On June 15, 2005, experts teamed up by the Ministry of Science and Technology nodded their approval to a genetically modified cotton pilot project in An?痽ang, Henan.
The project has resulted in five technical platforms, including a national technical platform for GM cotton, a biobreeding technical platform, a new species pilot experiment platform, a support technical platform, and a platform for commercial applications of new species. The project also led to the systematic integration of diverse genetically modification techniques, the establishment of an efficient GM cotton technical system of industrial scale. Researchers screened out 112 new materials for GM cotton, from which 7 are developed into new strains that passed national or provincial verification checks. Derived also from the project are 7 ecological stations for GM cotton, and 150 demonstration sites for growing new species. The project has developed a diffusion network for GM cotton, under which some 25.48 million mu (1mu=0.0667ha.) of pest resistant GM cotton were grown on a combined basis. In addition to a GM cotton seeds breeding and processing system, a national GM cotton testing and monitoring center, and a GM cotton environmental security assessment lab are also established.
While establishing a national technical platform for GM cotton studies and commercial applications, and landing major progresses in genetic scale and efficiency, the project has provided technical guarantee and support for environmental release of GM cotton and for associated pilot experiments and diffusions, promoting the commercial applications of domestic grown pest resistant GM cotton. |
