The moratorium on commercial cultivation of Bt brinjal in India, which has led to a controversy over genetically modified (GM) food crops in the country, has caught farmers’ attention across south-east Asian countries none where of which, except the Philippines, has so far gone in favour of such crops. Taking keen interest in the controversy [...]
Ban On Fishing For Bluefin Is Rejected
April 4, 2010 By
The trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna will continue unchecked after the rejection yesterday of a proposed fishing ban that had been described by conservationists as the only way to save the critically endangered species from extinction. Japan and Canada along with scores of developing nations succeeded yesterday in preventing any restrictions being imposed on the [...]
Scientists Sequence Peach Tree DNA
April 3, 2010 By
Scientists have sequenced the DNA of the Lovell peach tree. The tree’s DNA sequence has opened a new era in fruit-tree research that could have far-reaching implications for the future of peaches, as well as many other valuable plants. This genome sequence is the culmination of an extensive research program pioneered at Clemson University under [...]
Breast Cancer Screening Is Not Beneficial: Study
April 2, 2010 By
Breast cancer screening has “no benefits” and it leads to needless treatment, a new study involving over one lakh women has claimed. The decade-long study questioned the benefits of organised screening programmes, saying women given mammograms and those who had none had “remarkably similar” chances of survival. The study by the Nordic Cochrane Centre in [...]
Food Security And Options In Agricultural Biotechnology
April 1, 2010 By
More food needs to be produced with less water and land. The challenges of a growing population, changing diets, and the unquenchable thirst of agro-energy puts increasing pressure on the limited land, water and environmental resources at both the global and local scales. Poor countries need to frame important strategies for agricultural development through biotechnology [...]