Posted on 11/20/2006 12:35:22 PM PST by Zakeet
WASHINGTON — Cotton, for thousands of years one of the most important crops for clothing and shelter, might also become a source of food.
A chemical called gossypol makes cottonseed inedible for humans, though some of it is used in feed for cattle, which are less affected by the toxin.
Now, researchers at Texas A&M University have genetically modified cotton to produce seeds with little or no gossypol.
It's a step they say could help provide valuable protein to millions of people. Their findings are reported in Tuesday's issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Keerti Rathore of the university's Institute for Plant Genomics and Biotechnology, said the modified plants continue to have gossypol in their stems and leaves where it helps resist insects, but the chemical is significantly reduced in the seed.
Worldwide, 44 million tons of cottonseed is produced annually. It is grown in 80 countries and the seeds are 23 percent protein, Rathore said.
They are pressed for oil, and in the United States about half of the remaining meal goes into animal feed, he explained.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
But, Cotton Candy has been around for years :-)
When it looked like Hurricane Rita was going to pass directly over College Station, places began to board up. They could not hang the wood on the outside as there was nothing to support it. So it was hung on the inside since it would still protect the contents of the building.
Kozak over weegee by 27 seconds!
yes, but can you make liquor out of it?
I'll be impressed when they make steak you can wear.
Cotton also is one of the most highly pesticide treated crops with boll weevils, bollworms, cutworms, bugs, budworms, thrips, aphids, whiteflies, armyworms, mites, and loopers attacking the crop. Many times early treatments for boll weevil kill off the beneficial insects that would protect the crop against the other pests. Additional treatments are then be needed to kill these pests.
Sorry to hear that....
(Son of an Aggie - but I'm getting over it)
This is going to revolutionize the edible panties industry.
They were serving these in the cafeteria when I was there in the late 70's. "TAMU Nuts" were tastier than sunflower seeds, excellent on salads. Surprised it took this long to make them commercially viable. Makes a cash crop more valuble -- heck, you have to separate the seeds anyway!
I think they call that "leather". At least the way some people like it cooked.
That's the spirit! Don't forget the weekly consignment of eggs from Malta... and everyone has a share ;)
Hehe- a good look when worn with a homburg and loincloth.
That is not quite a spad.
geez, now ya gotta get technical on us and ruin a good grant opportunity.
I have been thirsty enough to spit cotton, never hungry enough to eat it.
And some folks wonder why we make jokes. Hey Aggies, see you on Friday.
I know that you've heard of "crop rotation."
AAAHHHH... Chocolate covered cotton bolls. there's a Catch-22 in here somewhere.
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