Search Results for: Transgenic

Abstract: Many researchers have hailed transgenic insecticidal crops—plants modified to produce insecticidal proteins derived from genes of the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)—as the most important technological advancement in insect pest management since the development of synthetic insecticides (Vaeck et al. 1987, Koziel et al. 1993, Perlak et al. 1990, 1993). At least 18 transgenic insecticidal …

Abstract: Integration of transgenic DNA into the plant genome was investigated in 13 transgenic oat (Avena sativa L.) lines produced using microprojectile bombardment with one or two cotransformed plasmids. In all transformation events, the transgenic DNA integrated into the plant genome consisted of intact transgene copies that were accompanied by multiple, rearranged, and/or truncated transgene …

Abstract: Industry and mainstream research and policy institutions often suggest that transgenic crop varieties can raise the productivity of poor third world farmers, feed the hungry, and reduce poverty. These claims are critically evaluated by examining global-hunger data, the constraints that affect the productivity of small farmers in the third world, and the factors that …

Abstract: This paper provides an overview of the effects of transgenic plants, also known as Genetically Modified Organisms, and food safety. Modern biotechnologies are powerfull tools in reprogramming life. However, a major problem in the risk assessment of the organisms produced by biotechnology is that the outcome of transformations can not be fully foreseen. Potential …

Abstract: The rapid adoption of transgenic crops in the United States, Argentina, and Canada stands in strong contrast to the situation in the European Union (EU), where a de facto moratorium has been in place since 1998. This article reviews recent scientific literature relevant to the problematic introduction of transgenic crops in the EU to …

Abstract: The occurrence of transgenic herbicide-resistant oilseed rape (Brassica napus) in ruderal (non-crop disturbed) areas has not been investigated previously in Canada. The primary objective of this study was to document their occurrence in two main ruderal areas (along railways and roads) in the province of Saskatchewan, where half of all oilseed rape is grown, …

Text: A letter by Vain in the November issue (Nat. Biotechnol. 23, 1348–1349, 2005) reports a study of two major science literature databases and tracks broad trends in plant transgenic science knowledge from 1973 to 2003. The study identified 30,624 papers, of which 14.8% related to technology development, 71.3% related to applications of technology and …

Abstract: The development of modern gene technologies allows for the expression of recombinant proteins in non-native hosts. Diversity in translational and post-translational modification pathways between species could potentially lead to discrete changes in the molecular architecture of the expressed protein and subsequent cellular function and antigenicity. Here, we show that transgenic expression of a plant …

Abstract: Almost a decade ago (1996) Argentina released the commercial use of transgenic seed. Thereafter, the characteristics of Argentinean Agriculture changed drastically. The “Transgenic Revolution” involves soybean, corn and cotton. The process occurred during the last decade and it is considered an intensification of the “external inputs technology” that is considered as the “input decade”. …

Abstract: Concerns have been raised about the potential effects of transgenic introductions on the genetic diversity of crop landraces and wild relatives in areas of crop origin and diversification, as this diversity is considered essential for global food security. Direct effects on non-target species, and the possibility of unintentionally transferring traits of ecological relevance onto landraces …

Text: In their letter (25 Feb., p. 1399), J. P. R. Martínez-Soriano and D. S. Leal-Klevezas say that there “should be no need for concern” that the introduction of transgenic maize varieties in Mexico may pose a risk to landraces or wild relatives of maize in its ancestral home. However, it would be a mistake …

Abstract: In 2003, the environmental authorities of the Federal District of Mexico declared that genetically modified organisms were incompatible with ecological agriculture practices established in rural areas south of Mexico City. To ensure compliance with official standards and organic agriculture policies, steps were taken to implement an early warning system for the detection of genetically …

Abstract: There is no doubt that soybean is the most important crop for Argentina, with a planted surface that rose 11,000,000 hectares and a production of around 35,000,000 metric tons. During the 1990s, there was a significant agriculture transformation in the country, motorize by the adoption of transgenic crops (soy- bean, maize, and cotton) under …

Abstract: Hybridization between the herbicide-resistant transgenic crop Brassica napus L. (canola) and its weedy relative Brassica rapa L. (bird rape) has been documented in Quebec. Our goal was to evaluate the actual hybridization potential based on range overlap and actual in situ hybridization rates. This was done by mapping B. napus canola fields, comparing them …

Abstract: Release of transgenic insect-resistant crops creates the potential not only for the insect pest to evolve resistance but for the escape of transgenes that may confer novel or enhanced fitness-related traits through hybridization with their wild relatives. The differential response of diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) populations in eastern and western Canada to Bt-producing (GT) …

Abstract: Worldwide an increasing share of agricultural land is being sown with transgenic seeds. Advocates of genetic engineering tout the potential of this technology to fight hunger, produce healthier food, secure higher yields, supply more biofuel and reduce pesticide use. Up to now, most of these promises have not been fulfilled. Instead, genetic engineering technology …

Abstract: We investigated the dynamics of N and P availability in the rhizosphere of Bt and non‐Bt cotton crops during their growth. In a net‐house pot culture experiment at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, Bt‐cotton (cv. MRC‐6301 Bt) and its non‐transgenic near‐isoline (MRC‐6301) were grown on a sandy loam soil until maturity. A …

Abstract: Although plants transformed with genetic material from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt ) are generally thought to have negligible impact on non-target organisms1, Bt corn plants might represent a risk because most hybrids express the Bt toxin in pollen2, and corn pollen is dispersed over at least 60 metres by wind3. Corn pollen is …

Abstract: Based on surface area, South Africa is currently ranked the eighth in planting genetically modified (GM) crops in the world. Bt maize (MON810) has been grown to control lepidopterous stem borers in South Africa since its first release during 1998. The first report of resistance of the African maize stem borer, Busseola fusca (Lepidoptera: …

Abstract: In his reply to my letter about transgenic animals and prion diseases the Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Barry O`Neil, raised several issues of science and policy that require a more detailed response. Debate about the status of prions as infectious agents devoid of nucleic acid seems to be over. The “unified theory” of Weissmann …

Abstract: The creation and exploitation of transgenic farm animals involve extraordinary potential hazards, which have not been considered in any assessment of risks to the environment and health arising from biotechnological enterprise in agriculture. Animals carrying transgenes from related species may give rise to novel protein forms, which act as infectious agents for as-yet-unknown diseases …

Abstract: The potential for genetically modified (GM) crops to threaten biodiversity conservation and sustainable agriculture is substantial. Megadiverse countries and centers of origin and/or diversity of crop species are particularly vulnerable regions. The future of sustainable agriculture may be irreversibly jeopardized by contamination of in situ preserved genetic resources threatening a strategic resource for the …

Abstract: Bt plants are plants that have been genetically modified to express the insecticidal proteins (e.g. Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, Cry3A) from subspecies of the bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), to kill lepidopteran pests that feed on corn, rice, tobacco, canola, and cotton and coleopteran pests that feed on potato. The biomass of these transgenic Bt plants (Bt+) …