improvement was not
enough for field application.
Another researcher is Eduardo Blumwald of the University of California, Davis.
He and his team showed that the Arabidopsis plant, as well as greenhouse-grown
tomatoes, can be protected from high salt concentrations. Scientists hope to
transfer the modest successes they make to cereal grains.
The article was published in Science Magazine and can be downloaded at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/296/5571/1226
PHILIPPINE
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SUPPORTS BIOTECHNOLOGY
The Philippine National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), during its
24th Annual Scientific Meeting last July 10-11, 2002 adopted a resolution supporting
biotechnology, including genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
The resolution recognizes that biotechnology can provide opportunities for
sustainable agriculture and improve post harvest stability. It also recognizes
that human and environment safety issues can be established through proper
studies and only those demonstrated to be safe should be allowed for commercialization.
The resolution further acknowledged the need for more public education and
awareness on the application of responsible biotechnology.
The NAST resolution recommends that there should be increased support to biotechnology
research and development (R&D) in terms of funding and enabling policy
to optimize the benefits from GMOs while minimizing the risks. The enhancement
of public education and information on biotechnology through different channels
of communication is also recommended.
MORE
GM CROPS PLANTED ON US LAND
US experts are saying that farmer resistance to biotechnology in the United
States may be possibly dwindling due to the growing number of farmers planting
genetically modified (GM) crops. According to the United States Department
of Agriculture (USDA), acreage planted with GM corn, soybean and cotton have
increased during this year's planting season.
At present, more than one-third of all US land is planted to GM corn, and about
three-fourths of land planted with soybean and cotton are GM. As compared to
last year, GM corn acreage has increased by 8%, GM soybean acreage by 7%, and
GM cotton acreage by 2%.
According to Purdue University agriculture economist, Chris Hurt, these figures
represent "quick rates" of acceptance, "considering most technology takes 15
years to be totally accepted". Hurt attributed the continued increase in GM
crops acreage to better public acceptance of biotech products coupled with
the continued benefits for the farmers who plant them.
For more information, go to http://www.monsantoafrica.com/news/afrenshowlib.phtml?uid=6587
ANNOUNCEMENT:
ISAAA BRIEFS ARE NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
ISAAA Briefs No. 23: Global Status of Commercialized Transgenic Crops: 2000
and ISAAA Briefs No. 24: Global Review of Commercialized Transgenic Crops:
2001 are now available online as PDF files. Both were written by Clive James,
Chair of ISAAA's Board of Directors. Briefs No. 24 is also available in Mandarin.
ISAAA Briefs are major papers reviewing current developments in international
biotechnology, sustainable agriculture, and technology transfer. All three
can be downloaded for free at http://www.isaaa.org/Publications/pubs.htm |
