Posted on 05/15/2006 3:03:37 PM PDT by blam
Maize in global gene bank crisis
15 May 2006
From New Scientist Print Edition.
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 keep a genetic edge over weeds, pests and diseases requires constant interbreeding between varieties. Most of the genes needed for this breeding now come from the freezers of gene banks, held by governments and international centres, which between them have more than 250,000 varieties of maize.
“At least half the seed stocks are unable to germinate because of incorrect storage,” unfortunately much of the stock is useless, says Cary Fowler of the Global Crop Diversity Trust in Rome, Italy. "Germination rates are falling quite dramatically, and genes and genetic traits are being lost as a result," he says.
Suketoshi Taba, head of CIMMYT, the international maize gene bank based in Mexico, says fewer than half the maize seeds held in store round the world were able to germinate. Many had not been dried properly before being put into storage. Others were lost when refrigeration units failed during power outages.
From issue 2551 of New Scientist magazine, 15 May 2006, page 4
Why do I guess that American seed corn companies don't rely upon third world government storage vaults to protect their seed varieties.
It makes more sense to pay royalties to farmers who have the original varieties. There would be economic incentives to maintain more diverse seed stocks.
First Bananas, now Corn -- whats next? Potatoes?
No more cornflakes? No more bananas to put on them? What's this world coming to?
Just wait until our protein consists of yeast cultures. No more cows.
I would not be surprised if some of the funny genetics that are included in some commercial seed corn to for the purpose of rendering the offspring sterile have made their way into some strains of "natural" corn. I would also not be surprised if the seed companies think that's acceptable.
I have no problem buying all the seed corn I need on the farm.And the varieties sold now are vastly improved.Stupid third worlders can't seem to do anything right.
Wrong. Maize is maize. Corn is corn. Maize is hard and is grown for stock feed. Corn is moist and juicy and sweet and is grown for human consumption.
Brilliant idea: replace every food crop in the world with Spam.
Dude, get a new hobby.
And just when we have to plant 75% of our farm land to replace the gasoline we use in our SUV's with Ethanol. We wont have corn flakes or any other food. So much for the enviro wackos.
barbra ann
LOL. Your post is a direct quote of a post I was just about to arrrgggghhhh!
There will always be Soylent Green!
Great- They are mandating Ethanol as an additive to our gasoline, which in the USA comes almost exclusively from corn.
Now the seed corn is rotten.
Shades of "Atlas Shrugged"/
John Galt- Where are you when we need you the most?
Maize is hard and is grown for stock feed. "
I was raised on a dairy farm. We grew our own CORN for feeding the cows and pigs and chickens.
It was called CORN. The seed bags called it CORN. The local farmers coop called it CORN. I NEVER heard it called maize by the farmers in Wisconsin.
We referred to the animal CORN as Field corn or feed corn. The human stuff was called "sweet corn" and still is. Don't forget "POPCORN". It is another species/variety entirely.
So did we. One is maize and one is corn.
Unless you're just having fun here, don't go too far out on a limb.
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