Field Trials Confirm Potential of GM Potatoes for Sustainable Farming in Belgium
January 16, 2013| |
After two years of field trials of the genetically modified (GM) potatoes in Belgium, researchers have concluded that potatoes with multiple resistance to potato diseases can make the country's potato industry much more sustainable as the GM crops greatly showed reduced susceptibility to Phytophthora infestans, more popularly known as late blight.
In the scientific field trials in Wetteren, 26 different genetically modified strains of potatoes were tested in 2011 and 2012, each containing one to three genes for natural resistance that come from wild relatives of the conventional potatoes. They were compared against susceptible reference varieties such as Désirée, Bintje, Nicola, Agria and Innovator, and against the non-susceptible reference varieties Bionica, Toluca and Sarpo-Mira. GM potatoes scored better than the non-susceptible varieties Bionica and Toluca that are used in biocultivation. The results of the field trials are to be published in an international scientific journal.
See VIB's news release at http://www.vib.be/en/news/Pages/Field-tests-confirm-the-potential-of-genetically-modified-potatoes-for-sustainable-potato-cultivation.aspx.
| |
Biotech Updates is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. It is distributed for free to over 22,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.
-
See more articles:
-
News from Around the World
- Public-Private Partnership to Advance Science and Policy for Global Food and Nutrition Security
- Diamondback Moth Genome Gives New Clues for Sustainable Pest Management
- ABNE Director Cites the Role of Biotechnology to Improve African Farmers' Lives
- A Hungry Nation is an Angry Nation
- Nigeria Releases Improved Cassava Varieties to Boost Productivity
- Agriculture Summit for Africa
- Researchers Reveal Plants' Defense Mechanism Against Insect Attack
- Perennial Biofuel Crops Lessen Nitrogen Emmision, Study Reveals
- Scientists Unravel the Reproduction Process of Multiple Genome Plants
- Researchers Power Up Tomato with Multiple Traits Through A Single Gene
- Pawar: India Shouldn't Stop Biotech Crop Field Trials
- TAAS Foundation Day Lecture Focuses on Ensuring Food Security
- PPI Commits to Share Technology with Mahyco
- EFSA Makes Public All Data on Biotech Corn NK603
- Field Trials Confirm Potential of GM Potatoes for Sustainable Farming in Belgium
- Fighting Insect Pests with Genetic Targeting
- Delayed Flowering Increases Crop's Growth for up to 50%, Research Finds
- Scientists Track Genetic Detail of a Microbe in Biogas Plants
- Giant Tobacco Plants that Stay Young Forever
-
Research Highlights
- Grain and Forage Composition of Stacked Trait Corn Equivalent with Conventional Corn
- Biotech α-Amylase Inhibitor Peas are Not Allergenic in Mice
-
Beyond Crop Biotech
- Sexual Cycle in Fungi to Increase Penicillin Production
- ARK-Genomics Receives Grant for Livestock Genomic Studies
-
Announcements
- InterDrought-IV Conference
- National Symposium on Biotechnological Approaches for Plant Protection
- Plant Genomics Congress
-
Resources
- FAO Summary Document on GMOs in the Pipeline
-
Read the latest: - Biotech Updates (April 30, 2025)
- Gene Editing Supplement (April 30, 2025)
- Gene Drive Supplement (February 22, 2023)
-
Subscribe to BU: - Share
- Tweet