Dont miss out on opportunity warns DuPont
Dont miss out on opportunity warns DuPont
APART from GM tomato purée, which outsold its conventional equivalent for two years, the products of agricultural biotechnology have not, so far, been well received in Europe, says Martin Livermore, external affairs manager at DuPonts Cambridge-based Cereals Innovation Centre.
"But we certainly shouldnt write the technology off. It has already given us cheese-making enzymes acceptable to vegetarians and insulin for diabetics, and many other applications are in the pipeline."
GM cereals with in-built resistance to diseases and viruses are likely, says Mr Livermore. "The model here is the Hawaiian papaya industry which is being rebuilt with GM stock after being devastated by a virus."
Integrating biotech with low dose, biodegradable crop protection products will help reverse the decline in farmland wildlife, he maintains. "In the longer term we can envisage the yield potential offered by GM crops combined with the philosophy of organic farming."
Bigger yields and more resilience to adverse conditions provided by GM will improve productivity, he adds. "In developing countries, with rapidly increasing populations and constant encroachment of settlements on farmland, this will be essential if malnutrition is to be averted and fragile environments protected."
Citric acid
GM maize varieties producing citric acid in their roots have already been developed. This helps them grow on soils high in aluminium and take up phosphorus more effectively, Mr Livermore explains. "Soils with aluminium levels toxic to many crops are widespread in central America and other parts of the developing world.
"In developed countries such as the UK, similar applications could allow us to manage the countryside better to foster wildlife while maintaining output."
In the longer term the same technology will permit plastics and novel fibres to be produced from plants.
The key, Mr Livermore says, is to identify the real needs of consumers, manufacturers and farmers which cannot be easily met with conventional technology. "We can then use the newer bio-sciences to provide solutions."