GENET news: Protein

12.11.2008

Monsanto Company to invest in technologies for sugarcane with acquisitions of CanaVialis and Alellyx

In the face of long-term changes driving greater global demand for food and biofuel sources, Monsanto Company is investing in a new large-acre row crop, sugarcane, to diversify its existing core crop portfolio and to leverage its experience in bringing innovations to the agricultural marketplace through breeding and biotechnology. Monsanto announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Aly Participacoes Ltda., which operates the sugarcane breeding and technology companies, CanaVialis S.A. and Alellyx S.A., both of which are based in Brazil.

12.11.2008

Syngenta buys Argentine seeds company SPS

The world’s largest agrochemicals company Syngenta AG said on Monday it has bought SPS Argentina, a company specialised in development, production and marketing of soybean, corn and sunflower. ”The transaction will give Syngenta a significantly increased presence in the important soybean market in Argentina, complementing its existing strong positions in corn and sunflower,” the company said in a statement.

11.11.2008

Researchers bring non-GE drought-tolerant, disease-resistant cassava to African farmers

Cassava farmers in the semi-arid zones of sub-Saharan Africa are now enjoying 6-10 times better yields thanks to a new variety developed by IITA that is well-adapted to the dry or drought-prone conditions of the region. Dubbed TMS92/0067, the variety, with farmer management, produces an average of 30 to 50 tonnes of cassava per hectare as opposed to the 5 tonnes per hectare from local varieties commonly used by farmers in these areas.

11.11.2008

U.S. researchers breed non-GE drought-tolerant soybeans with Asian landraces

Carter and his team have been transferring a slow-wilting characteristic from Asian landraces into U.S.-adapted varieties. Once the team gets the slow-wilting trait into a high-yielding line, they share the new line with private seed companies and public soybean breeders. ”Industry breeders use the USDA drought-tolerant lines as valuable breeding stock to develop high-yielding varieties adapted to the stressful U.S. summers,” says Carter.

In a Nebraska field, Team Drought collaborator Jim Specht screens soybean plants for desirable slow-wilting traits.

11.11.2008

Report cannot disprove links between Bt cotton and farmer suicides in India

The authors admit in the actual paper that the data is simply not available that would allow specific conclusions as to the numbers of Bt cotton farmers who have committed suicide: ”...none of the reported data sources on farmer suicide provide information about the concerned farmers’ characteristics.” [...] there’s nothing in this report to contradict the award-winning Indian development journalist P Sainath [...] calling the massive hyping of Bt cotton to poor debt-burdened dryland farmers as, ”murderous... stupid... killing”.

10.11.2008

Indian Cotton farmers adopt Bollgard II in 4,5 mill acres

Due to improved yield and better control of pest-resistance, adoption of Bollgard II version of GM cotton has increased four-fold since its commercial launch in 2006 and area under cultivation has risen to 45 lakh [4,5 mill ac; 1,8 mill ha]. Of 172 lakh acres of total Bt cotton, farmers cultivated Bollgard II in 45.1 lakh acres and Bollgard in 127.2 lakh acres during kharif 2007-08 season, said Mahyco Monsanto Biotech, a 50:50 joint venture between Maharashtra-based seed firm Mahyco and global seed giant Monsanto.

10.11.2008

First GM canola crop delivered to silo in New South Wales (Australia)

THE first genetically-modified canola crop has been delivered into a silo in NSW, Monsanto Australia announced. Parkes farmer Graham Barron, who delivered his Roundup Ready canola crop to a silo at Grenfell this week, said in a statement issued by Monsanto that he was impressed by the results and with the supply chain processes.

10.11.2008

Australian farmers could face prosecution over GM canola

A growing number of Australian farmers who have signed on to grow genetically modified canola have begun to express growing concerns as to the ”onerous” obligations they are exposing themselves to. [...] The contract, as exposed in the Canberra Times recently, signifies that if the land is sold, contractual obligations are passed on to the new owner for up to two years after they have signed on the dotted line. The onerous liability in this situation means that the new owner could be liable for any breaches of the contract incurred by the previous owner.

06.11.2008

CIMMYT and KARI develop on-GE stem borer and drought-resistant maize for Kenyan farmers

Scientists from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CYMMYT) and the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute have said that they have developed a new maize variety which has resistance to pests and diseases. The new maize variety they said is not genetically modified but a hybrid seed which will be made readily available to farmers in six months time.

06.11.2008

Global partnership brings non-GE striga-resistant maize Kenyan markets

Work by a multilateral partnership has resulted in a promising Striga control measure that has recently started moving from the laboratory to farmers’ fields. The practice is based on a type of maize with a natural mutation that allows it to resist the chemical imidazolinone—active ingredient in many herbicides. Seeds of this imidazolinone-resistant maize are coated with a herbicide and, when sown, the coated seed kills sprouting Striga, allowing the crop to flourish.

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