Archived News

June 2006

U.S. Farmers Choose Biotechnology
30 June 2006 Truth About Trade & Technology
As farmers around the world are given the opportunity to choose and use the best technology for their farms – regardless of the size of their operation – they are continuing to plant more acres to biotech crops.

UC San Diego Biologists Solve Plant Growth Hormone Enigma
30 June 2006 University of California, San Diego
Gardeners and farmers have used the plant hormone auxin for decades, but how plants produce and distribute auxin has been a long-standing mystery. Now researchers at the University of California, San Diego have found the solution, which has valuable applications in agriculture.

Food-crop Yields in Future Greenhouse-Gas Conditions Lower Than Expected
29 June 2006 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Open-air field trials involving five major food crops grown under carbon-dioxide levels projected for the future are harvesting dramatically less bounty than those raised in earlier greenhouse and other enclosed test conditions – and scientists warn that global food supplies could be at risk without changes in production strategies.

Japan to Swap Gas Cars for Ethanol Ones
29 June 2006 AP via The Washington Post
Japan plans to fight global warming and surging oil prices by requiring that all vehicles on the road be able to run on an environment-friendly mix of ethanol and regular gasoline by 2030, an official said Thursday.

USDA Works to Improve Bread With Biotech
29 June 2006 AP via The Houston Chronicle
U.S. government scientists are trying to bake a better bread - one that will provide the kind of reliable, consistent quality that commercial bakers yearn for - and they are using biotechnology to do it.

New Euro Body to Match-Make Researchers and Funders
29 June 2006 Food Navigator
A new initiate launched today aims to help Europe remain a global player in life sciences by coordinating interaction between researchers and funders, and may facilitate more research in the area of food and health.

Monsanto's American Seeds, Inc. Announces Five Acquisitions To Support Locally-Oriented Business Model
28 June 2006 Monsanto
Monsanto Company's American Seeds, Inc. subsidiary announced today it is making five additions to its family of regional brands. The additions are expected to further bolster ASI's ability to reach farmers customers in underserved geographies with a technology-rich, locally-oriented business model.

Killer Tomatoes Attack Human Diseases
28 June 2006 New Scientist
Genetically modified tomatoes containing edible vaccine could be used to tackle two of the world's most lethal viruses - HIV and hepatitis B.

Seed And Traits Business Drives Record Third-Quarter Sales
28 June 2006 Monsanto
U.S. corn seed and traits business sees continued market share gains, broader adoption of stacked corn traits.

New Research May Reduce Global Need for Nitrogen Fertilizers
28 June 2006 BBSRC
The researchers, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Royal Society and the US National Science Foundation, have used a key gene that legumes require to establish the interaction with the nitrogen-fixing bacteria to trigger the growth of root nodules, even in the absence of the bacteria.

Research Tackles Wild Rice Domestication
27 June 2006 Crop Biotech Net
Scientists are now turning to the wild counterparts of today’s crops, which will allow them to identify important genetic resources that may help in carrying out future crop improvement.

Agriculture Ministers Focus on New Opportunities for the Sector at their Annual Conference
27 June 2006 Government of Canada
Federal, provincial, and territorial ministers of agriculture met in St. John's Newfoundland and Labrador for their annual conference where they discussed the future of agriculture and agri-food in Canada.

Brazil Creates Fund to Fuel Technology Innovation
27 June 2006 SciDev.Net
The Technology Fund launched last week will sponsor projects that relate to economic and social development in specific subject areas, including agricultural biotechnology, drugs for neglected diseases, software and semiconductors.

India: Time for Re-Assessment of Crop Bio-Technology
27 June 2006 Hindu Business Line
GM cotton has raised yields and reduced pesticide application leading to net gains to farmers and the textile industry.

Monsanto Board Declares Two-for-One Stock Split
27 June 2006 Monsanto
Monsanto Company today announced that its Board of Directors has approved a two-for-one split of the company's common stock effected in the form of a stock dividend. The stock split will be payable on July 28, 2006, to shareowners of record at the close of business on July 7, 2006.

Brazil Unveils New Veggie-Diesel Fuel
27 June 2006 United Press International (UPI)
Brazil has designed and developed a new type of diesel fuel that is mixed with various vegetable oils, an innovation that energy officials said will save the country millions on imported diesel in the coming years.

Promising Crop Biotechnologies for Smallholder Farmers in East Africa: Bananas and Maize
27 June 2006 IFPRI
This series of eight research briefs from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) discusses the potential for adoption of banana and maize biotechnologies in East Africa, relying in part on farmer surveys from Uganda and Kenya.

Canada Expects Biofuel Strategy by This Fall
27 June 2006 Reuters Canada
Canada expects to have a framework strategy by the autumn to enable all gasoline sold by 2010 to contain 5 percent biofuel, Agriculture Minister Chuck Strahl said on Tuesday.

Farmers Challenged to Apply Biotech Methods
27 June 2006 The Guardian via IPP Media
Farmers in Tanzania have been challenged to apply modern biotechnology methods to improve production in their respective areas which would enable them to increase income.

Poplar Trees and Grass May Make Fine Gas for Cars
26 June 2006 Contra Costa Times
Poplar trees and switch grass are on track to become important weapons in national security defense, and a Walnut Creek lab is speeding them on their way.

Crop Biotechnology: The Next Revolution in Agriculture
26 June 2006 Financial Express
Crop biotechnology can provide the needed fuel and can be the engine of growth. It can help reduce poverty, promote rural development, strengthen trade and economy and agricultural sustainability, and also deliver direct benefits to farmers and consumers.

Scientists Develop Oleic Acid-Rich Soybean Oil
26 June 2006 Food Navigator
Scientists at Iowa State have developed soybean oil rich in oleic acid and low in linolenic acid, and are now seeking food companies to test if the oil can be used in applications previously beyond the scope of conventional soybean oils.

Cuba Hails 'Plantibody' Breakthrough for Hepatitis Vaccine
24 June 2006 Agence France Presse via Yahoo!
In what scientists billed as a breakthrough, Cuba has developed the first monoclonal antibody from transgenic plants -- dubbed a "plantibody" -- used in making a human vaccine.

Brazil: Transgenic Citrus Tested
23 June 2006 Fresh Plaza
Four Brazilian research institutions are starting this month the first tests with 120 transgenic orange plants.

Super Ethanol Is on Its Way
23 June 2006 CNN Money
The next generation of this biomass fuel could be cheaper, more plentiful and arriving sooner than you think.

Monsanto Gift Benefits Agriculture in the Classroom
23 June 2006 Monsanto
During the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference, Monsanto, in cooperation with the Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) Consortium announced the inaugural winners of the Monsanto Outreach for Agriculture Awards.

Kenyan Farmers, MPs Demand Release of Bt Cotton
23 June 2006 Crop Biotech Net
Representatives of Kenya's eight million cotton farmers have called on the Kenyan government to speed up the release of Bt cotton, which is currently under contained field trials by the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI).

Saying No to Gene-Spliced Crops Means Saying Yes to Pesticides
23 June 2006 San Jose Mercury News
California boasts a strong environmental movement, but by outlawing the cultivation of insect-resistant crops developed with the assistance of biotechnology, the supervisors would ensure the increased use of chemical pesticides and persistence of these chemicals in the area's ground and surface water.

Scary Food: Fear of Biotech Food Can Make You Sick
23 June 2006 Hoover Institute Policy Review
Food biotechnology provides an effective — and cost-effective — way to prevent many of these injurious scenarios, but instead of being widely encouraged, it is being resisted by self-styled environmental activists and even government officials.

Indy 500 to Run on Ethanol
22 June 2006 Red Herring
The IndyCar Series, which began blending its methanol fuel with 10 percent ethanol this year, is on track to switch to 100 percent ethanol next year, the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council said Thursday.

European Commission Earmarks €12 Million for Plant Growth Research
21 June 2006 VIB, Flanders Interuniversity Institute of Biotechnology
The European Commission is devoting €12 million to AGRON-OMICS, a plant research consortium spearheaded by Pierre Hilson and Dirk Inzé of the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) and Ghent University.

Monsanto Company Sets Webcast and Analyst/Media Call for 2006 Third-Quarter Financial Results
21 June 2006 Monsanto
Monsanto Company today announced it will issue the company's financial results for its fiscal year 2006 third quarter on Thursday, June 29, 2006, prior to market open.

Plant Antibodies Show Anti-Cancer Activity in Research
20 June 2006 Crop Biotech Net
Together, these findings show that plant-derived antibodies have potential for efficient immunotherapy.

Tomatoes to Protect Against the Plague
20 June 2006 Checkbiotech.org
Researchers at the Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology at the Biodesign Institute in Arizona are dedicated to fighting infectious diseases through innovative and effective vaccine development.

Global Seed Market Valued at $17 Billion
20 June 2006 Ag Weekly via Checkbiotech
Global crop production shifts, transgenic and hybrid seed technologies and changes in targeted plant populations helped increase the value of the global proprietary seed market to more than $17 billion in 2005.

Biotechnology Continues to Play Significant Role in Reshaping World Agriculture
20 June 2006 Farm Futures
Biotechnology is among key forces reshaping world agriculture, enabling increased crop yields and productivity despite limited available land, and leading to better quality and lower priced food products for consumers.

Canberra's on the Table for NFF Chief
19 June 2006 The Age
In the cotton industry, we've seen a 75 per cent fall in conventional pesticide use thanks to the adoption of GM varieties, with significant benefits to the environment.

Industry Looks to Finnish Presidency to Take the Lead on Important Biotech Issues
19 June 2006 EuropaBio
For Europe to sustainably meet its competitive and environmental challenges in the agri-food sector, progress must be made in Green biotechnology

Scientists to Employ Arctic Ice and Polar Bears to Protect Diversity of World's Crops
19 June 2006 Global Crop Diversity Trust
Global effort to conserve threatened crop diversity underscores growing threats to food security from plant diseases, climate change.

Better Method Developed to Make Biodiesel
19 June 2006 United Press International (UPI)
Iowa State University scientists say they are using chemistry and nanotechnology to create a better way to make biodiesel by using tiny nanospheres.

GM Cereal Resists Heat to Boost Nutrition
19 June 2006 SciDev.Net
Scientists have genetically modified wheat and barley so the seeds still contain an important nutritional enzyme after cooking.

China Prudent in Developing Genetically Modified Farm Produce
18 June 2006 Xinhua via People's Daily
The growing of GM cotton helped reduce the use of pesticides by 50,000 tons, bringing about economic returns of 16.8 billion yuan (2.1 billion U.S. dollars).

Genetic Engineering May Be Canker Cure
18 June 2006 South Florida Sun Sentinel
Through genetic engineering, they are extracting the kumquat's canker-resistant gene and transferring it into citrus plants in research labs. They hope to produce citrus trees that are genetically immune to canker.

Research Shows Roundup Ready(r) Alfalfa Could Increase Profits
16 June 2006 The Prairie Star
Roundup Ready(r) alfalfa is likely to expand weed-control options for alfalfa growers and potentially enhance yield, forage quality and profitability, according to researchers in the College of Agriculture at the University of Wyoming.

Crop Scientists Studying New Ways To Fight Asian Soy Rust
15 June 2006 Dow Jones via Cattle Network
n the ongoing struggle to protect soybeans from the deadly Asian soybean rust, researchers with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service are contributing to defense from several angles.

Dutch Government Supports GM Crop Research
14 June 2006 USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
The Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality tasked Wageningen University to develop a genetically modified (GM) potato with resistance blight (Phytophthora infestans). Six field trials with the GM maize hybrid Mon810 will conducted this year to establish the size of buffer zones for coexistence purposes.

Scientists Say GM Rice Safe
14 June 2006 Iran Daily
Mohammad Ali Melboubi, a senior member of the Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Research Center, told ISNA that extensive research studies have shown that there no health problems are encountered through consuming GM rice, stressing that the findings of genetics and biotechnology groups involved in the project have been published.

Will Wal-Mart's Organic Cotton Save the Planet?
14 June 2006 News By Us
High-yield biotech cotton usually has an ultra-safe natural pesticide bred into its tissues. The only organisms affected by the bred-in pesticide are bugs that try to eat the cotton plant. It doesn’t affect birds, bees or humans.

"Soya Summit 2006" Focuses on Food and Energy for the 21st Century; Landmark Event Brings Together Thought-Leaders from Food and Biofuels Industries to Shape Strategies for the Future
14 June 2006 Soyatech
"Soya Summit 2006" will enable leaders from both industries to explore the issues and opportunities surrounding product innovation, the increased interest in biofuels, resource competition, the newest agriculture and processing technologies...

Genetically Enhanced Peppers Storm the Market
14 June 2006 Food Navigator
Genetically enhanced hybrid peppers that can be raised with minimal protection under moderate winter conditions have achieved worldwide commercial success, according to the team behind the concept.

ASA Points to Benefits of Biotech Crops in Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
13 June 2006 American Soybean Association
Greenhouse gases can be greatly reduced by the adoption of biotechnology crops, says the American Soybean Association (ASA).

Malaysian Government to Make Agri-Biotech into Viable Endeavour
13 June 2006 Bernama via Checkbiotech.org
Jamaluddin said applications of biotechnological advancements in agriculture would spell, among others, cost-effective production, higher yields, crops of superior quality and successful management of plant diseases.

Enzymes "Spice Up" Plant Scent
13 June 2006 National Academy of Sciences via Checkbiotech.org
Researchers have identified enzymes that help give petunias and basil their fragrance, information that could be used to improve plant products.

Supersizing Cassava
13 June 2006 Columbus Dispatch
Using genetics, OSU researchers grow bigger plant to feed Africans.

Wine Researchers Seek Genetic Answers to Ancient Headaches
13 June 2006 Kansas City Star
Now researchers at Missouri State University hope to apply 21st century genetic technology to make cultivated wine grapes as hardy as their wild cousins, which can shrug off many of those same pests and weather conditions.

Biologists Trace Back Genetic Origins of Rice Domestication
13 June 2006 Science Daily
Biologists from Washington University in St. Louis and their collaborators from Taiwan have examined the DNA sequence family trees of rice varieties and have determined that the crop was domesticated independently at least twice in various Asian locales.

Chinese Scientists Develop Salt Tolerant Grass
13 June 2006 SciDev.Net
Scientists in China have developed a salt-tolerant form of grass that they say could be used to help bring millions of hectares of degraded land back into production.

US Biotech Companies Urge Africa to Catch Up
13 June 2006 Islam Online
Biotechnology has the potential to improve biodiversity, substantially reduce insecticide use, advance food security and tremendously transform agriculture in the next 10 years.

China to Promote Ethanol to Minimize Pollution
12 June 2006 Financial Times
China is considering a change in its energy policy to encourage the wider use of ethanol, a clean fuel made from agricultural products, to target the nation’s worsening air quality, a leading trader of the commodity said.

Indy League's Shift to Ethanol Problem-Free
12 June 2006 Dallas Business Journal
As the series enters midseason, the 10% ethanol fuel has been problem-free so far according to IRL officials.

Brazil: GMO to Impact the Agrochemicals Market
12 June 2006 Valor Economico
The improvement of genetic modified seeds cultures would reduce agriculture defensives consumption by 20% in Brazil during the next years, according to the agrochemicals industry association Andef and estimates the 2006 market at R$8bil (10% less than 2005).

GM Hybrid Peppers Developed in Israel
12 June 2006 UPI via PhysOrg.com
Israeli researchers have produced genetically modified hybrid peppers that can be raised with minimal protection under moderate winter conditions.

The Cow Dung Deception
12 June 2006 Africa Biotech
But the power and unquestioned authority that the environmental movement has gained over the years is influencing policy in developing countries – defensive policy that undermines research capacity and widens the gap between rich countries and poor countries.

Alternative Fuel Station May Be Future
11 June 2006 The Washington Post
High gas prices coupled with President Bush's call for Americans to reduce their dependence on foreign oil are drawing more attention to alternative fuels that can be produced domestically, sold cheaper than oil and generate lower amounts of greenhouse gases.

National Agricultural and Texas Journalists' Attitudes Toward and Information Sources for Biotechnology Issues
09 June 2006 AgBioForum
Respondents believed that biotechnology practices would have positive effects on food production, commercial farming, health, environment, fish and wildlife, and small-scale farms.

Statement on GM for Developing Countries
09 June 2006 Crop Biotech Net
Green biotechnology offers great prospects for developing countries.

COMESA Endorses Regional Policy on GMOs
09 June 2006 Crop Biotech Net
Regional experts and stakeholders in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) have agreed to work together towards the adoption of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the region.

Kenyan Minister Asks Journalists to Highlight Biotech Benefits
09 June 2006 Crop Biotech Net
The government of Kenya is actively exploring ways of deploying biotechnology into the agricultural system to help boost food production.

Indonesia Govt Urged to Increase Support to Agri-Biotech
09 June 2006 Crop Biotech Net
Support for the agricultural sector will have an impact not only in assuring an adequate food supply for the Indonesian population, but is also required for the generation of alternative energy resources, biofuels.

Hepatitis B Antigen Expressed in Potato Root
09 June 2006 Crop Biotech Net
Scientists are currently engineering plants to produce hepatitis B antigens, leading to the development of plant-based, orally administered vaccines.

Africa Seeks "Green Revolution" to Reduce Hunger
09 June 2006 Reuters UK
African leaders and international donors launched an ambitious attempt on Friday to foster a "Green Revolution" in farming, based on increased fertiliser use, to reduce hunger in the poorest continent.

Biotech Industry Offers Enthusiastic, Active Support for New EU Biofuels Initiative
09 June 2006 EuropaBio
The European association for bioindustries - EuropaBio - welcomes the Commission’s launch today of the Biofuels Technology Platform and is pleased to announce the setting up of a Biofuels Task Force within EuropaBio to coordinate the industry input.

Genetic Resources in Agriculture: the Key to Food Security
08 June 2006 FAO
The signature of the Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture marks a major step towards guaranteeing food security in the world.

Brazil Soy Farmers Use Biotech Seeds To Fight Pests, Rust
08 June 2006 Dow Jones via Cattle Network
Brazil's soy farmers are increasingly turning to genetically modified soy to combat insect disease and soybean rust, farmers and seed manufacturers said Wednesday during a soy conference in Parana.

17 Outdoor Field Tests with Transgenic Organisms
07 June 2006 Schweizer Landwirtschaft via Checkbiotech.org
The French minister of agriculture, Mr Dominique Bussereau, had authorized 17 new outdoor field tests with transgenic corn and tobacco.

EU and US Continue to Work Jointly on Biotechnology Research
07 June 2006 Europa
Europe is determined to remain an important global player in Life Sciences and Biotechnology research and a continuing international dialogue with the US and other key players is important for us.

Indy 500 Seen Helping US Get on Ethanol Bandgwagon
07 June 2006 Reuters via Planet Ark
Last month's Indianapolis 500 auto race, which required drivers to use ethanol fuel for the first time in the event's 95-year history, gave a glimpse of what's in store for the future of US energy, a USDA official said this week.

Hereditary Qualities of Plants Crucial to Healthy Food
07 June 2006 Wageningen University and Research Centre
The variation in the biochemical composition of plants is to a large extent determined by their hereditary characteristics. This is the conclusion of a publication by Wageningen UR researchers appearing in Nature Genetics- on line on 4 June.

Will Agbiotech Applications Reach Marginalized Farmers? Evidence from Developing Countries
07 June 2006 AgBioForum
Findings from two studies on agricultural research indicate that although developing countries invest in agricultural biotechnology and genetically modified crop research, their policy and investment environments inhibit the contribution of such research to agricultural development and poverty reduction.

Renewable Energy Effort Gains Steam in Congress
07 June 2006 The Washington Post
A group of mostly farm-state lawmakers in the U.S. Congress want the federal government to require that 25 percent of the nation's energy come from renewable sources like ethanol and solar power by 2025.

Organics Pricier Than Conventional But Not Any More Nutritious
07 June 2006 Canada Press
According to dietitian Lois Ferguson and home economist Mary Wiley, organic fruit and vegetables cost about 40 per cent more than regular ones but are zero per cent more nutritious.

PanAfrica: Expert Urges More Public Support for Agricultural Development
07 June 2006 United States Department of State
Public support for agricultural research and education, improved seeds, and more and better roads serving rural areas are key to solving the ongoing problem of world hunger, says the head of one of the world's foremost organizations promoting agricultural development.

Plant Diseases Threaten Chocolate Production Worldwide
06 June 2006 American Phytopathological Society
Chocolate lovers, beware. Each year 20 percent of the cacao beans that are used to make chocolate are lost to plant diseases, but even greater losses would occur if important diseases spread.

Producing More Biofuels a Focus of World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology
06 June 2006 BIO
Ethanol and biodiesel are currently in high demand throughout the world, due to record oil prices and new mandates for use of renewable fuel in the United States, Europe and Canada.

GE Tomato Resistant to Leaf Curl Disease
06 June 2006 Information Systems for Biotechnology (ISB)
Several methods employing the use of genetic engineering have successfully demonstrated development of virus resistance through the production of transgenic plants.

Biotech Business Expected to Touch $5 Billion by 2010
06 June 2006 The Hindu
The biotechnology industry in the country is growing at an exponential rate and is expected to touch business worth over $5 billion by 2010 and generate over a million jobs in agriculture and pharmaceutical and allied sectors.

Food Industry Calls on EU to Double R&D Funding
06 June 2006 Food Navigator
The CIAA calls on the EU to provide a higher share of EU research and development funds for agriculture, food and biotechnology. The association wants 11 per cent of the funds earmarked by the bloc for industry R&D instead of the current 5.5 per cent.

Gene Boost Lets Plants Tolerate Low Boron in Soil
06 June 2006 SciDev.Net
Researchers have genetically modified a plant to make it tolerate low levels of boron, a nutrient often lacking from soils, especially in southeast China and Pakistan.

Kenyan Woman Wins Rockefeller Science Fellowship
02 June 2006 African News Dimension
Dr Margaret Mulaa becomes the first female winner of the Rockefeller-Gender & Diversity Fellowship for her work in the field of maize pests, Napier grass stunting disease, citrus pest management, botanical pest control, GM cassava non-target insects, and wheat rusts and pests.

Univ Wyoming Hosts Regional Plant Genome Research Conference
02 June 2006 University of Wyoming
Plant genome researchers from across the country will converge on the University of Wyoming for a conference Friday and Saturday, June 2-3, at the Animal Science/Molecular Biology Building.

WB Studies Suggest Adoption of GM Cotton
02 June 2006 Crop Biotech Net
The gains to developing countries from the Doha Cotton Initiative will be even greater if GM cotton is adopted first, providing yet another reason not to delay approval of this new biotechnology.

ICAR, ICRISAT Partner for Better Agriculture
02 June 2006 Crop Biotech Net
Under the agreement, ICAR and ICRISAT will conduct research into genetic resources conservation, evaluation, and utilization; enhancing crop productivity and sustainability.

The Communication Factor in African Biotech Crops
01 June 2006 SeedQuest
Lousy communication strategies create a fertile breeding ground for activists and consumer concerns.

France Tests First Flex-Fuel Cars in Biofuel Push
01 June 2006 Reuters
France on Thursday launched its first tests of so-called flex-fuel cars that can run on ethanol or conventional fuel in its latest push to promote wider use of renewable energy.