The parasitic wasp Tetrastichus howardi Olliff (T. howardi), is used for insect pest control in farming. It is the cotton farmer’s friend as it parasitises fall armyworm, a major cotton pest. The fall armyworm is a main target of the GM Bt insecticidal toxins in GM Bt plants. In other words, the GM Bt toxins are supposed to kill the fall armyworm. However, this pest has developed resistance to the Bt toxins, meaning that GM Bt cotton farmers need all the alternative controls they can access, including natural helpers like T. howardi. In a new study, scientists investigated the effects of Bt toxins over two generations of T. howardi wasps parasitising Bt-resistant fall armyworm. Parasitoid wasps that developed on fall armyworm larvae resistant to Bt toxins had reduced survival times. Harmful effects including disrupted host-searching behaviour and lower performance were found in T. howardi wasps that emerged from Bt-resistant fall armyworms. Also, T. howardi was repelled by Bt toxins. GMWatch

 

 

The US is preparing to accelerate its complaint that Mexico’s ban on GM corn violates the nations’ free-trade deal, heightening tensions between the neighbours. The US Trade Representative’s office plans to request the formation of a dispute resolution panel under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified without permission to speak publicly. The panel of trade experts — whose findings are binding — would be charged with deciding whether Mexico’s corn policy is inconsistent with the trade pact. If the group sides with the US, it could ultimately result in tariffs on Mexican goods. Yahoo! Finance

 

 

Rather than engaging with issues around public health, environmental protection and agricultural livelihoods, the Indian government is disregarding facts and logic before the Supreme Court to push GM mustard, writes Aniket Aga, anthropologist and author of the book, Genetically Modified Democracy: Transgenic crops in contemporary India. Aga writes that the government "has not placed the full biosafety dossier of GM mustard in the public domain, despite the provisions of the Right To Information Act and a declaration to this effect by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee of the Environment Ministry. Nor is it adequately responding to criticisms from agricultural scientists that already available non-GM mustard hybrids have better yields than GM mustard." The Hindu

 

 

Varsha Sharma has been through some turbulent years on her small farm in the mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh, in northern India. For more than a century her family have been rice farmers, but erratic rainfall and water being diverted for industry have made cultivating rice more difficult. Seven years ago she switched to a hybrid rice variety and to growing apples, but that just caused fresh problems. The hybrid rice variety promised increased production, but needed a lot of additives, which she says damaged the soil. "We destroyed our soils by adding chemicals and fertilisers," she says. So in 2018 she switched again, this time experimenting with red rice, a variety which has a long history in Himachal Pradesh, but has dwindled as farmers have switched to modern varieties. Red rice has attractive qualities. It is hardy and grows well without fertiliser and other chemicals. Research also shows it has nutritional benefits over white rice. But perhaps for farmers the biggest attraction is that it sells well. BBC News

 

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