All blog posts
Turbocharged breeding = better P.R.?
Advances in traditional selective breeding have cut the time needed to develop a marketable seed line in half. And they can bring about some crop improvements that were once thought attainable only by splicing in foreign genes, according to this Wall Street Journal article. Critics of “GMO” crops generally are more accepting of this... »
GM wheat to market?
A GM wheat variety could reach the market in five years, say Australian scientists who have won financial backing to commercialize the crop, according to this article on Food Navigator Europe. A new joint venture involving French cereals group Limagrain and Australia’s Grains Research and Development Corporation will invest in the project run by the... »
Notes from the new Mid-Atlantic Farm Show
No posts yesterday. I was in Charlotte for the revamped Mid-Atlantic Farm Show. The show, which used to be held in Wilson, N.C., was bought by a new management company and moved to Concord, N.C., about 15 miles outside of Charlotte. The new management company looks like they have done a good job with promoting... »
FAS Argentina report, Chinese drinking etiquette
The Foreign Agricultural Service has released a new annual report on biotechnology in Argentina. Argentina continues to be the third largest producer of soybeans, with an area of 15 million hectares estimated for the 2006 crop season. Argentina is an important ally of the United States in international issues, although there is still a pending... »
The dawn of the second biotechnology revolution
In a low-slung building amid farm fields, agriculture’s second biotechnology revolution is dawning. Rows of robotic devices decipher the DNA in slices of thousands of corn plants sent from as far away as Chile and Hawaii. Scientists search the results for subtle genetic differences that explain why a particular plant is better... »
Monsanto strives to breed better pumpkin
Monsanto scientist Bill Johnson is trying to breed the perfect pumpkin peduncle. read more | digg story »
Glyphosate-resistant marestail confirmed in Nebraska
From the UNL report: University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers have confirmed the first glyphosate-resistant weed species in Nebraska—marestail, also know as horseweed. Prior to the introduction of glyphosate-tolerant crops only a few weed species (eg. ryegrass and goosegrass) had developed resistance to glyphosate worldwide. However, the number of glyphosate-resistant weeds tripled in just over eight years... »
KFC goes to low-lin oil
Good news for fried chicken lovers scared away by reports of high transfat levels in some of KFC’s products. Also good news for soybean growers and some of the involved agricultural companies. From the press release: According to QUALISOY, a soybean industry initiative helping market healthier, more functional soybean products to the food industry, Yum Brands... »
Perspectives on GMO in Africa
“GMO in Africa” blogger, James Wachai, responds to a blog entry by Stephen Zavestoski, author of The Curious and an Associate Professor and Chair, Sociology and Environmental Studies at the University of San Francisco. In the post, “Monsanto: Africa’s Johnny Appleseed?”, Zavestocki questions the company’s motive of introducing Combi-pack, a package containing hybrid maize... »
Turkish seed bill
The Turkish parliament is considering a new seed law that would allow for the introduction of GM seeds, as well as restructuring and privatizing the country’s seed sector, according to the Turkish Daily News. The law is part of Turkey’s pursuit of EU membership. The newspaper reports that the law has been opposed by Turkish... »
