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November 13, 2009
· Food: Is biotechnology the answer or the problem?
·
World Ag Expo unveils Top 10 products
for 2010
· Ag is the fastest growing research field in China
·
Syngenta acquires two
·
Plan now for late-blight free 2010 – Quick tips
Food: Is biotechnology the answer or the problem?
(Reuters via Yahoo! News) By Carey Gillam ST. LOUIS – Norman Borlaug, the father of the Green Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, had only months to live when he received a visit from an old friend, Rob Fraley, chief of technology for Monsanto Co.
Borlaug, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his work increasing food production in starving areas of the globe, welcomed Fraley to his Dallas home, where the two men sipped coffee and tea and discussed a subject dear to their hearts: the future of agriculture and the latest challenges of feeding the human race.
Fraley, who first met Borlaug 20 years earlier, when they
served as founding board members for an agricultural group that works with
developing nations, said he showed his friend photos of new types of corn that
Monsanto was developing. Using biotechnology and genetic transfers, Monsanto,
the world's largest seed company, hoped to create a corn variety that could
grow well in dry conditions, even in drought-prone
"We were showing him some of the pictures of the drought-tolerant corn," Fraley recalled. "You could see his eyes were starting to well up, and I said, 'Norm, what's wrong?' He said, 'Rob, I've made it all the way through the Green Revolution. I don't think I'm going to make it through the gene revolution.'"
The topic of Fraley's final conversation with his friend that day underscored the unfolding of a modern era of global agriculture. In this new paradigm, traditional plant breeding is giving way to the high-tech tools of rich corporations like Monsanto, which are playing an increasingly powerful role in determining how and what the world eats. It is also generating controversy, as critics continue to question the safety of biotech crops, and fear increasing control of the global food supply by giant corporations.
Still, few dispute that something needs to be done. The United Nations has said that food production must double by 2050 to meet the demand of the world's growing population and that innovative strategies are needed to combat hunger and malnutrition that already afflict more than 1 billion people.
Amid this dire outlook, St. Louis, Missouri-based Monsanto -- along with its biggest corporate rivals, charitable foundations, public researchers and others -- is forming a loose coalition of interests instigating a second Green Revolution. "What we do builds on what he started," Fraley said of Borlaug, who died in September at the age of 95.
GENE JUGGLING
Founded in 1901 as a maker of saccharine, Monsanto has undergone several evolutions of its own. The company spends an estimated $2 million a day on agriculture research and development -- more than any other company. It employs about 400 scientists in four St. Louis-area research facilities, applying an array of new technologies to plant genetics, with a goal of doubling yields in major crops, such as corn and soybeans, between now and 2030.
"If we do that successfully, it won't just be good for Monsanto, it will be good for the world," Fraley said.
As it positions itself to be a leader in advancing a global fight against hunger, Monsanto has started working with nonprofit organizations in poor nations, donating research and genetics to help needy farmers.
The moves run parallel to Monsanto's commercial sales of high-priced seeds and agricultural chemicals to farmers in wealthy nations, which has made the company a darling of Wall Street and helped it post record net sales of $11.7 billion and net income of $2.1 billion for fiscal 2009.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and governments around the world are encouraging Monsanto -- as well as rivals DuPont, Dow Chemical, BASF and other corporate interests -- to work with academics, foundations and public institutions on how to increase food production globally.
Drought-tolerant crops, particularly corn, are high on the agenda amid concerns about a changing climate. Improved wheat is also a major goal.
Corn and wheat account for about 40 percent of the world's food and 25 percent of calories consumed in developing countries, and millions of people get more than half of their daily calories from corn and wheat alone, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization.
"We want to encourage the private sector to help shape research. These are important issues for all Americans and the world," said Roger Beachy, President Barack Obama's newly appointed director of the U.S. National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Critics say the nonprofit work is a way for Monsanto to get even the world's poorest farmers hooked on pricey patented seed technology. But Monsanto and biotech supporters say it is the only way to grow enough food to feed a world population expected to hit 9.4 billion by 2050.
"Global ag production must grow by 70 percent by 2050, and it will have to come out of increased yields because there is only a minimal amount of new land that can be put into production without environmental problems," said Mary Boote, executive director of an industry group called the Truth About Trade and Technology. "Biotechnology has to be one of the tools we use."
MAIZE FOR
Monsanto's humanitarian work in
"Drought is at the top of the list as a challenge for farmers there," said Natalie DiNicola, director of global development partnerships for Monsanto.
Monsanto is working with African researchers in a
partnership launched in March 2008 with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation and the Howard Buffett Foundation. The company is donating some of
its genetic "markers" and other breeding resources. Five African
nations --
The work comes at a time of "tremendous need" for African farmers, who sometimes suffer complete crop failures due to drought, said Daniel Mataruka, executive director of the Kenya-based African Agricultural Technology Foundation.
"The strategy of the whole project is to ensure there is yield stability ... that there is some kind of yield," Mataruka said.
Along with helping poor farmers obtain better seeds, the project is also educating and assisting them in proper use of fertilizers and land management. While Monsanto's short-term goal is "global good," the company hopes that eventually the farmers it helps will become commercial customers.
"There is an absolute need to help these farmers ... make them more food-secure and help them climb out of poverty," said DiNicola. "We would hope that projects like this one and others are going to lift them out of poverty enough that someday the market is working and they can become customers for us."
The company's work on drought-tolerant crops for African farmers dovetails with research for a commercial drought-tolerant corn that Monsanto hopes to have on the market by 2012. Racing rival DuPont, which also is developing a drought-tolerant corn, Monsanto is experimenting with a number of gene combinations to stimulate greater photosynthesis, improve root structures, and enhance other characteristics so the transgenic corn can yield more kernels with less water. Keywords: FOOD/MONSANTO
DARK HISTORY
But even as Monsanto steps up its humanitarian efforts, the company faces a host of hurdles, not the least of which is its own image. Dubbed "Mon-Satan" by some detractors, the company has garnered criticism for many of its products, policies and promises -- and its humanitarian effort is no different.
"Monsanto is merely trying to hide its profit motive behind a mask of altruism," said Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of the Center for Food Safety, a private advocacy group. "Monsanto has a long history of putting profit before the welfare of people and communities."
Before it turned to seed technology, Monsanto was primarily a purveyor of chemicals, including the infamous Agent Orange herbicide blamed for widespread health problems during its use by the military in the Vietnam War.
Then there was
Monsanto has also faced criticism over its Roundup herbicide, which it continues to sell today, although profits are waning. Roundup is the world's top-selling weed killer, but critics charge that its widespread use has prompted the emergence around the world of "super weeds." They also contend Roundup residue in plants and in the soil can be harmful.
The company also has been accused of falsely representing
the product as environmentally friendly.
Critics say that, just as Monsanto insisted that its
chemicals were safe, the company claims its genetically engineered crops are
safe. Many consumer and environmental groups around the world say disrupting
DNA in plants is harmful to human health and disruptive to nature. Monsanto's
products are banned in many parts of
The
Monsanto says legitimate science supports its position that its products are safe, and officials say pressing needs for sustainable agriculture and higher-yielding harvests make old arguments over genetic modification obsolete.
But Monsanto-bashing is not limited to what its detractors call "Frankenfood." Even critics who aren't against biotech crops say Monsanto has gained a monopoly in the seed industry, charging farmers exorbitant prices and stalking and suing producers who don't pay up.
"Monsanto has demonstrated itself to be greedy and they have a credibility problem," said Fred Stockes, executive director of the Organization for Competitive Markets, a nonprofit group focused on ensuring competitive agricultural markets. "Now they are trying to cast themselves as a leader in the Green Revolution. That rings very hollow."
Monsanto has acknowledged the U.S. Justice Department has been asking questions about its role in the seed industry amid allegations about its market dominance, but the company has said such criticism is without merit.
Given its history, Monsanto's motives are likely to be questioned again and again. "All we can do is look at the past and see what they've done so far, and the balance sheet on Monsanto does not give you lots of reasons for hope," says Michael Pollan, an author of several books on food and agricultural practices.
HIGH-TECH TOOLS
But, for all its controversies, Monsanto continues to dominate the marketplace and its technological advancements in key crops are winning over more and more farmers.
As the leader of the nascent biotech crop movement -- Monsanto launched the world's first genetically modified crop in 1996 -- it has used a variety of techniques over the years to tinker with the genes of crops, transferring genes between species of plants, animals and other organisms.
The current "tool" of choice is an agrobacterium that has the ability to transfer DNA between itself and plants. To genetically alter corn, researchers insert desired DNA from a different plant species or organism into the agrobacterium and then combine that in a petri dish with corn cells. Thousands of these tiny starter cells line Monsanto's laboratory shelves, accomplishing in minutes breeding that previously took months or years to achieve.
"We are in the golden age of the biological
sciences," said Robert Thompson, a professor of agricultural policy at the
The company's labs also sport "near-infrared" technology, using laser light to scan soybean seeds and gauge soy content and other characteristics. And a newly patented set of seed "chippers" is being used to rapidly trim flecks of soybean and corn seeds and mechanically position them for testing, so that, throughout the system, Monsanto scientists can glean results from 100,000 seeds a day.
The company hopes its work will be further bolstered through an investment announced in August in Pacific Biosciences of California for development of a new DNA sequencing system for genetic analysis.
Monsanto also is opening its first research center in
"We're entering a really phenomenal decade," said
Robert Reiter, Monsanto's vice president of breeding technology. "We see a
line of sight to really advance to new levels of (food) productivity." The
company has started taking this message directly to the countryside, hauling a
mobile technology unit by semi-trailer from farm town to farm town around the
Supporters of biotech crops say education is key to overcoming criticisms and expanding the world's food supply.
"We have to at least double food production, and technology can make a big contribution. If we don't do it, the downside is huge," said Clive James, director of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications, which was founded by Borlaug and helps promote and track usage of biotech crops.
"The best promise that the world has ... is to combine the best of conventional technology with the best of biotechnology so we can feed the world tomorrow," said James.
World Ag Expo unveils Top 10 products for 2010
Tulare, Calif., (AgPR)
– The results are in for the highly anticipated 2010 Top-10 New Products competition, the winners of which
will be showcased Feb. 9-11 during the 43rd annual World Ag Expo in
“These products
showed the most potential to advance ag production and
have the most potential to power global agriculture,” said 2010 Chairman Bernie
Cargle.
A panel of
agribusiness professionals from across the nation including farmers, ranchers
and industry professionals selected the Top-10 New Products and 10 Honorable Mention Products from more than 70 entries.
The Top-10 New Products will be showcased inside the New
Product Pavilion on
Attendees can find
out more about the Top-10 New Products and the 10 Honorable Mention Products before the expo at worldagexpo.com.
The 2010 World Ag Expo Top-10 New
Products are:
AutoFarm OnTrac2 GPS, Novariant
- AutoFarm,
510-933-4849
The OnTrac2 GPS
Assisted Steering System works with two-wheel and four-wheel drive tractors,
combines, sprayers and spreaders. With unit in place farming operations are
performed with greater accuracy, covering more ground faster and more
efficiently.
Cooling Station,
Heat Relief Solutions,
707-224-4060
Self-contained
mobile heat-relief facility helps prevent heat illness among farm workers. The
16-foot, all-steel tandem axle trailer is highway legal and can carry a total
of 300 gallons of potable water. Features include an aluminum shade canopy; a
commercial two-stage oscillating fogging fan plus an optional satellite fan
that can be used with a water misting pump up to 200 feet from the trailer; and
two 10-gallon food-grade drinking water tanks with dispensers for large cups.
Forklift
180-degree Bin Inverter, Schieler Harvester, Terra
559-784-1162
This fork lift
attachment for dumping bins of fruit, nuts or other bulk items, does what no
conventional hydraulic bin dumper can – it allows the bin to turn over a full
180 degrees to completely empty the bin of its contents. The attachment saves
growers time and money.
Gripple T-Clip, Gripple,
Inc.,
800-654-0609
An innovative
wire-gripping device, called the Gripple T-Clip
offers a revolutionary way to start or terminate a fence. It replaces the time
and trouble of knotting or stapling wires at the end post with a fast, simple
twist and push action.
Hoof Supervisor
System, Feed Supervisor Software, Dresser, WI
715-755-3575
Hoof Supervisor, a
new computerized chute-side data recording system, enables hoof trimmers to
collect report and analyze results of their work more efficiently.
Magswitch Magnets, Forney Industries,
970-494-6841
Magswitch Magnets offer farmers and ranchers a faster,
more precise and easier-to-use alternative to clamp, hold, position or lift
ferrous steel for fabrication, welding, wood working projects and general
repair projects.
LWR Manure
Treatment System, Livestock Water Recycling,
403-297-0925
A new spray-on house
fly bait product takes control of house flies in livestock facilities to a new,
higher level. It can be applied indoors and outdoors out of reach of livestock
and domestic animals to kill flies quickly in places where conventional scatter
baits can’t be used.
One Shot Tree
Recognition System, Nelson Mfg. Co., Inc. , Yuba City, CA
530-673-0919
The One Shot limits
spray applications to trees offering an inexpensive yet dependable and
effective way to minimize chemical costs and drift when spraying orchards.
44 Super Magnum
Sand Pump, McLanahan Corporation, Hollidaysburg,
PA
814-695-9807
The new 44 Super
Magnum Sand Pump is the only pump on the market specifically designed for
handling sand and manure. It fills a void in the agricultural market where
there is a need for a vertical, rubber-lined, high-wear pump.
Stinger Automatic
Load Securing System, Stinger, Inc., Haven, KS
620-465-2683
Trying to throw
straps against high winds, fussing with tie-down ropes and crawling on top of
the load when securing a trailer full of large square straw bales are a thing
of the past with the new Automatic Load Securing System. The hydraulically
operated system features two straps suspended between a stationary bulkhead at
the front of the trailer and a sliding bulkhead at the rear. To secure the
load, press a switch, activating hydraulic cylinders carefully securing the
load.
World Ag Expo
occupies more than 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space, hosts more than
1,600 exhibitors and draws an estimated 100,000 attendees over its three-day
exposition. All attendees are encouraged to preregister and save $2 per ticket
at worldagexpo.com.
# # #
Media Note: Photos of the Top-10 New Products and the 10
Honorable Mention Products are available at the World Ag Expo media center: www.worldagexpo.com/Media/Media-Center.htm In addition you
will find logos, WAE ground shots and maps.
Media Contact:
Steven Knudsen,
Director of Communication, International Agri-Center
559.688.1030, Steven@farmshow.org.
Ag is fastest growing research field in China
(SciDev.Net)
Between 1999 and 2008 the growth in agricultural science papers outpaced growth in all other topics, according to
'Global Research Report:
And from 2004 to 2008, researchers produced four times more scientific papers on agriculture than between 1999 and 2003.
That contribution is likely to continue to rise rapidly because of the country's large population and attendant food demands.
In comparison, materials science — China's largest research field — now accounts for more than a fifth of world publications in that field, said the report.
Lin Min, director of the
In 1999,
Lin says having abundant agricultural research resources, such as crop species and genes, are crucial for driving the rapid growth in agricultural science, especially in biotechnology:"Otherwise you could only conduct model research rather than application research. "
But the return of an increasing number of overseas-trained and world-class Chinese agricultural scientists is also helping, says Lin.
They are lured back by
Syngenta acquires two California
(AP
via Yahoo! News)
Syngenta declined to give financial details of the simultaneous acquisition of privately-held Synergene Seed & Technology Inc. and Pybas Vegetable Seed Co.
Synergene Seed & Technology is
based in
The companies have a total of between 20 and 25 employees, said Syngenta spokesman Medard Schoenmaeckers.
"These are small
The move will put the Swiss company in a "significant position" in the North American lettuce market, Syngenta said in a statement.
Plan now for late-blight free 2010 – Quick tips
Adapted from “Late blight management for fall, winter and spring,” Ruth Hazzard, UMass Extension
(Northeastern
IPM Center) – The 2009 gardening and farming season will be remembered for
its widespread outbreak of late blight, Phytophthora
infestans, in tomato and potatoes. Home gardeners
and farmers can take steps to prevent this disease from surviving the winter
and prepare for a healthy crop next year.
Why was late blight such a serious problem
this year?
The late blight fungus spreads fast, rapidly
producing spores that travel on wind currents to infect other plants and nearby
fields. This year, the disease was reported over a broad portion of the country
very early in the season. Infected plants may have been distributed to large
local retail stores throughout the Northeast. To make matters worse, cool, damp
weather conditions in much of the region were ideal for development and spread
of the disease for a period of 6–7 weeks from early June until late July.
How can I prevent late blight from surviving
the winter?
The late blight fungus needs live plant
tissue to survive. Tomatoes will not carry late blight over the winter because
freezing kills the whole plant. Even seeds from fruit that was infected will
not carry the pathogen, so you can still use your own seed to start next year’s
crop. Late blight will not survive on tomato stakes and cages. Even so, other
tomato plant diseases (such as Septoria leaf
spot) can overwinter on dead tissue or stakes, so it’s wise to do thorough
cleanup of all tomato plant debris.
Potatoes are trickier because infected tubers
can carry the pathogen into the next spring if the tubers don’t freeze or decay
during the winter (e.g., if left several inches down in the soil at harvest, or
in a compost pile that doesn’t fully decompose or freeze). Try to do a thorough
job harvesting potatoes, and incorporate any remaining vines and leaves into
the soil (the soil environment speeds decay). Composting also works, but be sure to keep the pile heating till plant
material is fully decomposed.
What should I do next spring?
Select disease-resistant tomato varieties for
at least some of your crop, and use disease-free seed. “Mountain Magic,” “Plum
Regal,” and “Legend” are three varieties with resistance or tolerance to late
blight. Grow your own tomato transplants or purchase from a reputable grower to
ensure a healthy start next season. Inspect all transplants for stem, petiole
cankers, or leaf blight before planting.
Don’t save potato tubers as seed to be
planted next spring if you had late blight symptoms in your garden this year.
Instead, purchase certified disease-free seed from a reputable source (ask your
supplier whether their source was inspected for late blight). Check last year’s
potato plot and any compost piles for “volunteer” potato plants that might come
up. If you do find plants and buried tubers, dig them up and destroy them.
During the growing season, pay attention to
weather conditions and pest alerts to find out whether late blight has been
observed in your area, and what actions you need to take to protect your crop.
More on late blight
prevention and management:
Alerts/forecasts
for your area (check local Extension offices)
Click the link for
more from Northeastern
IPM Center
End Transmission