Disease-resistant banana plant developed | General | National News | thedaily.com.au
The story is:-
"Queensland scientists have developed a genetically-modified 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 commercialisation of GM bananas in this country.
Scientists at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) inserted a single gene for resistance to fusarium wilt, or Panama disease, into the banana genome.
The gene stops cells dying when attacked by the disease.
Fusarium wilt has crippled the banana industry in the Northern Territory and would do the same in Queensland and NSW if it gained a foothold, said Tony Heidrich of the Australian Banana Growers Council.
Fusarium wilt cannot be removed from soil once it is infected, and the disease is spread by water, meaning even a tiny foothold could become a devastating attack on a banana-growing region.
Unlike GM-modified grain crops, there was no chance of the new, genetically-modified banana escaping trial plots, Mr Heidrich said.
Commercial varieties are clones and the plants cannot inter-breed but this leaves bananas susceptible to disease.
Mr 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 recognise 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," he said.
"One of those may well be an outbreak of fusarium wilt in a major production area.
"So in our view it makes sense to spend some money on research of the development of GM varieties that address that issue, so that if we ever got to the point where we needed that variety and consumers were prepared to accept it, we've got something in the bag."
Even if field trials proved successful it would be years before the GM banana was ready for commercial use, he said.
The QUT scientists are attempting to boost the fruit's nutrient content using the same technology.
While some believe this could be a boon in places like Africa where the banana remains a staple, Bob Phelps of the Gene Ethics Network said there were simpler solutions to combating malnutrition.
"Tweaking these peoples' diets doesn't make much sense," Mr Phelps said.
"It would make a lot more sense if people were empowered to build their own gardens and to produce their own fresh foods.""
I hate the thought of genetically modified anything. if they are put on the shelves here they will stay with all of hte other GM crops.
To avoid GM crops in Australia anything made in the USA is not bought because your country doesn't segregate real food and geneticall modified foods.
Any soy product is avoided because it will probably contain GM soy.