Genetic resistance to clubroot is breaking down in western Canada, Bt traits are losing efficacy in the States and weeds such as palmer amaranth and kochia are swiftly becoming resistant to glyphosate. Is biotechnology really offering sustainable solutions to agricultural woes? According to Maurice Moloney, group executive, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in Australia, though western Canadian farmers… Read More
Category: Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference 14
Genetically engineering insects is no longer a vision for the future. In fact, one group of GE mosquitoes, Oxitec Ltd’s OX513A, have moved from proof of principle to deployment, and have been used in open field trials in Malaysia, Grand Cayman, and now in Brazil. The mosquitoes are hoped to control their non-modified counterpart, Aedes aegypti, the… Read More
Imagine floating weightless in an office far above earth, eating pizza straight out of a 3D printer. Well, astronauts may not be far from experiencing such unique meal preparations in space. In May 2013, NASA announced funding for a phase I, six-month $125, 000 study on 3D printing of foods in order to assess the technology’s ability… Read More
This Ruminating with RealAg podcast takes us back to the Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference in Saskatoon, where we hear from Suzanne Bertrand, deputy director general at the International Livestock Research Institute, on the differences between Canadian and African adoption of genomics technology, and how genetically modified cattle could combat African Sleeping Sickness. Related: Julie Borlaug Kicks… Read More
A nitrogen-fixing bacteria species that indiscriminately colonizes plant cells is in the midst of an in-field exam. Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus (Gd), a bacteria known for its symbiotic relationship with sugarcane, was selected for research into nitrogen fixation in other crops by Edward Cocking, professor and director of The University of Nottingham’s Centre for Crop Nitrogen Fixation. And, because of a unique ability… Read More
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was launched in 2000, with the merger of the William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation. “It’s a charitable foundation that’s based on two very important principles,” says Lawrence Kent, senior program officer. “The first one is that every life has equal value. And the second one is… Read More
On the heels of Canada’s National Biotechnology Week, the Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference (ABIC) is taking place in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan this week. ABIC, hosted this year by Ag-West Bio, was initiated in 1996 in Saskatoon, and has grown to include delegates from over 60 countries, promoting and discussing the benefits of agricultural biotechnology. The conference started on… Read More