Posted by antonsirius on 8/27/2010 2:44:00 PM (view original):
Posted by robusk on 8/27/2010 2:33:00 PM (view original):
Posted by larry_jew on 8/27/2010 2:26:00 PM (view original):
Posted by robusk on 8/27/2010 12:02:00 PM (view original):
More bad news for food:
www.independent.co.uk/news/science/genome-breakthrough-heralds-new-dawn-for-agriculture-2063308.html
Don't you mean bad news for starvation?
Go **** a whole foods.
They slightly exaggerate the potential impact but it is in fact a step in the supposed correct direction of growing grain demands (not if you ask me though).
The most important thing is that the genome is a public release. If one of the big seed companies (money grabbing whores) had done so and patented the thing - something they love to do on gene by gene basis - then it would have been a huge step backwards.
The genome sequence still doesn't really address the major problem facing modern crop farming....which is a lack of diversity. Unfortunately this genome is probably going to make the issue even worse in the long term. If farmers are better able to "remove" diversity from their crop's genome as they strive to make the most uniform and "healthy" strain for the conditions they want to mass produce the food in then we may all be doomed. Bit melodramatic but as highly specialized uniform crop is much more likely to suffer a global meltdown if conditions change or more likely a bug finds a "workaround," as they inevitably do (it isn't termed an arms race for nothing), then things could go very badly.
In theory a decoded and public genome could lead to more diversity, as strains get tailored for different climates, soil conditions etc.
The genome will allow them to better react to any problems that do arise but the problem is you have to be able to find new and improved versions of the gene from natural variations to put back into the "mass produced" genome. Genetic modification is a possibility though. This is only the genome of one strain of wheat after all so it doesn't really capture which genes are responsible for the phenotype.
There are tighter controls in Europe for the mass prodcution but these seed campanies are global powerhouses. Third world countries are the worst hit by them though. The classic "buy our seed because it is the best (and sold relatively cheap for the potential yield) but then you also have to buy our specific fertilizer for eternity so your crops don't just dies."
Doesn't matter, because if you don't, they just say you stole their's and you go into financial ruin.
Just look at what we did to the soybean and corn.