The latest in a long series of papers has been published, detailing unintended effects of CRISPR gene editing. The new review summarises the many types of serious unintended on-target (at the intended edit site) DNA damage resulting from CRISPR/Cas gene editing. The review appears as the European Commission and the UK government maintain their pretence that gene editing is a precise, predictable, and controllable technique and that food plants made with this technology are therefore as safe as those produced by conventional breeding. The authors of the new paper reviewed the literature on CRISPR gene editing in human, primate, and mouse cells. They found that CRISPR-induced double-strand breaks in the DNA caused numerous large unintended on-target genetic damages, including large and small deletions and insertions, and chromosomal rearrangements of genetic material. And they note that even large on-target gene modifications are not detectable by standard methods. GMWatch

 

 

A new report from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows that about 55 percent of the total harvested cropland in the United States is grown with varieties having at least one GM trait and the most common GM trait is herbicide tolerance, followed by insecticidal traits. The USDA notes the increased market concentration in agribusiness – for corn and soybean seed, two companies account for about 70 percent of US sales. It adds, “Private seed companies lead the development of GM traits — a shift away from public institutions” — stimulated by patents. Seed World

 

 

By using fewer pesticides to control coffee berry borer (CBB) populations, Hawaiian coffee farmers may actually increase coffee production, harvested coffee quality and even economic gains. This outcome regarding chemical controls relies upon increased plant cultural controls — namely, more frequent and strategic harvesting of coffee cherries. This is according to a comprehensive analysis from a group of researchers in Hawaii who studied integrated pest management strategies on 10 Hawaiian coffee farms over two years. Daily Coffee News

 

 

Britain’s farmers increased their yields of major crops last year despite significant reductions in fertiliser use, according to research. Making artificial fertilisers relies on natural gas, the price of which rose sharply last year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Fertiliser prices more than tripled, from £233 a tonne in 2020 to £766 a tonne in 2022, which farmers say led to a reduction in their use. Data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) published last week revealed that for key crops – wheat, barley, oilseed rape and sugar beet – fertiliser use decreased by an average of 27% compared with the 2010-19 average. Despite this, yields of those crops were 2.4% above average compared with the same period. The move away from artificial fertilisation had led to a return to mixed farming methods among farmers, farmers said. This includes livestock farming, which is the best way of cycling nutrients into soil. The Guardian

 

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