First genetically modified banana approved by regulatory authorities

For the first time, genetically modified bananas have been approved for cultivation on farms. Regulators in Australia and New Zealand have given the green light to a Cavendish banana variety engineered to be resistant to a devastating fungal disease that is widespread in many countries around the world.

Australian Gene Technology Regulatory Authority issues license Allow commercial growth of modified bananas February 12th.

16 February, Australian and New Zealand Food Standards Approved as food, conclude that it is as safe and nutritious as traditional bananas. The food ministers of Australia and New Zealand can request a review of the decision within the next 60 days. Otherwise, approval is final.

The first banana widely eaten in Western countries was a variety called Gros Michel. However, by the 1950s, fusarium A fungal strain called Tropical Race 1 (TR1), which causes Panama disease, has forced farmers to switch to Cavendish bananas. Although reportedly not as tasty as Gros Michel, Cavendish is highly resistant to TR1.

Now, another stock fusariumIt is called TR4 and is popular all over the world. It can kill many varieties, including Cavendish.

team led by james dale Australia's Queensland University of Technology has created a resistant strain of banana called QCAV-4 by adding genes from wild bananas.

The decision is “a very important step towards creating a global Cavendish Banana safety net with TR4, which is already impacting many parts of the world,” Dale said. statement.

Quarantine measures currently limit the spread of TR4 in Australia, with only a small number of cases occurring each year. Therefore, there are currently no plans to grow QCAV-4 bananas on a large scale or sell them to consumers.

However, other countries where TR4 is more of a problem may decide to adopt genetically modified bananas. Dale's team now plans to use CRISPR gene editing QCAV-4 to make bananas resistant to another major fungal disease called black sigatoka which could mean it's even more attractive to farmers.

A Kenyan research team has already used CRISPR to create a strain of the Gonja Manjaya variety that is free of banana streak virus, a pathogen that integrates into the banana genome.

Genetically modified (GM) crops are now widely grown in many countries around the world, but in some regions, such as the United Kingdom and the European Union, very few crops are approved for cultivation by farmers.

in australia, Only four genetically modified crops have been approved so far. These are safflower, which contains high levels of oleic acid in its oil, and herbicide-resistant rapeseed (canola), Indian mustard, and cotton varieties.

However, Australia and New Zealand have approved Wider range of GM crops and edible products Similar to the situation in the UK and the EU.