max facts
Scientists say
Viruses and Aphids Could
One Day Help Crops
Scientists believe viruses and
aphids could be engineered to
help crops instead of being the bane of
farmers. Researchers are considering how they could engineer
insect-transmitted plant viruses to deliver genes to aid crops
during times of stress. Essentially, an aphid would feed on the
plant and infect it with a virus that activates genes that help the
plant fight stress. The team hopes this would be a faster way
of responding to threats such as drought and disease within
a growing season. “Viruses are well-suited for this purpose
because they are natural mobile gene packages that express
proteins in plants, but they’re not inherited in the plant seed,”
says researcher W. Allen Miller. The research is still in its infancy,
however. “Regardless of the end result, we will learn a lot about
how viruses interact with insect vectors and plants,” Miller
says. “We expect the research will shed new light onto how to
safeguard food production from evolving threats.”
- sciencedaily.com
Non-profits Provide Long-term Security
Pittsburgh Urban Farms
Grow Pittsburgh and the Allegheny Land Trust are teaming
up as The Three Rivers Agricultural Land Initiative to provide
long-term support to some of Pittsburgh’s urban farms. The
Initiative will buy land off existing projects to ensure the land
will be protected from future developments. “There’s no formal
land agreement in many of these cases, and at any time the
developer or private owner of the land could say, ‘We have
another use for this land now, and we want you off,’” says
CEO Chris Beichner. “By being able to come in and permanently
protect these lands and give the volunteers and farmers the
support to grow these farms, they can turn to their families
and neighbors and offer these fresh foods.” The initiative will
ask the community for input as to which piece of land it should
buy, though it will probably prioritize farms currently feeling
development pressure.
- wesa.fm
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