WITH the future of bananas in the balance (see “A future without bananas?“), there’s more worrying news for another major food resource. Maize, the world’s most widely grown crop, is facing its own genetic meltdown
The world’s crop gene banks are in crisis, a meeting of maize researchers and organisations in Texcoco, Mexico, was told last week. At least half the seed stocks are unable to germinate because of incorrect storage, with potentially dire consequences for the world’s food supply.
Maize – known as corn in North America – grows in 160 countries, but to maintain its high productivity and…
