Buckler, Ronald and others are bullish on the potential of molecular breeding and advanced GM crops. But they remain wary of making predictions of genetic mastery that characterized the field previously. Much needs to be learned about the influence of environment on gene expression, they stress.
Yet it is clear that the promise of genetic engineering and molecular breeding has at least started to catch the hype.
With so many crop genomes sequenced, there is "so much more information that is available now than 10 years ago ... an overwhelming amount," Ronald said. It took seven years to sequence the first plant genome. Next year, the same genome could be sequenced for $70 in one day.
"There's enough to occupy us geneticists for the ends of our lives," she said.
Reprinted from Greenwire with permission from Environment & Energy Publishing, LLC. www.eenews.net, 202-628-6500
See what we're tweeting about
6 Comments
Add CommentWhen you refer to "increasing soy's production up to a bushel", do you mean per plant, per hectare, per acre, per square mile ... ?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPaul Ehrlich saw a pending population crash that didn’t happen. The crash didn’t happen because of the advances in agriculture. Commercial fertilizer, plant breeding, and genetically engineered crops have brought about abundant crops that are sufficient to feed our world’s human population of 6.8 billion
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisGenetically engineered (GE) crops are a lifesaving breakthrough for the developing world because plants have been created that contains all the essential nutrients for human health. It is a tragedy that well meaning “greens” in Europe have poisoned the minds of Africans against the use of GE crops. This campaign has caused the starvation of untold numbers of Africans.
The greens and organic farmers need to look into this biology and accept molecular breeding and GE seed production as they are engineered to produce the hardiest, most nutritious and non-allergenic foods.
We need to cope with feeding a growing human population on a planet that is losing agricultural land to climate change. Our hope is that molecular breeding and genetic engineering may increase our crop productivity to keep pace with the nutrition needs of our world’s population.
Animal breeders could do similar things to help prevent genetic disorders like hip dysplasia caused by excessive and unscrupulous inbreeding.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBushels per acre is the standard unit of grain yield for soybeans in the US. One bushel equal 60 pounds of grain at 13% moisture.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe problem here is that there are unknown nutrients and other chemicals/compounds that are beneficial to human health. These nutrients haven't yet been discovered or identified.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThere are millions of people out there who hate monsanto and everything they stand for - agent orange, gm, round-up and else. Given this fact and the economic need (if there is one, that isn�t made by ourselfes), molecular breeding will hopefully be, what GMOs want to stand for: A clean, new way without any impact to nature or our health.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this