The patent document
talks specifically about roses, petunias and carnations, which could be an
enormous boost for florists by dramatically reducing the significant waste in the
industry. It will also be welcome news for flower enthusiasts all over the
world, who will see the blooms poking from vases on table tops and windowsills
stay fresh and colourful for longer. According to the patent filed with the US
Patent and Trademark Office, the product, called RNA, can be fed into flowers
through the water in the vase. It then gets into the plant's DNA and strangles
the EIN2 gene, which would otherwise trigger the production of ethylene.
RNA interference is
a natural process cells use to turn down, or surpress the activity of specific
genes. Today, research for the use of RNAi in agriculture spans a variety of
areas; including traditional areas of plant protection from weeds and bugs to
novel new approaches to increasing yields. While research continues, uses so
far in plants include the development of allergy-free peanuts and decaffeinated
coffee beans. In flowers, it is a form
of genetic modification, but the changes made to a plant's DNA are temporary,
so it avoids criticism directed at other products, which could lead to
unexpected problems in the future.
Monsanto's work in
genetic modification has been incredibly controversial after documentary Food
Inc highlighted the potential pitfalls it could create. Last month, thousands
of protesters marched all over the world - from Switzerland to Brazil - to
demonstrate against its genetic engineering and the pesticides it makes. .. ..
well, that is the news from Western World.
If our
memory serves right a few years ago around 2010, Bacillus Thuringiensis was daily news – so
also was Monsanto. If you have
forgotten, Bacillus Thuringiensis Brinjal, popularly known as Bt brinjal, was
at the center of controversy in India.
The egg plant, aubergine, melongene, brinjal or guinea squash is plant
of the family Solanaceae.
Technically,
Bacillus thuringiensis (or Bt) is a Gram-positive, soil-dwelling bacterium,
commonly used as a biological alternative to a pesticide; alternatively, the
Cry toxin may be extracted and used as a pesticide. Through genetic
engineering, scientists introduced the
gene responsible for making the toxin into a range of crops, including
cotton. The term BT expressed the qualities of the insecticidal gene
throughout the growing cycle of the plant.
Just like Bt cotton, Bt brinjal is a suite of transgenic brinjals
(eggplant or aubergine) created by inserting a crystal gene (Cry1Ac) from the
soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis into the genome of various brinjal
cultivars. The insertion of the gene, along with other genetic elements would give resistance against lepidopteron
insects, in particular the Brinjal Fruit and Shoot Borer.
Monsanto
is a US based multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation. It is leading producer of herbicide
glyphosate as also genetically engineered seed. In olden days, the farmer would keep a part
of his produce as seed for the next crop.
This was fraught with problems of storage and maintaining class. Obviously every one would like to improve the
yield and get more out of the crops.
Monsanto claims that its only business is agriculture and does research
to create the best seeds for the farmers.
It supplies – alfalfa, canola, corn, cotton, sorghum, soyabeans,
sugarbeets and wheat. It spread its shop
on the traditional farmers of India.
One
can never be sure of the ways of Indian’s politicians and their support. There were some supporting and years later
came the imposition of a moratorium on
the commercialization of genetically modified brinjal by the ministry of
environment and forests.
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar
5th June 2016.
