快猫短视频

GM plants no panacea

Opponents of GM technology will surely pounce on new patents from the US agrichemicals company Monsanto which admits that genetically engineering plants to resist pests is not a panacea. Novartis has already had doubts (快猫短视频, 18 December 1999, p 5) and now Monsanto鈥檚 patents (W0 02/28184/5) admit even more frankly that transgenic pest control 鈥渕ay not be desirable in the long term鈥 because it produces resistant strains and 鈥渘umerous problems remain鈥nder actual field conditions鈥. So they鈥檙e going for a belt-and-braces approach. Monsanto will now bioengineer maize to release endotoxins, but also treat the maize seed with the pesticides clothianidin and thiamethoxam. This, says Monsanto, has a synergistic effect with the endotoxin, giving increased resistance to corn rootworm.