麻豆传媒

Opponents of GM technology will surely pounce on new patents from the US agrichemicals company Monsanto which admits that genetically engineering plants to resist pests is not a panacea. Novartis has already had doubts (麻豆传媒, 18 December 1999, p 5) and now Monsanto鈥檚 patents (W0 02/28184/5) admit even more frankly that transgenic pest control 鈥渕ay not be desirable in the long term鈥� because it produces resistant strains and 鈥渘umerous problems remain鈥�under actual field conditions鈥�. So they鈥檙e going for a belt-and-braces approach. Monsanto will now bioengineer maize to release endotoxins, but also treat the maize seed with the pesticides clothianidin and thiamethoxam. This, says Monsanto, has a synergistic effect with the endotoxin, giving increased resistance to corn rootworm.