I jeszcze o nowych modyfikowanych bananach. Dale is currently working with many other projects—inside and out of the country—to ultimately weave together a drought-, pest- and disease-resistant, higher-yielding and beta-carotene-rich banana, a super-banana 2.0, so to speak. If this banana combined farmers yield interests with nutritional needs, it could be worthy of the title, helping save resources and reducing waste. There is also less contention over the environmental implications of the super-banana, he said. Super-bananas wont be able to mix or spread their genes with wild varieties. This really wipes out the worry of genetic pollution many worry about with genetically modified crops, Schnurr said. Success of the super-banana could open doors to many other genetically modified crops in not only Uganda, but other African countries that follow suit, Dale said. This could have even larger implications for the genetically modified debate globally, Schnurr said. It would mean the European Union was the only true region of the world still holding out against these kind of crops, he said. Improving the health and food security of Ugandans and their neighbors also could reduce the aid needed for food or nutritional supplementation, freeing up national and international funds for other projects, analysts said. But perhaps the success of super-bananas may not be measured with immediate or individual results. As Africa is slotted to take on the bulk of the future world populations food demands, Dales project is certainly not unique in the region, but its fate could influence other initiatives. Were also offering this technology for free; anyone is encouraged to take it and use it or build off of it, Dale said. This means the super-banana, unlike seed-bound crops, will never be bound or controlled by middlemen such as seed dealers. If we manage to pull this off, as with most technology, the next projects will be easier and cheaper, making bio-fortification an option for many more people and many more crops, said Dale, reflecting. scientificamerican/article/super-bananas-enter-u-s-market-trials/
Posted on: Thu, 10 Jul 2014 07:00:00 +0000
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