GM Apple with Scab Resistance

A study conducted by scientists from the Wageningen University in the Netherlands showed that the use genetically modified apples can result to a more sustainable cultivation. The apples express a barley transgene that protect them from scab, one of the most damaging fungal diseases in the apple industry. Results of a five year field trial showed that the GM trees had 60 percent less damage from the fungus. Less pesticide is therefore required to keep the trees pathogen free.

Scientists from the Plant Research International, a division of the Wageningen UR, have developed several scab-resistant apple lines from commercial varieties like Gala and Elstar. They have also developed an entirely new line, Santana, through traditional breeding. The Santana line employs a different defense system against the scab. The researchers are now trying to combine the barley pathogen defense system with that of Santana’s. By combining the two systems, they may be able to develop lines with even greater resistance and durability against the fungal pathogen, which could completely eradicate the use of pesticides.

The news article is available at http://www.wur.nl/NL/nieuwsagenda/nieuws/