The US position in its trade dispute with Mexico over GM corn is not as strong as it claims and the US is misinterpreting international trade law, writes law professor Ernesto Hernández-López. He concludes, "With legal lapses in several areas, the US should try to resolve its gripes with Mexico versus pursuing fruitless disputes." Common Dreams

 

 

Cathie Martin has suggested a way that her GM purple tomatoes could have ended up being advertised in the Baker Creek heirloom seed catalogue as the "Purple Galaxy" tomato (see this article). She said she could not comment on whether Baker Creek's Purple Galaxy was in fact her GM tomato. But she added that the testing laboratory that analysed the Baker Creek tomatoes for GMO content had been obliged to release seeds to other researchers as part of the original study, under an MTA or material transfer agreement, “for research to prove whether we are right or wrong. We released a lot of seeds”. The ancestors of the Purple Galaxy must have come from someone who broke the MTA, she said. “I have no idea who it was.” The Times (paywalled; an archived version of this article is here)

 

 

Sticky traps consisting of tiny oil droplets can be sprayed onto plants to catch small pests while leaving larger insects such as bees unharmed. The researchers who developed the product hope it will help reduce the use of chemical pesticides. New Scientist

 

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