[searcabic] Latest news postings on biotechnology, 12 January 2010

[SEARCA Biotechnology Information Center]

  Right click images to view this page properly. If this e-mail does not
appear as a web page, please click
here.<http://www.bic.searca.org/e-news/index3.html>
*Posted 12 January 2010*

*PHILIPPINES*
1-RP NEEDS STRONG ANIMAL BIOTECH PROGRAM
2-NEW HOPE EMERGES FOR LOCAL COTTON INDUSTRY
3-DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH-YIELDING C4 RICE EYED
4-GOV’T UPGRADES MOLECULAR TESTING FACILITY
5-FIBER BODY EYES MASS PROPAGATION OF NEWLY DEVELOPED ABACA VARIETY

*INDIA*
6-Bt BRINJAL: JAIRAM RAMESH TO HOLD MEETINGS

*GLOBAL*
7-FARMERS LOOK TO BIOTECHNOLOGY TO BATTLE CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGES
     *1-RP NEEDS STRONG ANIMAL BIOTECH PROGRAM*
by Anjo C. Alimario / Researcher
04-January-2010 Business
Mirror<http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/science/20415-rp-needs-strong-animal-biotech-program.html>

AN “informed opinion” among biotechnology stakeholders is the key element in
an effective advocacy and promotion of the potentials of animal
biotechnology.

This was the message imparted by the experts from the Philippine Carabao
Center (PCC) of the Department of Agriculture and the Philippine Council for
Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development
(PCARRD) of the Department of Science and Technology and other partner
institutions in relaying to the public the importance of the technology in
answering the demand for food production.

Experts from the forum said animal biotechnology does not necessarily mean
genetically modified organisms (GMO), to which people always feel skeptical
and carry negative connotations when they hear the term.

However, biotechnology is one potential technology that can address the
needs of the country’s agricultural-production systems, they said.

According to the forum’s rationale, there have been significant milestones
and breakthroughs achieved through biotechnology, but these are always
overshadowed by the people’s misconceptions on its alleged possible negative
effects to health and environment.

It said that some “less-informed” groups use the issues in the core of their
advocacies to influence public opinion against biotechnology and its
products.

“Elitist scientists apply terms in biotechnology such as frontier,
cutting-edge, strategic and lately blue-sky science, but unless these are
translated to layman’s language, biotechnology will remain to be abstract to
Pambansang Kamao Manny Pacquaio or a dreaded field to pursue for young
students, or maybe as dreadful as visiting Maguindanao,” said Dr. Edwin
Villar, head of the livestock-research division of PCARRD.

There are a number of issues why there is a need for the country to invest
in livestock technology, Dr. Libertado Cruz, PCC executive director, said.
One is the growing population of the world, he said.

Sixty percent of the world’s population belongs to Asia, Cruz said. Because
of the continuous increase in population, the world must produce food in the
next 40 to 80 years equivalent to what has been produced in the past 12,000
years, he explained. Moreover, it becomes a global challenge on how to feed
these people, and the world’s capacity to produce food is at stake, he
pointed out.

What comes with the growth in population is an increase in people’s income
and purchasing power, Cruz said. People who have the capacity to buy change
their food preference. They consume less of the grains and more of the
animal-derived protein, he added.

Cruz argued that traditional genetic improvement and management of livestock
productivity is substantially significant, but with the challenge of growing
population and increase in the demand of animal products, there is a need to
use other technology than the traditional method, he said.

Biotechnology in livestock has contributed in terms of improving feed-grain
production and forage quality, enhancing genetic improvement of economically
important traits, enhancing animals and their performance and preserving
biodiversity, Cruz explained.

Livestock biotechniques are directed primarily on genetic improvement and
genetic conservation, he said.

Other parts of livestock biotechniques are those applied to animal and
animal nutrition and to produce novel products for human use.

In his presentation, Cruz pointed out that biotechnology is almost equated
with GMO implants, and people do not want to take anything related to
biotechnology, particularly in food. Rejection is less when it is for human
pharmaceuticals.

“The mindset of the consuming public when it relates to food has less
acceptability, but when it is for human pharmaceuticals, it is okay,” he
said.

He said it is impossible for the country to do away with artificial
insemination (AI). AI is one of the most common and oldest biotechnologies
used in the world that maximizes the utility of superior sire, he added.

On the status of some of the animal biotechnologies in the Philippines, Cruz
said the country is commercially using AI in bovine, cattle, carabao, small
ruminants and swine. Substantial research and development have been
completed to understand AI as a technique.

Sperm sexing—a biotechnique that can help producers of dairy, swine and beef
animals to predetermine the sex of the offspring—has not been tried yet in
the Philippines due to lack of funds, Cruz added. The country, according to
him, is just waiting for the money to be able to try out the technique.

Superovulation technique in cattle and goat, a biotechnique that expands the
utilization of superior females in dairy, beef, goat and sheep, is now
well-established in the country, he added. However, there is poor response
to superovulatory hormone in buffalo.

Cruz recommended the tapping of PCARRD to increase human-resource
capacitation and improve the existing facilities and laboratory equipment.
Moreover, he said it is not the technology that is important, but how the
technologies affect lives and influence the country’s communities,
especially the small local farmers.

Cruz pointed out that biotechnology would allow precision in resource use
and product design. He said to effectively use the tools, it will require
listening to what the producers, processors and consumers want, guided by
principles of safety, risk assessment and animal welfare.

*------------------------------------------------------------*
*2-NEW HOPE EMERGES FOR LOCAL COTTON INDUSTRY*
04-January-2010 The Philippine
STAR<http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=537558&publicationSubCategoryId=77>

MANILA, Philippines - Agriculture officials are confident that the country’s
adoption of the Bt cotton technology from China and India will help boost
the local cotton industry and rev up Philippine agriculture in the next few
years.

Bt cotton, which has the ability to resist the highly-destructive bollworm,
will soon be available for commercial plantation as the Department of
Agriculture (DA) through the Cotton Development Administration (CODA) steps
up plans for the introduction of the genetically-engineered pest-resistant
cotton variety in the Philippines soon, Agriculture undersecretary for
policy and planning Segfredo Serrano revealed.

He said the CODA has planted transgenic hybrid cotton in one of its screen
houses at the agency’s Cotton Research Center located in Batac City, Ilocos
Norte as part of a project to commercially introduce Bt cotton varieties in
the country.

The introduction of Bt cotton, like the Bt corn, aims to reduce losses
because of infestation by pests - in this case the bollworm, which adversely
affects cotton production.

“The bollworm infestation of cotton plantations in the Philippines has been
severely affecting the local cotton industry. Our biotech solution to this
problem is the introduction of a superior variety that resists pests,” DA
Biotechnology Program Office (DA-BPO) Director Alicia Ilaga said.

The DA BPO supports various research and development projects for “superior
crops” that are disease-free, resistant to pests, and high- yielding crops
such as corn, papaya, eggplant and other varieties through genetic
engineering. The DA-BPO has been facilitating technology transfer, if not
funding local research and development of disease-free and pest-resistant
crops.

Under the strict supervision of the Biosafety Committee of the Department of
Science and Technology (DOST) and the Bureau of Plant Industry- Quarantine
Service, together with CODA Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), six
commercial transgenic cotton varieties imported from Nath Biogene (India)
Ltd. were planted side by side with three locally-developed commercial
non-Bt cotton varieties.

The contained experiment will evaluate the efficacy of the six Indian
transgenic hy-brid cotton varieties that contains the Chi-na-developed fused
Bt genes in controlling bollworm under local environments. Limited field
trials will be conducted in CODA’s experiment stations and selected farms in
Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao within the next one or two cotton seasons.

The transgenic hybrid cotton or Bt cotton in the trial contains the fused
Bt-genes cry 1Ab/cry 1Ac that provides the plant a high degree of protection
against cotton boll-worm (Helicoverpa armigera Hubn.), the most significant
pest of cotton. In Asia, Bt cotton is already planted largely in China and
India.

Bollworm is a great threat to local cotton farming. The pest attacks the
cotton plant as early as the vegetative stage feeding on the leaf terminals,
fruit buds, flowers, and developing bolls.

Current control measure is predominantly through chemical insecticides.
Aside from being costly and hazardous to humans and the environment, the
pesticide-based management scheme does not guarantee full protection from
the target pest. Local farmers spray chemicals 8-10 times, which cost them
about 43 percent of the total production cost, yet lose 30-65 percent of
their potential yields.

Four years ago, CODA inked a memorandum of agreement with the BioCentury
Transgene Co. (China) Ltd. to conduct Bt cotton testing in the country as
approved by Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap.

Funds for the project came from the DA Biotech Program Office (BPO), headed
by Ilaga.

The project, however, was stalled, according to CODA Administrator Orpia by
regulatory procedures at the source country, which is China then later,
India.

“Nevertheless, we are finally rolling the very first Bt cotton test in the
country after a long wait and we are confident that we shall be
commercializing the Bt cotton three seasons later, at the least. Our goal is
to provide the local cotton industry a viable alternative cotton variety
which provides farmers a higher profit from a technology that requires
cheaper cost of producing high quality cotton fiber besides
environment-friendly“ Orpia reiterated.

The Philippines consumes an average of 40,000 metric tons of lint per annum
valued at P3 billion, a volume that is almost entirely – 97 percent –
imported, primarily from the USA.

While the country has a favorable soil and climate to grow cotton, the local
industry has been enduring a major setback due to various socio-economic and
technical factors with the bollworm problem as the most critical.

The commercialization of Bt cotton locally is expected to provide the
turning point for the cotton sector to recover and enhance the country’s
competitiveness in the global arena.

It will significantly reduce the cost of production while it increases
yield. Besides, cotton is a feasible alternative dry season crop grown after
rice. It is also adapted to dry and marginal or saline areas where water is
a limiting factor.

This agricultural biotechnology product is a feasible import substitute that
will save the country from costly cotton importation.

*------------------------------------------------------------*
*3-DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH-YIELDING C4 RICE EYED*
by Melody M. Aguiba
04-January-2010 Manila
Bulletin<http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/236699/development-highyielding-c4-rice-eyed>

The futuristic C4 rice which is seen to give rise to the second "green
revolution" that will save the globe's poor community from hunger may solely
be developed through genetic engineering.

The C4 rice may take a long while before a commercial release, but it is
targeted to give a yield of 50 percent higher than check varieties
(benchmark for high yield).

Achim Dobermann in "Future Intensification of Irrigated Rice Systems" said
that by 2020 rice yield in irrigated areas must increase to a yield
potential of 12 metric tons (MT) per hectare in the dry season and eight to
nine MT per hectare in the west season.

And C4 rice is needed in order to keep a high yield in delta areas which
will be the most adversely impacted by climate change, according to the
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

As the major trait of C4 plants – mainly the efficient use of carbon (which
represents the C in C4) for more efficient photosynthesis that will enhance
rice productivity – is found outside the rice specie, perhaps the only way
to develop this high-yielding rice may be through genetic engineering.

"The only tool we can see now that will allow us to see that kind of gene in
rice is through genetic modification so you can increase the capture of
solar energy (that will be turned into) biomass," said IRRI Deputy Director
General William G. Padolina in Growth Revolution Magazine's "Climate Change
and Rice Report."

C4 rice is being developed to carry the trait normally found in C4 plants
such as sorghum, corn, and sugarcane which have higher yield despite lower
irrigation requirement unlike the conventional C3 rice which is
water-thirsty.

IRRI Director General Robert S. Zeigler said what is alarming is that
climate change will have more negative impact in the highly rice-productive
delta areas including the Mekong Delta (covering Vietnam which is world's
second largest rice exporter).

*------------------------------------------------------------*
*4-GOV’T UPGRADES MOLECULAR TESTING FACILITY*
by Marvyn N. Benaning
01-January-2010 Manila
Bulletin<http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/236392/gov-t-upgrades-molecular-testing-facility>

The Bureau of Plant Industry-Plant Quarantine Service (BPI-PQS) has upgraded
its molecular testing facility for plant pathogen and detection of
genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to enhance the quality of its lab
analyses and comply with international standards.

BPI-PQS said the improvement of the facility and procurement of necessary
equipment were made possible through a grant from the Department of
Agriculture-Biotechnology Program Unit (DA-BPU).

The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications
(ISAAA) also assisted in the upgrade.

Upon completion, the facility was turned over by the DA and the ISAAA to the
BPI last December 15.

“The Philippines ’ biotech regulation continues to evolve and learn from its
experiences since the first approval of GM product in 2002. We need to
set-up necessary infrastructure for the testing and detection of GMOs and
plant pathogen in order to continuously perform our tasks as the main
regulatory agency for biotechnology in the country” said BPI assistant
director Clarito Barron during the turnover ceremony.

BPI has already approved 51 events for the direct use and importation of
several biotech crops like alfalfa, corn, soybean and potato.

The enhancement of the molecular laboratory of BPI-PQS will further boost
the confidence of the general public on the capability of BPI in
implementing DA Administrative Order No.8, the policy that governs the
importation and release into the environment of plants and plant products
derived from the use of modern biotechnology.

*------------------------------------------------------------*
*5-FIBER BODY EYES MASS PROPAGATION OF NEWLY DEVELOPED ABACA VARIETY*
by Danny O. Calleja / Correspondent
31-December-2010 Business
Mirror<http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/component/content/article/53-agri-commodities/20378-fiber-body-eyes-mass-propagation-of-newly-developed-abaca-variety.html>

LEGAZPI CITY—The Fiber Industry Development Authority (Fida) is eyeing the
mass propagation of a newly developed variety of hybrid abaca (Musa
textilis). The new variety is high-yielding and disease-resistant, according
to Fida’s regional office based at the Bicol University campus here.

Ramon Borromeo, Fida regional director, said over the weekend that this
superior abaca variety was introduced by its technology developer, Dr.
Antonio Lalusin Jr., of the Crop Science Center of the Institute of Plant
Breeding at the University of the Philippines, Los Baños during a recent
investors’ forum held at the Nido Fortified Science Discovery Center at the
SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

This new hybrid variety is resistant to bunchy-top virus, a dreaded disease
that has been taking its toll on the country’s entire abaca industry, the
major source of fiber internationally known as Manila hemp, he said.

“The introduction of this biotechnology-developed variety is expected to
boost the country’s abaca industry that suffered a severe setback in
production in 2006 because of the damages left by Supertyphoons Milenyo and
Reming that compounded the lingering effect of bunchy top,” he said.

Borromeo said because of these natural calamities and disease infestation,
the country’s total abaca-fiber baling in 2007 slowed down to 50,937 metric
tons (MT), or 12.4 percent lower than the previous year’s output of 58,160
MT, owing mainly to the lackluster performance of almost all producing
regions except Western Visayas and the Cordillera Administrative Region.

The biggest decrement in abaca baling in real terms—equivalent to a hefty
3,483 MT—was noted in Bicol, bringing the region’s output down from 13,103
MT, which includes the 217 MT of decorticated abaca.

Catanduanes, the country’s top abaca producer, had a lesser output by 15.9
percent or 2,166 MT, while Sorsogon, Albay and Camarines Sur had
corresponding reduced outputs of 52.9 percent, 41.4 percent and 20.2
percent, respectively.

In terms of regional fiber contribution, Eastern Visayas continued to
dominate the production sector with a 37.6-percent share, while Bicol
maintained its second position with 25.7 percent. Southern Mindanao was
third with 15.3-percent contribution, while Caraga had a 9.7-percent share
to the overall annual baling.

In terms of provincial comparison, Fida said Catanduanes remains the No. 1
producer of abaca in the country, accounting for about 9,000 MT in fiber
production during the first half of this year. The province had 23,676
hectares of abaca plantations cultivated by 15,454 farmers, the largest in
the Philippines.

According to Borromeo, the hybrid abaca variety assures farmers of increased
yield by as much as 300 percent and an even better-quality fiber.

In a statement, Lalusin said he hopes to forge business ties with private
investors for the mass propagation of the hybrid abaca.

“The business model offered by this technology is tissue-culture laboratory
and nursery operations. Like all superior crops developed through tissue
culture, this superior abaca variety will be the next sought-after variety,
both by operators of commercial plantations and individual farmers,” Lalusin
said.

Abaca is endemic to the Philippines. It is an important export crop and is a
major dollar earner for the country, generating $80 million annually from
1996 to 2000. The Philippines supplies 85 percent of abaca in the world
market. As of 2008, abaca was cultivated in about 140,000 hectares in 52
provinces.

The country’s abaca industry relies solely on traditional varieties for its
survival in the absence of new and improved varieties until the introduction
of the high-yielding, virus-resistant hybrid-abaca variety, he said.

This newly developed biotechnological variety is timely, Borromeo said, as
demand for abaca pulp and fiber is increasing. More countries are shifting
to the use of natural fibers in their bid to eliminate dependence on
materials that use fossil fuels.

“Car manufacturers are now using abaca as composite materials for vehicle
interiors and automotive parts,” he said.

Celesa, a pulp-making company is Spain, is now developing tie-ups with local
suppliers of abaca; the company is buying from Ecuador, but wants to expand
usage of Philippine abaca, Borromeo said.

As reported by a local abaca pulp mill, a European buyer is seeking 50,000
MT of abaca pulp per year. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas had also advised
manufacturers of base paper for the Philippine peso to use abaca pulp as a
component material. This means an additional demand of about 250 MT abaca
pulp per year.

Abaca pulp can be substituted for coniferous pulp in most paper products on
the ratio of 4:1; majority of the world’s pulp-and-paper companies use wood
pulp, with global demand estimated to be 200 million MT in the year 2000;
this is equivalent to about 50 million MT of abaca pulp, he added.

*------------------------------------------------------------*
*INDIA
6-BT BRINJAL: JAIRAM RAMESH TO HOLD MEETINGS
*11-Janaury-2010 The
Hindu<http://beta.thehindu.com/sci-tech/agriculture/article78817.ece>

Environment Minsiter Jairam Ramesh will from Wednesday hold a series of
public meetings across the country on the controversial Bt brinjal which was
cleared by the country’s bio-technology regulator last year for its
commercial cultivation.

Besides the first meeting on Wednesday in Kolkata, the next will be held in
Bhubaneshwar on January 16, in Ahmedabad on January 19, Hyderabad (January
22), Bangalore (January 23), Nagpur (January 27) and in Chandigarh on
January 30, a senior Environment Ministry official said.

The meetings will be attended by various stakeholders including scientists,
agriculture experts, farmers’ organisations, consumer groups and NGOs who
have been opposing the genetically modified brinjal.

Genetically modified food is that which undergo genetic modification by gene
transfer making it pest-resistant.

The meetings are being held in view of a controversy over the decision of
Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) allowing commercial
cultivation of Bt brinjal.

Ramesh had after the controversy decided to hold the meetings on the issue.

It is being promoted by Mahyco Monsanto biotech, joint venture between
Hyderabad based Mahyco and US-based Monsanto, along with University of
Agriculture Sciences, Dharawad, and Tamil Nadu Agriculture University,
Coimbatore.

*------------------------------------------------------------*
*GLOBAL
7-FARMERS LOOK TO BIOTECHNOLOGY TO BATTLE CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGES
*31-December-2009
BioSpectrum<http://www.biospectrumasia.com/content/311209OTH11693.asp>

Singapore, Dec 31, 2009: Despite mounting challenges brought on by climate
change, farmers around the world are increasingly being aided by modern
agricultural practices, such as biotechnology.

Climate change is already affecting US agriculture and land and water
resources, and will continue to do so, according to a USDA report released
recently at the climate talks in Copenhagen, Denmark. The US Department of
Agriculture (USDA), in cooperation with the University Corporation for
Atmospheric Research and the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP),
has released The Effects of Climate Change on US. Ecosystems.

Sharon Bomer Lauritsen, Executive Vice President for Food and Agriculture at
the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) says biotechnology is one tool
that can help increase agricultural productivity despite these environmental
challenges.

“Our member companies have been developing environmental stress tolerance
traits (plants that are naturally tolerant to extreme cold, heat, drought,
saline soil, diseases and insect pests) for the past decade, and many of
these are poised for commercialization,” says Bomer. “The pending
authorization of these products couldn’t be more timely given the challenges
facing farmers.

According to this recent report, climate change is hurting crop production,
distribution, and yields directly through changes in temperature and
precipitation, and indirectly by increasing pest and weed outbreaks. Through
biotechnology, seeds yield more per acre, plants naturally resist specific
insect pests and diseases, and farmers use less energy. Genetically
engineered plants and animals can naturally fight diseases and adapt to
environmental stress.

Productivity gains through biotechnology are especially crucial at a time
when the population is growing and the demand for food is increasing,
especially in developing countries. According to the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization, feeding a world population of 9.1 billion in 2050
will require raising food production by 70 percent. Food production will
need to increase by nearly 100 percent in developing countries, where
farmers are most adversely affected by climate change.

“Farmers are not defenseless in their struggle against extreme weather
conditions and evolving pest populations. Biotechnology will continue to be
one of many tools to help farmers meet these environmental challenges and
better provide the food, fuel and fiber to serve a growing population,”
Sharon Bomer Lauritsen added.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*DISCLAIMER*: Articles that are posted in this news service do not
necessarily reflect the views of SEARCA.

To post in e-group, e-mail bic at searcaweb.org.
To UNSUBSCRIBE, click
here<http://searcaweb.org/mailman/options/bic_searcaweb.org>
.
  [image: Subscribe A Friend]     [image: Subscribe A
Friend]<http://searcaweb.org/mailman/listinfo/bic_searcaweb.org>
<http://www.isaaa.org/resources/publications/default.html#projectedimpacts2009>
    [image:
ISAAA Celebrates the Life of its Founding Patron, Nobel Peace
Laureate]<http://www.isaaa.org/>
*51 scholarships available for junior and mid-level DA
staff*<http://www.searca.org/web/news/2010/jan/web/11.html>

*Scholarships for 2010 available at the Food Security Center-University of
Hohenheim, Germany * <http://www.searca.org/web/news/2009/dec/web/16.html>

*---------------------------------------------------------*
*Download available paper and/or presentation handouts of some notable
speakers presented at SEARCA Agriculture and Development Series. CLICK HERE.
* <http://www.searca.org/web/adss/2009/index.html>
*---------------------------------------------------------*

*Symposium on the Potentials and Safety Isues of Biofortifies Crops to
Address Micronuttrient Deficiencies* <http://www.bic.searca.org/>
*Drilon Hall, SEARCA, College, Laguna, Philippines
18 January 2010,1:00 - 4:00 PM*

*3rd International Meeting of Academic Institutions and Organizations
involved in Biosafety Education and Training* <http://www.bic.searca.org/>
*Tsukuba, Japan
15 - 17 February 2010*

*BioSquare 2010* <http://www.biosquare.com/>
*Geneva, Switzerland
01 - 02 February 2010*

*IUFRO Kuala Lumpur 2010* <http://www.iufrokualalumpur2010.org/index.html>
*Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
07 - 10 March 2010*

*8th PCIERD Regional and National S&T Fora and Competition in Industry and
Energy Research and
Development*<http://www.bic.searca.org/events/2010/pcierd28thanniv/callforpapers.pdf>
*Manila, Philippines
March 2010*
*CALL FOR PAPERS*<http://www.bic.searca.org/events/2010/pcierd28thanniv/callforpapers.pdf>

*-------------------------------
JOB VACANCY @ ISAAA KC
Program Associate
Deadline of Application is on 30 December 2009
View details here*<http://www.bic.searca.org./jobs/2009/isaaakc_programassoc.pdf>
 ** **        <http://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/subscribe/default.asp>
*SEARCA Biotechnology Information
Center
College 4031, Laguna, Philippines
Tel +63 49 536 2290 ext 406/169
Fax +63 49 536 4105
E-mail: bic at searca.org*
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://searcaweb.org/pipermail/bic_searcaweb.org/attachments/20100112/e401a2b4/attachment-0001.html>