Post by hafeezanwar on Oct 30, 2008 19:10:22 GMT
Now, a disease-resistant banana!
Melbourne, October 30: Scientists in Queensland, Australia, have developed a genetically-modified (GM) banana plant capable of resisting a devastating disease.
While the development may hold hope for poor African nations, Australia's banana growers are opposed to the commercialization of GM bananas in this country, the Australian Associated Press (AAP) has reported.
Scientists at the Queensland University of Technology inserted a single gene for resistance to fusarium wilt, or Panama disease, into the banana genome. The gene stops cells from dying when attacked by the disease.
Fusarium wilt can cripple the banana industry if it gains a foothold, said Tony Heidrich of the Australian Banana Growers' Council.
Fusarium wilt or Panama disease cannot be removed from the soil once it is infected and the disease is spread by water, meaning that even a tiny foothold can become a devastating attack on a banana-growing region, AAP said.
Commercial varieties are clones and the plants cannot inter-breed but this leaves bananas susceptible to disease. Heidrich said he doubted whether Australian consumers would embrace the GM bananas yet but the research was worthwhile in case of future disease outbreaks.
"What the Australian Banana Growers' Council are saying is that we recognize we've got to look to the horizon and try to anticipate the kind of threats we might face in 10 or 15 or 20 years' time."
"One of those may well be an outbreak of fusarium wilt in a major production area," he added.
--Agencies--
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Muhammed A. Hafeez, B.Com.
HYDERABAD, INDIA
Email. hafeezanwar@yahoo.com
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Melbourne, October 30: Scientists in Queensland, Australia, have developed a genetically-modified (GM) banana plant capable of resisting a devastating disease.
While the development may hold hope for poor African nations, Australia's banana growers are opposed to the commercialization of GM bananas in this country, the Australian Associated Press (AAP) has reported.
Scientists at the Queensland University of Technology inserted a single gene for resistance to fusarium wilt, or Panama disease, into the banana genome. The gene stops cells from dying when attacked by the disease.
Fusarium wilt can cripple the banana industry if it gains a foothold, said Tony Heidrich of the Australian Banana Growers' Council.
Fusarium wilt or Panama disease cannot be removed from the soil once it is infected and the disease is spread by water, meaning that even a tiny foothold can become a devastating attack on a banana-growing region, AAP said.
Commercial varieties are clones and the plants cannot inter-breed but this leaves bananas susceptible to disease. Heidrich said he doubted whether Australian consumers would embrace the GM bananas yet but the research was worthwhile in case of future disease outbreaks.
"What the Australian Banana Growers' Council are saying is that we recognize we've got to look to the horizon and try to anticipate the kind of threats we might face in 10 or 15 or 20 years' time."
"One of those may well be an outbreak of fusarium wilt in a major production area," he added.
--Agencies--
======================
SEARCH BY
Muhammed A. Hafeez, B.Com.
HYDERABAD, INDIA
Email. hafeezanwar@yahoo.com
============================================
PLEASE READ 50 CHAPTERS OF MUSLIM SAINTS ON THE BELOW WEB SITE
hafeezanwar.multiply.com/
================================================
KINDLY READ LIFE HISTORY OF SUFI MASTER
HAZRAT SYED SHAH AFZAL BIABANI OF KAZIPET HYDERABAD ON THE BELOW WEB SITE.
afzalbiabani.tripod.com/
===================================================