March 2007
Mar 30,Checkbiotech	India outpaces Pakistan in boosting cotton yield print version... Since 1991, hi-tech cotton research has improved India’s cotton output by more than 200 kg per hectare, while Pakistan improved by 54 kg per hectare. The International Cotton Advisory Committee stated that in 1991, average per hectare yield of cotton in India was 267 kg and in Pakistan 615 kg. In 2006, per hectare production of India reached 470 kg while Pakistan rose to 679 kg. The main focus of cotton research institutes of Pakistan remains on developing normal pest-resistant varieties, which are ineffective after sometime. Biotech cotton is not yet used in Pakistan. Dr Yusuf Zafar of PAEC says that Indian farmers gained USD463 million due to biotech cotton, which increased yield by 46% since 2001.
Monsanto	Basf and Monsanto join efforts on biotech research BASF and Monsanto will together research and develop plant biotechnology and also work on its commercialization. They will work on crops giving higher yield and having more resistance to vagrancies in nature. The combined investment will be USD1.5 billion. The marketing of the products from the joint venture will start after 10 years.
Mar 27,Farm view	Surinder Sud: Harvesting perfection Biotechnology has shown in one decade of its commercialization that it can change agriculture for the better. The Bt gene was meant for protecting crops from pests, but now the private sector wants its application to be diversified, to be tolerant to high and low temperatures, and be drought proof. The public sector lags behind the private because it has only been able to develop the Golden Rice enriched with vitamin A and a few pest resistant crops. The private sector has wide ranging aims. Monsanto can play an important part with its existing work on highly tolerant crops, and the projects that are now in progress are for products that are good for health, like those rich in Omega-3. Omega-3 is essential for normal human growth and can reduce the risk of coronary heart diseases reducing the risk of heart attacks.
Mar 24,The Financial Express	M’rashtra signs MoUs with banks for biotech projects The government of Maharashtra signed three MoUs with Punjab National Bank, State Bank of India and Yes Bank to boost finance for biotechnology. Ashok Chavan, minister of state for industries said that the MoUs will ensure adequate funding for entrepreneurs in the field of biotech.
Mar 23,SeedQuest	ICAR reconfirms higher yield of BT cotton The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) released a Front Line Demonstrations study based on 1200 cases in 11 cotton-growing Indian states The study was conducted for the year 2005-06 and puts the growth of Bt cotton hybrid seeds to 33.7% as against non-Bt hybrids. An increase of 73.8% over open-pollinated cotton varieties was seen. On an average, in the demonstration plots, Bt cotton hybrids yielded 2,329 kg/ha as against 1,742kg/ha of non-Bt cotton hybrids while the other varieties had an output of 1,340 kg/ha. Farmers using Bt cotton hybrids got an average output of 1,783 kg/ha against the 1,362 kg/ha of non-Bt cotton hybrids; other varieties yielded 1,072kg/ha.
	Manjunath, T.M. 2007. Q & A on Bt-cotton in India: Answers to more than 70 questions on all aspects A well-known agricultural entomologist, Dr. T. M. Manjunath has written "Q & A on Bt-cotton in India: Answers to more than 70 questions on all aspects". The book contains a wide range of information on all Bt attributes and will be useful to policy makers, farmers, NGOs, students, teachers and many more. From 1996, when Bt cotton studies were started in India, it has got lots of attention. The book throws light on Bt technology based on scientific data in a simple way. The aim of the author is to answer all the frequently asked questions about Bt-cotton.
Mar 16,truthabouttrade	Genetic seeds set to lift cotton output growth to 8.3% a year Bt cotton’s share is 65% of the total cotton grown in India. Use of Bt cotton together with better management will increase India’s annual cotton production by 8.3% every year till 2012. From January to September 2007, India will produce 27 million bales. The figure could touch 39 million bales by 2011-12. Consumption in Indian market itself will reach 37.5 million bales by 2011-12; each bale is equivalent to 170 kg. By September 2007 internal consumption is expected to be 23.5 million bales. Giving these figures, J.N.Singh, commissioner, Union textile ministry said, yield increased from 340 kg in 2003-04 to 500 kg in 2007 due to Bt cotton. Bt cotton is grown on 40% of the total cotton land currently, which in a few years will grow to more than 60%. Bt cotton’s share out of the total cotton grown in India is 65%.
Mar 14,Pioneer	Dupont opens plant biotech center in India A DuPont Knowledge Center will come up in Hyderabad, India to carry out research for industries such as DuPont Crop Protection, Pioneer Hi-Bred International and Chemical Solutions Enterprise. It is to be the first research center in plant biotechnology. Balvinder S. Kalsi, President and CEO, DuPont India said that lot of scientists will come forward to work in finding solutions to the fuel and food problems of the 21st century.
Mar 13,SeedQuest	The role of agricultural biotechnology in hunger and poverty alleviation for developing countries There are more hungry people now than there were 10 years ago. World leaders aspire to reduce poverty and hunger by 50%, by 2015. Looking at this, the part that GM crops can play is significant. Worldwide, from 1996-2004, GM crops made a profit of USD27 billion, and 90% of those who benefited from this were the small farmers. 7.7 million farmers were able to get rid of poverty. Compared with non-Bt varieties, Bt varieties give improved yields and profits. A farmer in South Africa said "I get more than double yield per hectare from my Bt cotton than from my non-Bt cotton”. Another said, “I earn R3000.00 [USD430.00] more from a Bt crop than from a non-Bt crop”. Being disease and pest resistant GM crops use lesser pesticides; they are drought-tolerant, and have more nutrients.
Mar 12, The Financial Express	Seeking better biotech ‘yields’ The fifth leading country in biotech crops, India, is steadily gaining excellence in GM crops with government aided R&D work. IARA, ICRISAT, Hyderabad, Mahyco, Sungro Seeds and Monsanto are working on transgeneric crops in various environmental conditions, while Indo-American Hybrid Seeds, Syngenta and Metahelix are working on building their own technology. Globally, the US has the most increase acre wise in growing biotech crops. 10.3 million farmers all over now grow biotech crops over 102 million hectares. By 2015 20 million farmers will work on 200 million hectares. Research on new biotech crops to increase wheat and rice production for a growing population will center on food crops that will be tough, drought-tolerant, and energy and cellulose-based ethanol production alternative. Decrease in production costs, increased output and better management of crops have caused increased acceptance of biotech crops.
Mar 12, High Plains Journal	Biotech drives new products, techniques Biotechnology, with its increased varieties of hybrids, has been valuable in the development of new products and techniques through insect-resistance, herbicide-tolerance, yield-enhancement, and other genetic qualities. Through use of biotechnology, ISAAA helps poor farmers. In 2005, 8.5 million farmers used 222 million acres in 21 countries for biotech crops, and in 2006, 10.3 million farmers in 22 countries worked on 252 million acres. More countries are taking up to biotechnology as their trust and confidence in its use increases. Biotech is working towards growing crops for food, fuel, feed and fibre.
Mar 10, financialexpress.com	GM crops get a subsidy boost The Indian government will give special subsidy to encourage genetically modified (GM) crops in India. Lately, the National Horticulture Board declared giving backed-ended capital investment subsidy for genetic modified organisms (GMOs) and biotechnology. Vijay Sardana of the Centre for International Trade in Agriculture Agro-based Industries (CITA) said that uniform government strategy should be planned for GM organisms based on their trade.
Mar 09, gmoafricanews	Gene stacked bollgard II cotton in India Bollgard II has the Cry 1 Ac and Cry 2 Ab genes. It keeps key pests under check throughout the season reducing the use of chemical pesticides more than Bollgard I does. In Australia it reduced pesticides by 80%. No resistance to Cry 1 Ac protein has been found in 10 years of use of bollgard I and in bollgard II the resistance is even more. It gives more output and requires 10% lesser water than the conventional variety. It works only on the insects aimed at. Bollgard II cottonseed meal is as safe and healthy as the non-Bt one. All this has been confirmed by various biosecurity tests in India.
Isaaa.org	GM Crops: The First Ten Years - Global Socio-Economic and Environmental Impacts ISAAA presents latest in series Brief 26-2006 on "GM Crops: The First Ten Years - Global Socio-Economic and Environmental Impacts" for your inforamtion and use. The study provides the findings of research into the global socio-economic and environmental impact of GM crops in the ten years since they were first commercially planted on a significant area. It focuses on the farm level economic effects, the environmental impact resulting from changes in the use of insecticides and herbicides, and the contribution towards reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Mar 05,Checkbiotech	USDA plans to grow genetically modified rice The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a large-scale plan for cultivating genetically altered rice in Kansas. Ventria Bioscience will use 3000 acres of farmland for this. In 2005 Ventria also received consent to grow rice on a smaller scale in North Carolina. The modified rice will produce human proteins. It will be used in drugs for treating diarrhea, dehydration and other illnesses. According to Kansas’ officials, the project is a boon to the state's up-and-coming biosciences industry. The department held that planting the rice practically carries no risk.
Mar 01,Checkbiotech	BT cotton to be released this year in Pakistan The Punjab secretary for food and agriculture said that the BT cotton variety for 2007 would be below the yield of existing unapproved varieties of crop supplied by eleven companies. The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock and the Environment ministry will help the government in working towards the supply of BT cotton variety during 2007.
Mar 01,Checkbiotech	Group OKs GMO peanut research Scientists have been encouraged to grow genetically engineered safe and nutritious peanuts that are grown easily and have a superior taste with abundant vitamins and nutrients. Having more oil these peanuts would create more biofuel. They need less rainfall and grow more efficiently, with built-in herbicide and pest resistance. This activity needs help from the government and industry and its estimated cost is USD9.5 million.
Mar 01,Checkbiotech	GM food acceptance coming in Norway Professor Hilde-Gunn Opsahl Sorteberg of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences propounds that GM food will find lot of popularity in households by 2017. The Norwegian government will permit processed food too to have genetically modified ingredients by 2009. Sortberg claims that like in other countries, Norwegian farmers too will be the first to welcome GM food.