Special Issue: Progress, Achievements and Constraints for Plant Biotechnology in Developing Countries. Click on one of the browse buttons above for a complete listing of the contents of this issue.

Recent Submissions

  • The Potato Story 

    Thomas, Peter E.; Kaniewski, Wojciech K. (AgBioForum, 2004)
    The need for genetic improvements of American potato was recognized as a primary target for plant genetic engineering. As immediate needs, virus and insect resistance were recognized as important and attainable goals. ...
  • Transgenic Papaya in Hawaii and Beyond 

    Gonsalves, Dennis (AgBioForum, 2004)
    Papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) is often a limiting factor in the production of papaya worldwide. In 1992, PRSV was discovered in the district of Puna on Hawaii island, where 95% of Hawaii's papaya was grown. Within two years, ...
  • Rice Biotechnology : A Need for Developing Countries 

    Datta, S. K. (AgBioForum, 2004)
    Rice, the most important food crop of the developing world, feeds more than two billion people as a staple food. Its improvement since the Green Revolution has been enormous, and biotechnology in the genomics era offers ...
  • Global Impact of Insect-Resistant (Bt) Cotton 

    Purcell, John P.; Perlak, Frederick J. (AgBioForum, 2004)
    Insect-resistant (Bt) cotton has been rapidly adopted since its introduction in 1996. Farmers around the world both large and smallholders benefit from this technology through increased productivity, convenience, and time ...
  • Prospects for Bt Cotton Technology in India 

    Barwale, R. B.; Gadwal, V. R.; Zehr, Usha; Zehr, Brent (AgBioForum, 2004)
    Cotton is a very important crop in India; farmers there face the challenge of losses due to various insect pests. The first genetically modified crop in India, Bt cotton, has been introduced to address bollworm infestation. ...
  • Agricultural Applications of Biotechnology and the Potential for Biodiversity Valorization in Latin America and the Caribbean 

    Espinoza, Catherine G., 1978-; Panta, A.; Roca, W. M. (AgBioForum, 2004)
    This article provides a brief account of key developments in agricultural applications of biotechnology in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries; it also focuses on the potential of developing value-added products ...
  • The Status of Plant Biotechnology in Africa 

    Thomson, Jennifer A., 1947- (AgBioForum, 2004)
    Most of the plant biotechnology in Africa is being carried out in South Africa, Egypt, and Kenya. At the University of Cape Town, maize resistant to maize streak virus (MSV) and drought-tolerant maize are being developed, ...
  • Plant Biotechnology in Asia 

    Hautea, Randy Anoche; Escaler, Margarita (AgBioForum, 2004)
    Crop improvement facilitated by modern biotechnology is one the most significant developments in plant biotechnology research and development (R&D). Within Asia, plant biotechnology has largely been acknowledged as a key ...
  • Continuing the Effort 

    (AgBioForum, 2004)
    To date, agricultural biotechnology has mostly benefited farmers and consumers in the industrialized countries. It is predicted that by the middle of this century, nine out of ten human beings will reside in the world's ...
  • The Impact of Bt Crops on the Developing World 

    Huesing, Joseph; English, Leigh (AgBioForum, 2004)
    Genetically modified (GM) plants are grown on more than 67 million hectares in 18 countries worldwide. A major trait used in GM crops is plant resistance to insects; this trait is based on several Bt proteins. The benefits ...
  • Why We Partner : Collaborations Between the Private and Public Sectors for Food Security and Poverty Alleviation through Agricultural Biotechnology 

    Horsch, Rob; Montgomery, Jill (AgBioForum, 2004)
    It is a natural human value to share with others, and there are good business reasons for a company such as Monsanto to share as well. Monsanto has a track record of sharing knowledge and technologies with the public sector. ...
  • Social Constraints on Crop Biotechnology in Developing Countries 

    Stone, Glenn Davis (AgBioForum, 2004)
    Westerners often see the social components of agriculture in developing countries as constraints on development. However, the same social components play vital roles in facilitating cultivation. Of particular relevance to ...
  • Consumer Acceptance of Genetically Modified Food Products in the Developing World 

    Curtis, Kynda R.; McCluskey, Jill J.; Wahl, Thomas I. (AgBioForum, 2004)
    Worldwide consumer response toward food products made from genetically modified (GM) ingredients has been largely negative. However, the majority of the previous studies on consumer attitudes towards food products were ...
  • What's the Holdup? Addressing Constraints to the Use of Plant Biotechnology in Developing Countries 

    Kent, Lawrence (AgBioForum, 2004)
    Agricultural biotechnology offers great potential benefits to farmers in developing countries, but so far only a small handful of genetically modified (GM) crop products have been planted in only a few developing countries. ...
  • Transgenic Cotton in Mexico 

    Traxler, Greg (Gregory J.); Godoy-Avila, Salvador (AgBioForum, 2004)
    We examine the farm-level impact of Bt cotton in Coahuila and Durango, Mexico. Bt cotton was introduced in Mexico in 1996. It has been an important tool in reducing pesticide use by more than 50% and generating annual ...
  • Progress and Challenges for the Deployment of Transgenic Technologies in Cassava 

    Taylor, Nigel; Kent, Lawrence; Fauquet, Claude (AgBioForum, 2004)
    The production of genetically modified cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) plants is routine in the advanced laboratories that invested in this technology during the 1990s. The ultimate aim of those engaged in cassava ...
  • The Challenges and Potential for Future Agronomic Traits in Soybeans 

    Barbero, Alberto; Johnson, Eric; Conner, Timothy Wilkes; Paschal, E. Hamer (AgBioForum, 2004)
    Soybeans are the primary source of the world's supply of protein and vegetable oil. The demand for increased production of soybeans is forecasted to mirror the world's population growth and demand for protein and edible ...