Parlamento Andino declara a la región libre de papa transgénica

En el seno de la Comisión Segunda del Parlamento, se aceptó por unanimidad un proyecto de decisión para declarar a la región andina libre de papa transgénica. La decisión se tomó por ser esta región el centro de origen de la papa.

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Farmer quits GM potato experiment

Plans to grow genetically modified potatoes in Derbyshire have been abandoned because a farmer fears for his own safety.

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What Does GM Potatoes Mean for Future Blight Control?

If you asked consumers whether they would like to buy potatoes which hadn't been sprayed eight to 10 times for potato blight, one would assume most would be in favour. Of course, ask them if they wanted to eat genetically-modified spuds and the answer might be very different.

Commercially that's what BASF will have to work hard to overcome in the next eight to 10 years - it is going to be that long before its blight-resistant GM potatoes are likely to be launched.

Proving the technical performance looks like it should be much more straightforward. Initial trials conducted in Sweden in the past two years, and in Germany and Holland last year, have shown a very high level of blight resistance, according to Andy Beadle, BASF project manager. "In the trials I've seen we haven't needed to spray the potatoes for blight after we've inoculated with the disease."

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Listas primeras plantas de papa modificadas genéticamente para resistir la polilla del cultivo

En los laboratorios de la Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB) crecen como cultivo in vitro, en frascos, las primeras plántulas que se producen en Colombia. A dichas plántulas, utilizando el sistema llamado 'Agrobacterium', se les introdujo un gen que las hace resistentes al ataque de la polilla guatemalteca (Tecia solanivora), una de las plagas que desde 1985 ha ocasionado la destrucción de hasta el 80 por ciento de los tubérculos de una cosecha.

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Continúan las votaciones políticas sobre los OMG en la UE

En la reunión del pasado lunes del Comité Regulador de la Directiva 2001/18/EC, compuesto por representantes de los Estados Miembros, no se alcanzó mayoría calificada para aprobar o rechazar el cultivo y comercialización de la patata transgénica EH92-527-1, modificada para un mayor contenido de amilopectina en su fécula.

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BASF spud trials resuscitate GM crop debate

DEFRA has given the green light to trials of genetically modified potatoes, reigniting the debate on GM food.

The NFU gave the most positive reaction, saying that it recognised that many consumers and farmers have misgivings about GM technology, but felt biotechnology offered potential benefits to agriculture so it was committed to encouraging necessary research.

However, the British Potato Council said it could not support the trials because of consumer concern about the technology.

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