BIOTECHNOLOGY IN THE NEWS FOR 2006

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- 12/12/2006 — A plant-destroying virus farmers call one of their worst enemies may soon be an ally in the fight against crop pests and mosquitoes, say University of Florida researchers. Scientists genetically modified tobacco mosaic virus so that it produces a natural, environmentally friendly insecticide, turning the pathogen into a microscopic chemical factory, said Dov Borovsky, an entomologist with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. The modified virus is almost completely harmless to plants and simply produces the insecticide. Plants inoculated with the virus quickly accumulate enough of the insecticide to kill insect pests that consume their leaves, said Borovsky, who works at the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory in Vero Beach and is affiliated with UF’s Genetics Institute. Once harvested, the plants can be processed to make mosquito control products.

Opinion About Genetically Modified Foods Remains ‘Up For Grabs’ Ten Years After Introduction of Ag Biotech

Washington, D.C. – Dec. 2006 -- Public awareness and understanding of genetically modified (GM) foods remains relatively low and consumers’ opinions about GM foods are as divided now as they were five years ago, according to a new survey released today by the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology. The survey also shows that regulation may increase confidence in GM foods and reveals that animal cloning causes great discomfort among American consumers. The announcement of survey findings marks the fifth year that the Pew Initiative has monitored public understanding of and support for different types of biotechnology. To view a summary of the findings from the survey, as well as the statistical results, please go to: http://pewagbiotech.org/research/2006update/.

Next-generation herbicide tolerant trait on track for 2009 U.S. commercialization

DES MOINES, Iowa, Nov. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- DuPont met an important milestone toward the commercialization of its proprietary Optimum™ GAT™ trait today by completing its U.S. regulatory submissions for approval of the trait in soybeans. This keeps the company on track for commercialization of soybean products containing the trait by 2009. The Optimum™ GAT™ trait will give growers a new choice in glyphosate-tolerance soybean seed. The trait is a proprietary herbicide-tolerance trait that DuPont plans to commercialize in corn, cotton and other crops, following its 2009 introduction in soybeans.

Pioneer Focuses on Developing Drought-Tolerant Corn

DES MOINES, Iowa, Oct. 23, 2006 – Each year, drought is one of the most significant issues affecting agricultural productivity worldwide, and it’s estimated that in any given year, one-third of U.S. corn acres will probably experience yield-reducing drought stress. These odds, combined with expanding corn acres into more arid climates and costly water resources, make the need for corn plants that can withstand drought conditions critical. That’s why Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., is focused on developing hybrids that use water sources more efficiently, helping growers maintain yields during periods of water stress. While the enhanced transgenic trait could be available for commercialization after 2012 pending successful performance testing, Pioneer has recently developed several hybrids with exceptional drought tolerance and high-yield potential.

Syngenta’s corn rootworm biotech trait approved in the USA

Basel, Switzerland, October 4, 2006 -- Syngenta announced today that its corn rootworm trait, Agrisure™ RW, has received registration approval from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Syngenta will launch for sale corn seed containing Agrisure RW for the 2007 growing season in the USA, the world’s largest corn market.

Monsanto says new corn could produce bumper crops

Wednesday, October 04, 2006 -- By Jack Kaskey -- Monsanto Co., the world's largest developer of genetically modified crops, said an experimental corn seed that produces drought-tolerant plants may boost yields in dry parts of the U.S. by 40 percent in the next decade. The seeds can increase yields by 8 to 10 percent on farms with no irrigation from North Dakota to Texas, Chief Technology Officer Robert T. Fraley said Tuesday during a presentation on Creve Coeur-based Monsanto's website. The seeds, which will contain other improvements, will be introduced after 2010. Yields in dry regions may rise to 121 bushels an acre by 2015 from 88 now, he said. Monsanto plans to engineer as many as six benefits into corn by the end of the decade, up from three currently. The new seeds will contain genes that provide ethanol makers with more-nutritious animal feed after extracting the fuel, Fraley said.

U.S. bio firm plans factory for processing genetically engineered rice in Kansas

Monday, October 02, 2006 -- JUNCTION CITY, Kansas --A California company that has been criticized for its genetically engineered rice is planning to open a processing plant here and contract with area farmers to grow the crop. State and local officials have embraced Ventria Bioscience's project, and they and the Sacramento, California-based firm's leader are touting it as a major boost to Kansas' emerging biosciences industry. Ventria plans to use the genetically altered rice it grows for manufacturing medicine, including one developed to fight childhood diarrhea, a leading cause of death for infants and toddlers worldwide.

What will second generation Bt cotton bring to table?

Friday, September 29, 2006 -- By Elton Robinson -- Cotton producers who plant second generation Bt cottons like Bollgard II, WideStrike and VipCot may not spray less or yield more cotton in the short term. But they should see improved control of worm pests and will have set the bar for resistance management at a very high level.

BT NEEDS HELP TO KILL MOTH

September 25, 2006 --The world's most widely used organic insecticide, a plucky bacterium known as Bacillus thuringiensis or Bt for short, requires the assistance of other microbes to perform its insect-slaying work, a new study has found.  Scientists determined that native bacteria in the moth’s gut need to be present for Bt to be lethal. “Ultimately, this is a toxin-mediated septicemia (blood poisoning) modulated by the gut community”, write the authors. The team published the findings in a recent issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

EU chases GMO-tainted rice strain in four countries
Thu Sep 21, 1:45 PM ET -- BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Europe's problems with shipments of unauthorized genetically modified (GMO) rice have taken a turn for the worse as two U.S. shipments tested positive for an illegal biotech strain, the EU executive said.

AC21 Consensus Report - Opportunities and Challenges in Agricultural Biotechnology  - 8/31/2006 -- This paper provides a brief summary of the extensive deliberations by the Committee in exploring the potential products that technically could enter the marketplace in the next five to ten years, the many factors shaping the future context in which these products will be introduced, and a broad range of topics Committee members think relevant for USDA to consider.

EPA extends YieldGard registration

7/31/2006 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has extended the registration of two YieldGard® insect-protected corn technologies developed by Monsanto Company. The registration for YieldGard Rootworm insect-protected corn technology has been extended through the 2010 growing season and the registration for YieldGard Plus® has been extended through the 2008 growing season.

Biotech Tipping Point

7/21/2006 - Dean Kleckner -AgWeb.com- China is no newcomer to the biotech-crop club--only four countries plant more acres of GM crops than the world’s most populous nation. Yet government leaders in Beijing are on the verge of a decision that historians eventually may interpret as a tipping point in the global debate over genetically modified food.  One recent report suggests that regulators may not approve commercial sales of the rice this year, but it’s only a matter of time before they do.

More Than 90 Percent of Growers Adhering to Bt Corn Borer Stewardship Requirements

Friday, April 28, 2006 -- ST. LOUIS - The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) today announced that more than nine out of 10 growers are aware of and effectively complying with Insect Resistance Management (IRM) requirements as mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These findings are based on 2005 on-farm assessments along with an independent survey conducted on behalf of the Agriculture Biotechnology Stewardship Technical Committee (ABSTC).

Hawaiian GE papaya: market loss and contamination

Thursday, April 27, 2006 By Melanie Bondera Why do creators of the genetically-engineered(GE) papaya fruit have to push so hard to introduce it? If the GE papaya is really a simple solution to a major agricultural disease that farmers want, it would be readily adopted by governments, farmers and markets. However, it is not. The concern over this genetically modified orgnanism (GMO) food is so great, that it creates resistance, loss of markets, contamination and more loss of markets. In Thailand, the government has a ban on field trials and hasn't commercially released the papaya after almost a decade of testing. Farmers have shown resistance and expressed concern that the European Union and Japan don't want to import the GM papaya.

Refuge requirements --

April 21, 2006 -- Most farmers are familiar with insect-resistant, transgenic corn hybrids and their insect resistance management (IRM) requirements. However, with Bt corn for rootworms, Bt corn for corn borers, and Bt stacks for rootworm and corn borer, keeping the Bt corn hybrids and their respective IRM programs straight can be difficult, particularly during planting when weather and breakdowns can make it necessary to modify planting plans “on the fly.” This article will review the difference between the current basic Bt corn hybrids (events) and their respective IRM programs and encourage growers to fully comply with IRM requirements.  -- Crop Watch article University of Nebraska

TRITICUM AESTIVUM L (WHEAT)— AN INCREDIBLY COMPLEX GENETIC SOUP

Tracy Sayler --- ISB News Report April 20, 2006 -- Despite the long, tedious process of constructing a genetic road map of the wheat genome, Sayler states that the National Association of Wheat Growers urges the development of biotech wheat. She also quotes Forrest Chumley, associate director for research at Kansas State University, on the issue of the scientific cost of not pursuing the quest for biotech wheat. Chumley says that “in science, success is the best recruiting tool, and failure to develop and commercialize biotech traits may lead to a decline in wheat research investments, reduced student enrollments, and lost research opportunities in the future.”

DuPont And Syngenta Form Joint Venture

Apr 11, 2006 12:03 PM -- DuPont and Syngenta announced April 10 in Chicago, IL the formation of a joint venture and licensing agreements that will bring expanded choice to North American farmers through broader access to the companies’ proprietary corn and soybean genetics and biotechnology traits. Syngenta Seeds, Inc. and DuPont subsidiary Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. will form the seed industry’s first 50/50 joint venture to out-license genetics to U.S. and Canadian seed companies, with potential to expand worldwide.

You can't teach old farmers new tricks for controlling corn rootworms.
February 17, 2006 Source: AgAnswers, an Ohio State University and Purdue Extension Partnership
     A Purdue University study found that as farmers approach late middle age they are less likely to plant corn that produces Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), a protein that kills corn rootworms and European corn borer insects that feed on plant tissues. The 2004 study, based on surveys and discussions with about 1,000 Indiana farmers who grew at least 200 acres of corn, also revealed farmers experienced in biotech crops are more likely to plant Bt corn hybrids, while some growers are less inclined to use Bt varieties because they find planting parts of their fields in non-Bt "refuge" corn a hassle.

Feds sued for allowing biotech alfalfa
By PAUL ELIAS Associated Press -- Posted on Fri, Feb. 17, 2006 SAN FRANCISCO    
     Several environmental groups and organic farmers concerned with "genetic contamination" of conventionally grown crops by biotech varieties sued the federal government Thursday in an attempt to reverse the approval of genetically engineered alfalfa. The lawsuit alleges the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency didn't adequately investigate environmental affects such as cross-pollination of the biotechnology crop with conventional alfalfa, which is used mainly to feed cows. The USDA approved the alfalfa in June after the EPA said it had no objections.