Cotton « Biofortified

The real success story of GM cotton and edible cotton oil in India 2002-2011

by David Tribe on 15 July 2011

A wonderful colorful and readable booklet about the success of Bt cotton in India has been made available from the ISAAA website for India.
A sample table from this booklet tells the story of the massive expansion of cotton output over the last 10 years.

Indian cotton production statistics this last decade

This post was syndicated from GMO Pundit. You may comment here or on the original entry.

Pollen defences used to protect corn and cotton against fungus damage

by David Tribe on 8 May 2011

From GMO Pundit.

Flower power to help improve corn yield › News in Science (ABC Science)

Flower power to help improve corn yield

Wednesday, 4 May 2011 Anna Salleh

Reposted from ABC Radio Australia

Genes normally only active in the flowers of plants could be used to protect the whole plant from resist fungal disease, say Australian researchers.

Professor Marilyn Anderson of La Trobe University is presenting her work at an Australian Academy of Science seminar in Canberra today.

Anderson and colleagues in agricultural biotechnology company Hexima are working together with seed giant Pioneer to develop transgenic corn that is resistant to the major fungal diseases that decrease yield.

“With climate change and growing population, we know that within the next couple of decades we’re going to have to increase cereal production by 70 per cent,” says Anderson. “So all companies are looking at ways to improve the yield of grains, especially rice, corn and wheat.”

This post was syndicated from GMO Pundit. You may comment here or on the original entry.

Production-chain management is key issue in GM crop escapes

by David Tribe on 18 December 2010

From GMO Pundit.

Sloppy seed-sorting main culprit in GM crop escapes
(Press release about a free access PLoS ONE article linked below)
María Elena Hurtado
17 December 2010
IMAGE: Honey bees transmit GM pollen to non-GM fields, but human error plays a bigger role in GM contamination

Careless handling of seeds may be the key reason for the unintended spread of genetically modified (GM) crops, a study has found.

The discovery challenges the widespread belief that the main source of GM contamination is the transfer of pollen by bees from GM crops to non-GM counterparts in neighbouring fields. Human error during seed production and handling is the more likely culprit, say the researchers.

This post was syndicated from GMO Pundit. You may comment here or on the original entry.

Movement of genes via cross pollination from cotton fields subject of a scientific study.

by David Tribe on 3 December 2010

From GMO Pundit.

SCIENCE DAILY
Transgenic Crops: How Genes Jump from Crop to Crop
1st December 2010
A new data-driven statistical model that incorporates the surrounding landscape in unprecedented detail describes the transfer of an inserted bacterial gene via pollen and seed dispersal in cotton plants more accurately than previously available methods.

Shannon Heuberger, a graduate student at the University of Arizona’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and her co-workers will publish their findings in PLoS ONE on Nov. 30.

The transfer of genes from genetically modified crop plants is a hotly debated issue. Many consumers are concerned about the possibility of genetic material from transgenic plants mixing with non-transgenic plants on nearby fields. Producers, on the other side, have a strong interest in knowing whether the varieties they are growing are free from unwanted genetic traits.

Up until now, realistic models were lacking that could help growers and legislators assess and predict gene flow between genetically modified and non-genetically modified crops with satisfactory detail.

This study is the first to analyze gene flow of a genetically modified trait at such a comprehensive level. The new approach is likely to improve assessment of the transfer of genes between plants other than cotton as well.

This post was syndicated from GMO Pundit. You may comment here or on the original entry.

Release of sterilised moths avoids the need for refuges in cotton growing

by David Tribe on 17 November 2010

From GMO Pundit.

Success in integrated pest management of pink boll worm in Arizona provides encouraging news for both the environment and for cotton growers. A two-pronged strategy involving insect protected cotton and biological control with wide scale release of sterile moths virtually eliminates resistance to the genetically inbuilt cotton insect protection system in pink boll worm pests.

This post was syndicated from GMO Pundit. You may comment here or on the original entry.