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SOUTH AFRICA – GM GRAPEVINES TO BE TESTED
Biotech grapevine ready for field trials
22 September 2006. Source: CropBiotech Update, http://www.isaaa.org/kc
Scientists at the Institute for Wine Biotechnology at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, have developed several lines of transgenic grapevine (Vitis vinifera) plants with increased resistance to fungal pathogens. These lines will be tested in the field to determine the stability of the transgene, and to perform ampelographic, viticultural, and vinicultural evaluations. The transgenic plants will be grafted on year-old non-transgenic rootstocks. In order to avoid dispersal of the transgene to the environment, the flowers of the transgenic plants will be bagged to contain the pollen, and the grapevines will be covered by a net to prevent seed dispersal.
For more information about the trial visit:
http://www.sun.ac.za/news/NewsItem_Eng.asp?Lang=2&ItemID=10831
To find out more about the research initiatives at the Institute for
Wine Biotechnology visit:
http://academic.sun.ac.za/wine_biotechnology/research_programmes.htm
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