Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

permaculture - [permaculture] Breeding "Organic Ready" Corn with Gametophytic Incompatibility

permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: permaculture

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: George Anna Clark <esac@laneta.apc.org>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Breeding "Organic Ready" Corn with Gametophytic Incompatibility
  • Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 11:20:30 -0500

Link to the article (and read below):
http://www.ofrf.org/blogs/breeding-%E2%80%9Corganic-ready%E2%80%9D-corn?utm_source=OFRF&utm_campaign=eb4fffcc9b-July_2014_eNewsletter7_16_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_194828b0e1-eb4fffcc9b-22271993

DIRECT link to video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGTd3MsAl1g

Enjoy!
George Anna
Tehuixtla, Morelos Mexico

Breeding "Organic Ready" Corn with Gametophytic Incompatibility

Amidst the controversy over transgene (GMO) contamination---a growing
concern for organic farmers, researchers, consumers, and
advocates---plant breeder Frank Kutka has been working to develop an
"organic ready" line of corn that will maintain its non-GMO integrity.
Corn is one of the top three genetically modified crops, alongside
cotton and soy. In 2014, 89 percent of the corn acreage in the U.S. is
planted in herbicide-tolerant transgenic corn.
Kutka has just started his fourth year of an OFRF/Seed Matters
<http://www.seedmatters.org/clif-bar-family-foundations-seed-matters-initiative-grants-nations-first-organic-plant-breeding-fellowships/>-funded
research project, /Developing "Organic-Ready" Maize Populations with
Gametophytic Incompatibility
<http://www.ofrf.org/research/grants/developing-organic-ready-maize-populations-gametophytic-incompatibility-year-iv>/.
Corn is wind pollinated and readily crosses with other
varieties. However, this breeding work uses naturally occurring genes
derived from popcorns and the ancient grain teosinte that create a
screen against crossing with transgenic, or genetically modified (GMO)
corn.

Kutka coined the term "Organic Ready" to describe this corn that can
better maintain its organic integrity with these genes. Corn is an
important crop that grows well across the country and is very productive
and profitable. "It is a strong crop, excellent in crop rotations, where
it is good to have a tall competitive plant," Kutka says. "But it is
absolutely susceptible to outcrossing with transgenic corn, due to the
nature of its reproductive process, and the fact that pollen can travel
for miles and land in any field."
GMOs are prohibited in organic production
<http://www.ofrf.org/blogs/abcs-gmos> under the USDA National Organic
Program, making /organic/ the original and best GMO-free label, but
there are no regulations in place to protect farmers against accidental
contamination from the pollen of transgenic corn. This is a widespread
problem for every organic corn farmer who has GMO corn growing within a
few miles, which includes farmers across the Midwest and most other
places corn is grown. As organic farmers have learned, they can have the
right seed, do everything right, and still have contamination of their
crop. A recent survey
<http://documents.foodandwaterwatch.org/doc/GMO_contamination.pdf#_ga=1.195481388.1884210767.1405442731>
of organic farmers from 17 states, predominantly in the Midwest, shows
67 percent planned to delay planting corn this year so their crops
pollinate later than their neighbors' GMO corn (one method farmers are
using to prevent contamination), at an average cost of $16,000. This is
not sustainable. It is important for farmers economically and
agriculturally to have the right tools to maintain organic integrity for
their customers, and this exciting research promises to provide a
powerful addition to the toolbox.
Kutka points out that the idea of using these genes to prevent unwanted
cross-pollination is not new, and there are others exploring these
applications. The traits have been used for years to grow popcorn in the
corn belt. "It's an extremely obvious idea," he says. "I read Mutants of
Maize
<http://www.amazon.com/Mutants-Maize-M-Gerald-Neuffer/dp/0879694440>,
and saw a description of this trait. I thought, 'It works for popcorn,
and could be handy to keep transgenes out of organic.'"
Breeding work takes time, but early releases of open pollinated (OP)
"Organic Ready" corn could be available later this year, with work
continuing on back crossing and release of more populations and lines in
2015 and beyond. Seed of the resulting lines and populations will be
released to the public along with short publications in the Maize
Genetics Cooperation Newsletter <http://mnl.maizegdb.org/> in order to
prevent their being patented, a situation that has already occurred, and
which Kutka opposes. He says, "These seed releases are to encourage
others to work with this trait and for organic farmers to grow as they
wish."
We'll keep you posted!
/About the researcher:/
Frank Kutka has a Ph.D. in plant breeding and has been working on this
project since 2001. In addition to this project, he serves as a
coordinator for the Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society Farm
Breeding Club and has coordinated the USDA Sustainable Agriculture
Research and Education (SARE) program in North and South Dakota. He
works with organic corn breeders across the country to gain advice and
knowledge, citing Walter Goldstein at the Michael Fields Agricultural
Institute and Major Goodman at North Carolina State University, among
others.
Want to learn more? /Watch Frank Kutka explain the project
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGTd3MsAl1g>/, and read these articles:
"Release of populations carrying Ga1s
<http://www.agron.missouri.edu/mnl/84/PDF/20kutka.pdf>"
"Using Ga2s to limit undesirable fertilization in commercial organic
maize <http://www.agron.missouri.edu/mnl/86/pdf/07kutka.pdf>"



---
Este mensaje no contiene virus ni malware porque la protección de avast!
Antivirus está activa.
http://www.avast.com




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page