The Future Prospects of Biotech Crops Hear from some of the bright lights in the seed industry. Updated monthly, find the Giant Views of the Industry and From the Floor video clips at SeedWorld.com and Germination.ca.
In this video, Clive James of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications predicts a cautious but optimistic view of how biotechnology can make a substantial contribution to crop productivity from 2010-2015.
“We’re not opposed to transgenic technology; we’re just an alternative to transgenic technology.” David Voss of Cibus “We’re expecting in the next 5-10 years an additional 90 traits and if you add combinations of those traits that number could even get higher.” Janice Tranberg of CropLife Canada
Hear more views from Voss and Tranberg, as well as other seed professionals, on issues ranging from biotechnology to new traits at SeedWorld.com and Germination.ca.
http://alturl.com/yams4 Meanwhile, in a second video James gives a comprehensive review of the global status of biotech crops in 2010. http://alturl.com/g59gi
Online Module Explains Plant Genetic Resources Bioversity International has recently published a new online training module called the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and its Standard Material Transfer Agreement. The module aims to “explain the Treaty in the context of other international agreements and how to use its SMTA to exchange crop diversity.” In addition, the module provide tips in the conduct of various activities associated with plant genetic resources including the understanding of legislation related to access of genetic resources, intellectual property rights relevant to research on plant genetic resources, and various materials to further enhance the capacity of scientists working on plant genetic resources research and conservation. Materials are available in English, French and Spanish. http://alturl.com/e9b8e
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Study Pinpoints Training Needs for Future Plant Breeders Recent graduates from plant breeding programs need more than scientific know-how to support this increasingly important part of the agricultural industry. To be effective plant breeders, they should also be equipped with strong critical thinking and time management skills, and a well-founded work ethic. This was the conclusion reached by researchers at UC Davis, who surveyed more than 200 experts in the field about the most important components of programs training students to be plant breeders. http://alturl.com/zr3bb
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