GM Barley Head Scab Fungus The fungi which causes head scab or head blight causes a lot of damage to the barley industry. The diseased crop does not produce as much grain and is of poorer quality as the healthy plant. Fields that have been hard hit by the disease produce grains with no economic value leaving the farmers no choice but to totally destroy his crops.
There are four species of Fusarium that causes the scab: F. graminearum, F. culmorum, F. avenaceum, and F. crookwellense. The first species is the most important scab-causing organism. The organism can survive on dead straws that has been left on the ground after harvest. During warm, high moisture conditions, occurrence of the disease is higher as the growth and sporulation of the fungus is encouraged. The organism can produce millions and millions of ascospores which are spread by wind or by water during wet weather and can colonize the developing grain heads. These spores are very resilient and can survive for very long periods in the debris and soil. Controlling the pathogen by fungicide treatment is therefore very impractical and genetic modification is the best answer to long-term cost effective production of barley. |
Related topics: Summary Report on the Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops - [View the 2004 report] Transgenic Crops - [Click Here] Extensive Study on Bt Cotton - [Click Here] Download the complete copy of the ISAAA Briefs on Global Status/Review of GM Crops - [Click Here] SciDev.Net's dossier on GM crops - [Click here] Global Status of Approved Genetically Modified Plants - [Click here] |
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