Wiki World: crops

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New Food Varieties From Plant Enbryo Culture

Natural pollination was used for years in plant research. it was thought to be the only way that a "pure" line could be preserved. Plants vary in characteristics depending on altitude and longitude. Crossing plants from different geographical region was the method put forward by Nobel Prize Laureate Dr Norman Borlaug who led the way in the Green Revolution.

This method only produced three generations of new varieties each year. A different system was needed. Embryo culture is the result. This is used in combination with changes in water, temperature, humidity, light and potting mix and is much more productive. Plant embryos are like stem cells. The neutral "baby" plants are nurtured and placed onto a media culture that determines what type of plant they will become.;

Pure-line plant genotypes are obtained in a shorter period. This is a major change in the creation of new crops that will feed the world's growing population. It will obviously take several decades to achieve the higher growth rates of the new food crops. However, scientists are optimistic.

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Conservation by Ty Buchanan

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More Meat and Milk from Cloned Cows

The Pollard farm looks like an ordinary farm but there is something that makes it unique. Many cows there are identical. Indeed, 20 are clones. They are copies of the most productive animals around. It must be noted, however, that the clones real age is their actual age plus the age of the animal they were cloned from. This is the problem with cloning, but, in breeding animals that give more meat and milk there has been no major obstacles.

Less feed is required per pound of meat or liter of milk. Clones also reproduce quicker with reduced complications. This is good for the environment: less fertilizer and diesel is used.

There are issues with genetic tampering of animals and crops. Scientists are saying that despite decades of work no genetically modified crop has yet been adopted worldwide. Because only people from high-income countries eat meat, cloning of cows will not help world hunger.

The real challenge with cloning of cows is the high cost - $15,000 per animal. So meat from them will also be expensive. Genetically modified crops also have the same problem. Thus, cost is the main persisting barrier to acceptance of GM products.

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Agriculture

Money Wasted On New GM Grape Vine

Although GM foods have spread quietly throughout the world slipping under lax labelling systems, people are still suspicious of them. Because of the strict ban on their distribution in Europe if something disastrous happen to those who unknowingly consume them, Europeans will have the last laugh.

It seems scientists are obsessed with DNA modification of anything they can get their hands on. Wine has been made for centuries from grapes that are perfect for the job. Just why one would want to mess around with the DNA of the humble grape vine is a mystery. For ten years scientists in Adelaide have been trying to modify grapes to make them resistant to mildew. This disease can easily by prevented by spraying with fungicide.

There has been limited success in the laboratory. Tests in the field will follow. There is a problem, however, a Significant proportion of Australian wine is sold in Europe, where as mentioned above there is a ban on the sale of genetically modified food. What a waste of time and money having people and resources tied up in something that is basically unwanted.

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Food

New Genomes Could Be Dangerous

There is a lot of excitement about synthetic biology. That is the creation of designer organisms. Many people are concerned, however, fearing the making of monsters that cannot be destroyed, but new developments improve health care and reduce the reliance on non-renewable resources.

New body parts are being made from a patient's own stem cells. GM food crops have been accepted after some early resistance. There are clear benefits for society from these scientific achievements. What is not so clear are the possible dangers from creation of completely new genomes to produce fuel, food, polymers and drugs.

Making new life forms that could reproduce is the area which frightens most people. There isn't much doubt that science will progress. At the moment purpose built creations are limited to 10 genes. This barrier will soon be surpassed.

There is always danger that new things will be misused. We will just have to hope that rules and regulations will prevent this. It seems that science will continue to move forward and not much will be done to stop technical advances.

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Science

Kelp Can Be Used to Make Biofuel

Biofuel can just be picked up as you go for a walk. Yes, and there's plenty of it. It's plain old kelp, particularly the Laminaria digitata type which grows along the coast of Wales. The plant's carbohydrate level peaks in July. A high level of carbohydrate is needed to produce more ethanol.

There is so much kelp in the world lying around beaches. It would be rational to use this resource because little of it is used for human consumption. The plant is very dense in its growth. Much more biomass per square meter is produced than with sugar cane or other ethanol crops.

Using prime agricultural land to grow crops to produced ethanol directly affects the supply and price of food. The oceans have almost limitless resources waiting to be utilized.

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Science

Australian and US Institutions Work Together on Biofuels

Despite claims that growing crops for fuel is pushing up food prices the University of Queensland and Carolina's Clemsen University have signed an agreement to develop biofuels. The work will revolve around transforming sugar cane residue into fuel using algae. A pilot plant is to be built in Queensland. More research on cellulosic monomer conversion will be done.

Clemsen University has concentrated on converting sorghum and switchgrass into ethanol. A new base called loblolly pine is also being examined.

This combined project will benefit both institutions. Pooling funding and resources will speed up projects. Despite possible drawbacks of biofuel it is intended to seek further funding and press on with research.

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Science

Fuel From Enzymes Feeding on Plant Waste

There is hope yet that people will reduce their use of fossil fuel. CSIRO is working with universities to make biofuels from enzyme interaction with plant waste. The product will be low-emission. It will not divert resources from food production because only unwanted plant material will be used.

The mere growing of food crops will balance out the carbon dioxide pushed into the environment by using such fuels. Growing plants absorb carbon dioxide thus keeping it out of the atmosphere. More profit for the farmer from this by-product is a good thing because it will encourage planting of more crops.

With oil running out it is paramount to find other ways of creating fuel. Enzymes that will do this have been identified by CSIRO. The research body's target sector is transport, freight movers. Trucking causes a third of the toxic gases emitted into the environment.

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