Spuds that fight back

By NAOMI LARKIN

In the future, potatoes could be grown in New Zealand which resist the pests that prey on them.

Or the shades of flowers could be changed by altering their levels of pigmentations.

And there are hopes of a virus-free pea.

The trials of genetically modified peas, flowers and potatoes have been on hold at Crop and Food Research in Christchurch awaiting the outcome of the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification.

Dr Tony Conner, professor of plant biotechnology at the crown research institute, said the trials could now progress to field trials.

Crop and Food Research had been forced to put the trials on hold for 15 months as researchers agreed to a moratorium while the commission was sitting.

Yesterday, the commission presented its findings to the Government, saying "biotechnology is the new frontier."

On the new frontier are the trials at Crop and Food Research of transferring a gene into potatoes so its leaves produce an insecticide which inhibits the tuber moth pest. The hope is the potatoes could be grown without pesticides.

Genetically modifying the peas involved placing a small piece of virus into the chromosome to give them immunity.

A range of flower crops are being experimented on to control pigmentation.

Professor Pat Sullivan, head of the Institute of Molecular BioSciences at Massey University in Palmerston North, said the report cleared the way to get on with basic research.

"I am just delighted.

"We should now be able to get a system running in New Zealand more akin to the systems for managing research that exist in other countries like Australia, the United States and Britain."

www.nzherald.co.nz/ge

Full report of the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification

GE lessons from Britain

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