GM Sugarbeet

The Beet Necrotic Yellow Vein Virus (BNYVV - http://www.sbreb.org/
brochures/wyoming/wyoming.htm) causes rhizomania among sugar beets. This disease causes dense root proliferation leading to stunted growth of the underground storage organ. Up to 50% crop loss are observed in fields heavily infected with the virus. Heavy infested areas are almost impossible to rid of BNYV virus. Infected beets frequently display a sugar content lower than 10% compared to the 16.5% sucrose content of healthy sugar beets.

One problem that contributes to the proliferation of the virus is its soil fungal vector, Polymyxa betae. The spores of this fungi can remain active for a very long time in soil.

Sugar beets are genetically modified to contain the gene encoding for the viral-sheath protein of BNYVV. This phenomenon is called "premunition". This enables the beet plant to produce in minute amounts the viral-sheath protein that can prevent or at least attenuate the effects of subsequent infection with related or more aggressive viruses.

Researchers at the United States Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) (http://nps.ars.usda.gov/projects/
projects.htm?accession=402810) are improving sugar beets to resist BNYVV infections.

Related topics: 

• Herbicide tolerance
• Herbicide tolerance technology
• Virus resistance
• Fructan biosynthesis
• Importance of fructan

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Global Status of Approved Genetically Modified Plants -  [Click here]

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