What is best for creating drought resistant plants? Traditional breeding or GM?Reports show that traditional breeding techniques are years ahead of
GM technologies in developing crops to withstand drought and poor soils,
writes Lawrence Woodward. Yet GM advocates are sticking rigidly to their
script even as the evidence mounds against them. The plan is to commercialise these varieties and introduce them in eight countries. In contrast, the project's researchers say that they are at least 10 years away from developing a comparable GM variety. In another programme - The Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa project - 153 new, conventionally bred varieties have improved yields in 13 countries. In field trials, these varieties increase yields by up to 30% under drought conditions. GMO,profesional in uniform goggles,mask and gloves examining corn cob on field image via Shutterstock. Read more at ENN Affiliate, The Ecologist. 2014©. Copyright Environmental News Network |