Agnet Dec. 21/03
GE onions
decision reflects sound science
Genetic soy
riches
Farmer not
so innocent, says Monsanto
GM
Widespread
testing woes found for biotech grains
Bayer
CropScience now exclusive distributor of GenesisTM 240potato seed piece
treatment in Canada
Researchers
to study canola seed quality
New high
yielding durum raises bar on agronomics, market quality
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GE
onions decision reflects sound science
Dec. 22/03
Life Sciences Network press release
The decision of the Environmental Risk Management Authority to approve a trial
of GM onions in Canterbury reflects the sound science which was presented at the
hearing, the Chairman of the Life Sciences Network, Dr William Rolleston said
today.
"The trial is a exactly what the Royal Commission recommended we should do
- scientifically check out which uses of GM have benefit for New Zealand.
"It will be at least ten years before the field trials of these onions
gather enough information to enable ERMA to decide if they should be released
commercially. This is the cautious approach which makes sure we understand fully
what the impacts of onions which are herbicide tolerant will be.
"This trial also seeks to investigate questions such as the effect of this
crop on soil organisms and should be welcomed by GM opponents who demand such
knowledge. Their attempts to shut the science down show they have failed to move
on and want to stop the acquisition of knowledge which may prove them
wrong."
Genetic
soy riches
December 21, 2003
AP
Alan Clendenning
JULIO DE CASTILHOS, Brazil -- In southern Brazil, a new breed of rebel farmers
are using genetically modified seeds to, according to this story, provide
healthier yields at lower costs than conventional soy. They were originally
smuggled in during a longstanding legal ban on so-called transgenic seed.
The story says that while Brazil's ban didn't stop many farmers, it made it
impossible for Monsanto Co. to collect seed revenues or crop royalties, as it
does from farmers in the United States and elsewhere.
Rodrigo Martins, 24, was quoted as saying, "Every year it's just getting
better. With GM soy, you produce lots more profits in six months instead of a
year, and it's not as much work."
The story adds that an estimated 10 percent to 20 percent of Brazil's soy crop
is grown with seeds smuggled in from neighboring countries and replicated
locally. In Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil's third largest soy growing state,
transgenic seeds are used to produce up to 90 percent of the annual harvest,
experts say.
U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, was cited as accusing Brazil's government,
which rarely enforced the ban on transgenic soy, of letting the situation get
out of control and that Brazil's soy farmers are getting what amounts to an
indirect subsidy, robbing Monsanto of money to develop new seeds that would help
American farmers become more competitive, adding, "It's unfair
competition."
Brazilian farmers acknowledge using illegal seed, but claim their actions are
forcing the government to legalize transgenic soy. Brazil permitted the planting
of transgenic soy for the first time this season, and a bill is wending its way
through Congress that would create the country's first rules allowing
biotechnology in agriculture.
Farmer
not so innocent, says Monsanto
December 21, 2003
Vancouver Courier
11
Trish Jordan of Monsanto Canada writes regarding, "Taking on the man,"
Dec. 10, to say that while Saskatchewan farmer Percy Schmeiser continues to
portray himself as innocent victim in his case against Monsanto, the facts
available from two Federal Court of Canada rulings paint an entirely different
picture.
The Federal Court of Canada and the Federal Court of Appeal found Mr. Schmeiser
liable of patent infringement when he saved and planted seeds he knew, or ought
to have known, were Roundup tolerant. Independent tests--supported by expert
testimony provided at trial--showed 95 to 98 per cent presence of commercial
quality Roundup Ready canola in Mr. Schmeiser's field, indicating the crop did
not arrive in his fields by accident.
Justice MacKay of the Federal Court of Canada wrote in his judgment that,
"the substantial level of Roundup Ready canola growing in Mr. Schmeiser's
field could not be reasonably explained by any of the possible sources suggested
by Mr. Schmeiser."
Mr. Schmeiser's own expert testified that such concentrations could only have
come from the planting of commercial Roundup Ready canola.
Finally, Justice MacKay ruled that "on the balance of probabilities none of
the suggested possible sources (put forth by Mr. Schmeiser) were the basis for
the substantial level of Roundup Ready canola growing in Mr. Schmeiser's
field."
There are several other misleading or incorrect statements in this story.
Monsanto is an agricultural company (not a pharmaceutical company). Mr.
Schmeiser was accused of using Monsanto's patented technology without paying the
required technology fee--a fee that has been paid by 30,000 other western
Canadian farmers who choose to use this technology because of the benefits it
provides.
Finally, the wind, rain or birds were not responsible for Mr. Schmeiser's
violation.
Four different judges in two Federal Courts have heard Mr. Schmeiser's stories
and all have been found too unbelievable in a court of law--a venue where the
expectation is to speak truthfully and present evidence and facts to support
one's claims.
GM
December 20, 2003
Kyodo World Service
TOKYO -- Officials were cited as saying Saturday that the Japanese Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries Ministry plans to draw up guidelines on outdoor
experimental production of genetically modified farm plants, including steps to
prevent hybridization.
The story says that a panel of experts is expected to submit to the ministry by
February draft guidelines in response to concerns by residents in the production
areas and consumers over tests conducted on genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
A ministry official was cited as saying there is a need for proper rules in
order to get residents and consumers to tolerate GMO experiments, adding,
"So far the various research facilities have been left to take their own
measures, but in issues involving local residents there have been cases where
proper measures were not taken."
The story adds that disputes have arisen between local residents and research
facilities over genetically modified farm products due to concerns among
residents and farmers about the possibility of pollen scattering and causing
hybridization with the surrounding crop.
Widespread
testing woes found for biotech grains
December 19, 2003
Reuters
Carey Gillam
KANSAS CITY, Mo., -- U.S. federal grain inspection officials were cited as
saying on Friday that laboratories measuring the amount of genetically modified
grain mixed into supplies of U.S. corn and other crops -- a vital factor among
foreign buyers of U.S. commodities -- routinely provide inaccurate results
because of the methods used to detect the amount of gene-altered material mixed
in with corn and other grains.
Steve Tanner, director of technical services for the Grain Inspection Packers
and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA), which operates the federal grain
inspection service, was quoted as saying, "The biggest problem we have
right now is we can really just estimate the quantity of bio material in
there."
The story explains that in April, European Union member states will start
requiring labeling of foods and grains that contain more than 0.9 percent of
genetically modified materials.
Tanner was further cited as saying that recent examinations of commercial and
government grain testing laboratories found they failed to produce consistent
results when measuring the biotech material in control grain samples, adding
that variability "was disappointing" among the more than 30
laboratories examined.
Although the companies did better when asked only to detect whether biotech
materials were present at all, the error rate of about 10 percent was still
worrisome, Tanner said.
Bayer
CropScience now exclusive distributor of GenesisTM 240potato seed piece
treatment in Canada
December 19, 2003
From a press release
Campbellville, Ontario- Bayer CropScience becomes the exclusive distributor of
Genesis 240 in Canada as the result of an agreement the company recently signed
with Gustafson Partnership. Genesis 240 (imidacloprid) is a potato seed piece
treatment used for control of Colorado potato beetle and other potato insect
pests.
Genesis 240 received registration in April 2003, and was available on a limited
basis from Gustafson during the 2003 application season.
Genesis 240 is applied to the potato seed piece before planting. Genesis 240
reduces the need for in-season foliar insecticide applications and can reduce
costs for insect protection, depending on the seeding rate and the cost of
foliar applications previously used by the grower.
"We're thrilled to have Genesis in our portfolio - it gives growers who
were using a foliar program a way to get some of the benefits of an
"in-the-soil" insecticide application," says Greig Zamecnik,
portfolio manager, horticulture for Bayer CropScience. "There are now three
ways to use this chemistry - AdmireŽ in-furrow, Admire foliar, and now new
Genesis seed piece treatment."
Researchers
to study canola seed quality
December 21, 2003
Saskatoon Sun
24
University of Saskatchewan researcher Lawrence Gusta and colleague Andrew Ross
of the National Research Council Plant Biotechnology Institute (NRC-PBI) will,
according to this story, receive $422,500 from the federal science granting
council NSERC over the next three years to find out how environmental stress
affects seed quality in canola.
To tease out the secrets of superior seed, the researchers will, the story says,
use DNA microarray technology capable of analyzing 10,000 to 18,000 genes
simultaneously. This will allow them to find out which genes are expressed when
the plant is under drought or heat stress and which genes are expressed when
good quality seed is being produced, knowledge which may lead to tests that can
more reliably predict seed performance.
Gusta, a professor with the Crop Development Centre at the U of S College of
Agriculture, was quoted as saying, "We are among the first to go inside the
seed and use some of these new techniques like microarray analysis to try to
identify seedling vigour."
New
high yielding durum raises bar on agronomics, market quality
December 22, 2003
Western Grains Research Foundation
www.westerngrains.com
Saskatoon, Sask.: A new durum wheat variety is expected to set the standard not
only as a high quality, healthy product for world pasta markets, but also as a
top agronomic package for growers.
"This variety has the potential to succeed AC Avonlea as one of the leading
durum varieties in Western Canada," says durum breeder Dr. John Clarke.
"It has excellent agronomics and is well adapted across the durum growing
region."
The as-yet unnamed DT712 amber durum, developed at Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canada's Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre (SPARC) in Swift Current,
will be in the seed multiplication stage throughout the next couple years.
Certified seed is expected to be available to producers by late 2005. Clarke's
work in developing new durum varieties is supported in part by wheat producers
through the Wheat Check-off Fund, administered by Western Grains Research
Foundation (WGRF).
Along with its solid agronomic package, DT712 is the second Canadian variety
with lower cadmium content. The first was AC Napoleon released in 1999. AC
Napoleon featured higher yield than Kyle and stronger gluten than AC Avonlea,
but had lower protein and test weight. Now the new DT712 offers a more complete
package - lower cadmium than AC Avonlea, with seven percent higher yield,
slightly higher test weight and protein, and a similar disease profile.
DT712 was developed to meet the new target for gluten strength in the
conventional durum class, which has been set in the range of varieties such as
AC Morse and AC Melita, points out Clarke. These varieties have higher gluten
strength than AC Avonlea and Kyle, but lower gluten strength than the new extra
strong durum varieties developed for specialty markets.
Developing varieties with low cadmium uptake is a trait Clarke has been working
on for nearly a dozen years. Cadmium is a heavy metal that naturally occurs in
western Canadian soils and durums are genetically inclined toward higher cadmium
uptake than other wheats.
After identifying the gene that influences cadmium uptake in older durum lines,
Clarke used conventional breeding techniques to move the gene into improved,
higher yielding lines.
DT712 has about 50 percent less cadmium than other durum varieties.
"Cadmium levels in durum pose no risk to human health," says Clarke.
"All our wheats are safe. But since cadmium is a heavy metal that humans
are exposed to from a variety of sources it was felt if plant breeders reduce
levels found in durum it would help in an overall reduction in dietary
intake."
European standards for cadmium levels in whole cereal grains, for example, set
the maximum allowable at 200 parts per billion (ppb). "Most of our durum
crop is under that maximum," Clarke says. Although Canadian varieties are
well within existing standards, there is talk among international health
organizations of lowering world standards to perhaps 100 ppb. "So our work
has been in anticipation of new standards," he says.
A strong variety, with a good production and quality package, DT712 will be
coming into a market dominated by popular durums such as Kyle, developed in
the mid-80s and AC Avonlea, launched in 1997, which combined represent about
75 percent of durum wheats grown on the Prairies.
"Farmers will migrate toward new varieties with lower cadmium levels
provided
the varieties have the quality characteristics and the agronomics," says
Dr.
Brian Marchylo, program manager, durum wheat research with the Canadian Grain
Commission. He notes there is no timetable for a change in world cadmium
standards. However, with most new Canadian durum varieties, now in co-op trials,
bred as low cadmium varieties, Canadian growers and grain marketers will be in a
good position when changes occur.
More information on the durum breeding effort is available in the December issue
of WGRF Industry Report, and on the WGRF Web site, www.westerngrains.com.
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