Trump’s Victory Throws New USDA Framework on Seed Industry Into Question by Sky Chadde
November 13, 2024
Introduction:
(Investigate Midwest) Imagine two fields, side-by-side. One grows genetically modified corn, the seed bought from a major firm. The other grows organic where the farmer stresses about cross-contamination. The company that produced the neighbor’s corn seed has patented its product, restricting its use. If the grower’s corn intermingles with the neighbor’s, the organic farmer worries about being sued for copyright infringement.
In the U.S., a handful of companies produce and control most of the seeds farmers buy — the building blocks not just of food but of valuable commodities such as biofuels and ingredients in processed snacks and drinks. To protect their high-dollar investments, the companies patent their creations. Now, they own the vast majority of the industry’s intellectual property.
But the level of concentration can cause problems for farmers and independent seed breeders, the Biden administration’s USDA contends. Over the past couple years, the agency has studied consolidation-related issues, and, in October, it announced a new “framework” — in partnership with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office — to start addressing them. Much of it focuses on the seed industry’s IP being in a few hands.
“We have to wait until they’ve planted, then wait a few weeks to sow our own corn,” an organic farmer told the U.S. Department of Agriculture in a public comment recently. “If they are late in their sowing, there may not be enough time left for us to get a crop.”
While the framework does not force any new requirements on the seed industry — one expert called it “weak sauce” — it demonstrated the Biden administration’s priorities. However, with Donald Trump returning to the Oval Office, its future is in question. During his first term, Trump oversaw three mergers that further consolidated the seed industry.
Making High-yielding Rice Affordable and Sustainable November 20, 2024
Introduction:
(Eurekalert) Rice is a staple food crop for more than half the world’s population, but most farmers don’t grow high-yielding varieties because the seeds are too expensive. Researchers from the University of California’s Davis and Berkeley campuses have identified a potential solution: activating two genes in rice egg cells that trigger their development into embryos without the need for fertilization, which would efficiently create high-yielding clonal strains of rice and other crops.
A team led by Venkatesan Sundaresan, a Distinguished Professor in the departments of Plant Biology and Plant Sciences at UC Davis, previously showed that a gene called BBM1 in rice egg cells could switch on the ability of a fertilized egg to form an embryo. However, the method only worked about 30% of the time. Now, in collaboration with researchers from UC Berkeley’s Innovative Genomics Institute, the team has shown that simultaneously activating a second gene, WOX9A, increases the success rate to around 90%.The finding was published Nov. 12 in Nature Plants.
“It’s remarkable that after 20 years of unsuccessful efforts in clonal hybrids, there has been so much recent progress -- from showing that it is actually possible back in 2019, to showing now that it can work efficiently in 2024,” said Sundaresan. “I’m very optimistic now that hybrids will no longer be the barrier to achieving sustainable agriculture with high yields all over the world.”
Trump Taps Brooke Rollins as Agriculture Chief by Bill Barrow, Adriana Gomez Licon and Zeke Miller
November 24, 2024
Introduction:
(MSN) President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday he will nominate former White House aide Brooke Rollins to be his Agriculture secretary, the last of his picks to lead executive agencies and another choice from within his established circle of advisors and allies.
The nomination must be confirmed by the Senate, which will be controlled by Republicans when Trump takes office Jan. 20. Rollins would succeed Tom Vilsack of the Biden administration.
The Agriculture secretary oversees the sprawling agency that controls policies, regulations and aid programs related to farming, forestry, ranching, food quality and nutrition.
Rollins, an attorney who graduated from Texas A&M University with an undergraduate degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency.
The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. Rollins previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. She worked as a litigation attorney in Dallas and clerked for a federal judge in the Northern District of Texas after earning her law degree from the University of Texas.
Study Finds Genetic Mechanisms Behind High-yield Apple Trees November 25, 2024
Introduction:
(Eurekalert) Apples rank among the world's most valuable fruit crops, with production spanning more than 100 countries. Some apple trees naturally develop into what farmers call "spur-type" varieties—compact trees that are more productive and easier to maintain. But the genetic mechanisms underlying this coveted trait have remained elusive—until now.
An international team of researchers began by creating the first "fully phased" genome of the popular Fuji apple—essentially a complete genetic blueprint that clearly distinguishes between genes inherited from each of the two parents.
With this new blueprint in hand, the team studied 74 Fuji clonal varieties and identified significant somatic variations—mutations that occur during the plant's lifetime rather than being inherited. Somatic variations can lead to new traits, and in apples, it's the reason we see trees with unique characteristics like early maturation or the spur-type growth habit.
"Farmers prize spur-type apple trees," explained Zhangjun Fei, professor at the Boyce Thompson Institute and one of the study's lead authors. "They exhibit more concentrated flower bud formation and increased fruit yield while requiring less pruning. This makes them ideal for modern orchards, especially in challenging growing conditions."
The Fuji apple, which originated in 1939 as a cross between the Red Delicious and Ralls Janet varieties, is known for its sweet flavor and crisp texture. In countries like China, where over 70% of apple cultivars are based on Fuji clones, spur-type varieties have boosted productivity and adapted well to areas with poor soil and frequent drought.
New Smart Agriculture Technology for Monitoring Plants November 26, 2024
Introduction:
(Eurekalert)With growing concerns over climate change and overpopulation, we urgently need to boost agricultural productivity. With the goal of creating a way to easily tell whether a plant is thriving or dying, a leaf-mounted sensor was created by researchers at Tohoku University. This small but mighty technology could help improve crop yields and resource management in order to meet ever-growing demands.
Extreme weather events like heatwaves, heavy rain, and droughts stress plants, which can reduce crop yields and threaten the long-term health of our farms, forests, and biodiversity. There is an unmet need to monitor precisely how plants respond to these changes. While drones and aircrafts have improved plant monitoring from above, they only capture more macro, surface-level information. They also need adjustments to be able to track plants accurately over time. Other small sensors that can capture changes at the individual plant level are inconvenient since they often require on-site personnel to install and manually check each sensor.
"The traditional methods may work well for some purposes, but they are difficult to operate and quite expensive," explains Kaori Kohzuma, "In order to continuously monitor small changes, we needed a new solution."
To address these issues, a team of researchers developed a novel sensor that attaches directly to the underside of plant leaves. This small device uses a spectroscopic sensor and light source to measure leaf color without blocking sunlight, and it can track changes in the same spot over time. Powered by a battery, with Wi-Fi data transfer and waterproofing, the sensor can work outdoors for over a month, allowing for extended data collection.
"Smart agriculture is a huge time-saver," says Ko-ichiro Miyamoto, "Farmers don't have time to manually check every single plant. This sensor is able to provide fine-tuned readings for what's going on in real time. Then, they can react accordingly to areas where plants are experiencing high levels of stress."
This Secret Society Is on a Mission to Change the Way We Eat by Damien Gayle
November 28, 2024
Introduction:
(Mother Jones) For decades they have been working underground, establishing mycorrhizal-like networks of commerce and influence, taking root in academia and institutions, and even extending their tendrils into supranational governance.
Their goal is to transform the diets of people across the world, to spark a revolution in food production and consumption. They call themselves the leguminati.
“When you rediscover beans, it’s something we’ve all taken for granted, and then you realize—oh my God—these are really great; it’s like a secret,” says Steve Sando, the founder of the California-based bean company, Rancho Gordo, who is, for many, the godfather of this cult. “The secret’s been revealed to them and they tend not to be able to shut up about it, because they feel they’ve discovered the world.”
Beans are enjoying a culinary renaissance and, say their advocates, it is not a moment too soon. Long thought of as bland, fiddly to cook, or poverty food, in recent years there has been growing recognition that beans are not only delicious, but that eating more of them could help solve a host of planetary and human health problems.
Food production is a big cause of climate breakdown, amounting to about a quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Three-fifths of those emissions come from meat production, leading many to argue for a shift towards a plant-based diet.
Huge Organic Farm in Iowa Thrives Without Chemicals by Keith Schneider
November 29, 2024
Introduction:
(Investigate Midwest) WEST BEND, Iowa – Just shy of 800 residents, West Bend is barely a blip on a prairie landscape. But this small northern Iowa town has become a hub for the nation’s growing organic farming sector, challenging the notion that pesticides and other agricultural chemicals are required to feed the world.
The town’s towering grain bins are surrounded by around 50,000 acres of corn, soybeans, oats and other crops grown without the use of synthetic chemicals. Farmers fertilize the land with chicken litter and hog manure. Weeds are removed by hand or with non-chemical tools, such as new laser weeders.
In 1998, farmer Barry Fehr began experimenting with raising chemical-free soybeans on 45 acres. Today, the West Bend region is the most expansive and profitable area of organic grain production in Iowa and possibly the United States. Most of the land is farmed by multiple generations of Fehr families that live close to West Bend. One operation, Clear Creek Acres name, generates nearly $40 million a year in crop sales from 25,000 acres. The Fehr family also manages about 3,000 organic acres in Colorado.
By the Numbers: Organic farming in West Bend, Iowa
1.3 million metric tons: U.S. organic grain imports in 2023 (four times the 2020 volume).
800: Population of West Bend, Iowa.
50,000 acres: Land surrounding West Bend farmed organically.
$40 million: Annual revenue generated by Clear Creek Acres.
3,000 acres: Organic farmland managed by the Fehr family in Colorado.
2-3x: Price premium for organic crops compared to conventional.
$8/bushel: Price for organic corn (double the conventional rate).
$22/bushel: Price for organic soybeans (double the conventional rate).
$30/hour: Wage and expenses for H-2A workers hired by Clear Creek.
799: Number of organic farms in Iowa as of 2021 (up from 467 in 2011).
Peroxisomal Protein Boosts Plant Immunity to Thrive Under Environmental Stress December 2, 2024
Introduction:
(Eurekalert)Salicylic acid is vital for protecting plants from pathogens, but its synthesis remains unclear. A recent study by Shinshu University researchers has discovered that the protein HSR201 is key to its production. They found that HSR201 localizes to specific organelles called peroxisomes through a unique targeting signal. This discovery improves our understanding of how plants produce salicylic acid and could pave the way for developing engineered crops with improved disease resistance.
Feeding Grazing Cattle Seaweed Cuts Methane Emissions by Almost 40% December 2, 2024
Introduction:
(Eurekalert) Seaweed is once again showing promise for making cattle farming more sustainable. A new study by researchers at the University of California, Davis, found that feeding grazing beef cattle a seaweed supplement in pellet form reduced their methane emissions by almost 40% without affecting their health or weight. The study was published today (Dec. 2) in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
This is the first study to test seaweed on grazing beef cattle in the world. It follows previous studies that showed seaweed cut methane emissions 82% in feedlot cattle and over 50% in dairy cows.
How much methane do cattle produce?
Livestock account for 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with the largest portion coming from methane that cattle release when they burp. Grazing cattle also produce more methane than feedlot cattle or dairy cows because they eat more fiber from grass. In the U.S., there are 9 million dairy cows and over 64 million beef cattle.
“Beef cattle spend only about three months in feedlots and spend most of their lives grazing on pasture and producing methane,” said senior author Ermias Kebreab, professor in the Department of Animal Science. “We need to make this seaweed additive or any feed additive more accessible to grazing cattle to make cattle farming more sustainable while meeting the global demand for meat.”
Potato Engineered to be More Resilient to Global Warming December 4, 2024
Introduction:
(Eurekalert) A team from the University of Illinois has engineered potato to be more resilient to global warming showing 30% increases in tuber mass under heatwave conditions. This adaptation may provide greater food security for families dependent on potatoes, as these are often the same areas where the changing climate has already affected multiple crop seasons.
Why 597 Million Chickens Go Missing from America’s Food Supply Each Year by Kenny Torrella
December 5, 2024
Introduction:
(Vox) America’s favorite animal to eat — the chicken — has also become its most expendable: In 2021, around 556 million chickens in the US died at hatcheries and on farms before reaching the slaughterhouse, their carcasses winding up in landfills, incinerators, compost heaps, or pet food.
An additional 41 million never entered the food supply, either because they died during transport to the slaughterhouse or were slaughtered but deemed unsafe to eat due to a variety of reasons, including tumors, bruising, or infections.
That’s all according to a new analysis released today by the international animal rights group Animal Equality.
To put Animal Equality’s findings into perspective, these 597 million chickens that are never consumed — 6 percent of the 9.8 billion raised for meat every year in the US — are far greater than the combined number of turkeys, pigs, and cattle slaughtered for meat annually.
So many chickens die prematurely on farms that one startup even created a robot to scoop them up so farmworkers don’t have to — it’s built into the industry’s business model.
Irrigation and Water Use on U.S. Farms are in Decline by Mónica Cordero
December 4, 2024
Introduction:
(Investigate Midwest) Irrigation on U.S. farms declined between 2018 and 2023, with fewer farms using irrigation methods and less water applied overall, the latest data shows.
Over that five-year period, the number of irrigated farms dropped by 8%, irrigated acres decreased by 5%, and water use fell from 83.4 million to 81 million acre-feet, according to the 2023 Irrigation and Water Management Survey.
About 213,000 farms irrigated 53.1 million acres in 2023, according to that year’s Irrigation and Water Management Survey. That’s down from 55.9 million acres in 2018.
These findings indicate a decline in the number of farms engaging in irrigation, the total land area irrigated, and the volume of water used for irrigation between 2018 and 2023.
Additional extract:
Prolonged droughts are straining the regional water systems’ ability to meet competing irrigation demands, and the irrigation sector has increasingly relied on groundwater due to shortfalls in surface water supply, according to Trends in U.S. Irrigated Agriculture: Increasing Resilience Under Water Supply Scarcity, a 2021 report by the USDA Economic Research Service.
Arizona Sues Saudi-Owned Farm Draining Groundwater in the Desert December 11, 2024
Introduction:
(Mother Jones) Arizona’s attorney general has sued a Saudi-owned farm operating a massive hay operation in the middle of the Arizona desert, alleging that the business is hastening the loss of the rural community’s rapidly depleting groundwater supply.
The farm owned by Fondomonte uses billions of gallons of groundwater in La Paz County each year to irrigate the desert to grow hay, which it then ships back to the Middle East to feed dairy cows.
The Saudi-owned operation first came to light in a 2015 investigation by the Center for Investigative Reporting and quickly sparked outrage in the state, spurring national and even international media coverage.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes told CIR last year that she was considering suing to stop the damage. On Wednesday, she announced the public nuisance lawsuit. It asks a judge to stop Fondomonte from excessive pumping and require the company to establish an abatement fund, which would cover damages incurred by neighbors such as their wells going dry or their water quality worsening as the groundwater is depleted.
“Arizona law is clear: no company has the right to endanger an entire community’s health and safety for its own gain,” Mayes said in a statement.
U.S. Senator Slams Tyson Foods for ‘Wrong and Anti-American’ Efforts to Silence Farmers Ben Felder
December 20, 2024
Introduction:
(Investigate Midwest) Citing a recent Watchdog Writers Group and Investigate Midwest investigation, U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, accused Tyson Foods of using “wrong and anti-American” tactics in trying to silence its former contract poultry farmers.
On Dec. 17, Investigate Midwest reported that after closing several plants, including one in Dexter, Missouri, Tyson worked to keep a competitor from buying the closed plant, which prevented its former farmers from continuing to raise chickens for meat.
The article also reported that Tyson subpoenaed several of its former poultry farmers for communication records with journalists and federal investigators. Tyson’s subpoenas were in response to a lawsuit filed by some of its former farmers.
Hawley referenced the article in a Dec. 20 letter to Tyson CEO Donnie King.
“You have previously stonewalled my efforts to learn the truth about your shutdown of poultry plants in Noel and Dexter, Missouri,” Hawley wrote. “Now, your company is apparently trying to deter injured farmers from speaking out against it. This is wrong and anti-American, and you must immediately stop.”
Tiny Plants Reveal Big Potential for Boosting Crop Efficiency January 6, 2025
Introduction:
(Eurekalert) Scientists have long sought ways to help plants turn more carbon dioxide (CO₂) into biomass, which could boost crop yields and even combat climate change. Recent research suggests that a group of unique, often overlooked plants called hornworts may hold the key.
“Hornworts possess a remarkable ability that is unique among land plants: they have a natural turbocharger for photosynthesis,” said Tanner Robison, a graduate student at the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) and first author of the paper recently published in Nature Plants. “This special feature, called a CO₂-concentrating mechanism, helps them photosynthesize more efficiently than most other plants, including our vital food crops.”
At the heart of this mechanism is a structure called a pyrenoid, which acts as a microscopic CO₂ concentration chamber inside the plant's cells. The pyrenoid is a liquid-like compartment packed with the enzyme Rubisco, which captures CO₂ and converts it into sugar during photosynthesis. Surrounding the pyrenoid are specialized channels and enzymes that pump in CO₂, saturating Rubisco with its key raw material.
“This CO₂-concentrating mechanism gives hornworts a significant advantage,” said Laura Gunn, assistant professor at Cornell’s School of Integrative Plant Science. “Rubisco is an infamously inefficient enzyme, so most plants waste a lot of energy dealing with its tendency to also react with oxygen. But by concentrating CO₂ around Rubisco, hornworts can maximize its efficiency and minimize this wasteful ‘photorespiration’ process.”
Additional extract:
The potential impact is substantial. The research team estimates that installing a similar CO₂-concentrating mechanism in crops could boost photosynthesis by up to 60%, leading to significant increases in yields without requiring more land or resources.
Crop Switching for Climate Change in China
January 7, 2025
Introduction:
(Eurekalert) A study of Chinese agriculture recommends planting areas currently growing maize and rapeseed with alternative crops to reduce environmental costs while maximizing food production as the climate changes.
Chinese food production has nearly doubled since the 1980s, mainly thanks to intensified nutrient usage and irrigation. Given that China’s demand for food is forecast to increase further, Qi Guan and colleagues modeled the country’s agricultural system under varying climate change scenarios in the 21st century, using a dynamic global vegetation model. The authors created scenarios that maximized crop production while minimizing leached nitrogen and water use under various climate futures. The scenarios also minimized disruptions to supply chains and sought to promote future food security. The optimal crop distributions increased productivity by 14.1%, reduced leached nitrogen by 8.2%, and reduced water use by 24.0% under future climate. Warming and increasing summer rain in northern China will make the area suitable for rice. Moving maize out of arid regions would save a significant amount of water. Drought-tolerant wheat could do well in the Northeast China Plain. Soy could thrive in northern and northwestern China, as well as the Yangtze Plain, and water-loving potatoes could do well in eastern and southern China. According to the authors, crop switching at the national scale is possible in China with coordinated actions, with large potential benefits.
International Collaboration Aims to Develop High-yielding Pest-and Disease-resistant Cassava, Maize and Potatoes January 7, 2025
Introduction:
(Eurekalert) ST. LOUIS, MO, January 7, 2025 – An international collaboration has announced a public-private partnership to develop high-yielding pest-and disease-resistant cassava, maize and potatoes to benefit more than 500,000 farm households in Rwanda. The partnership, known as the Rwanda Agricultural Biotechnology Programme, aims to improve the productivity and resilience of the three staple crops that are critical to the food security and livelihood of farming families.
The initiative will be coordinated by AATF and the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) and include the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, the International Potato Center (CIP), Michigan State University (MSU), Bayer Company, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT).
Speaking on behalf of the Minister for Agriculture and Animal Resources, Dr. Telesphore Ndabamenye, RAB Director General, said a partnership approach is key to the project’s success as it will ensure key stakeholders cooperate effectively to address food insecurity in a sustainable way. “By integrating research and extension services, we can equip farmers with the necessary tools and knowledge to boost productivity and resilience,” he said. “A clear road map, coupled with robust monitoring and evaluation, is essential to track progress and ensure that the project stays on course.”
Dr. Canasius Kanangire, executive director of AATF, noted that the improved crops developed through the project will provide Rwandan farmers with the opportunity to access and plant new varieties that are resistant to devastating insect pests and diseases. “The destructive nature of diseases like cassava brown streak and potato late blight, along with insect pests such as stem borers and fall armyworm, are denying Rwanda’s farmers the full benefit of these widely grown staple food crops,” he said.
Blueberries Beware: Powdery Mildew Spreading Across the Globe January 8, 2025
Introduction:
(Eurekalert) A new North Carolina State University study pinpoints the worldwide spread of a fungus that taints blueberry plants with powdery mildew, a disease that reduces blueberry yield and encourages the use of fungicides to combat disease spread. The findings could help blueberry growers predict, monitor and control the spread of powdery mildew.
The study shows that the fungus, Erysiphe vaccinii, has in the last 12 years or so spread from its point of origin in the eastern United States to multiple continents.
“We’re watching this global spread happen right now, in real time,” said Michael Bradshaw, assistant professor of plant pathology at NC State and the corresponding author of a paper describing the research.
As its name suggests, powdery mildew disease causes a white, powdery substance to cover host plants, stealing nutrients and retarding photosynthesis while keeping the host alive. Different species of this fungus affect different plants; wheat, hops, grapes and strawberries, among other plants, have been detrimentally affected by powdery mildew.
“There are other closely related powdery mildews that affect plants like wild berries or eucalyptus, but these are genetically different from the ones spreading across the world on blueberries,” Bradshaw said.
Repairing a Domestication Mutation in Tomato Leads to an Earlier Yield January 8, 2025
Introduction:
(Eurekalert) Genome editing with CRISPR-Cas is often associated with the induction of mutations. However, a team of researchers from the Swiss University of Lausanne now shows that it can also be used to repair natural mutations.
All living organisms mutate, which is a major driver of biodiversity and evolution. Humans have been domesticating plants for thousands of years, by selecting mutations that lead to favorable characteristics such as larger or more numerous fruits. However, this process often caused the co-selection of other undesirable mutations that can have negative effects on plant growth and development. This phenomenon is called the “cost of domestication”.
The selection and combination of mutations is also essential for breeding new crop varieties. To increase the frequency at which mutations occur, plants are exposed to chemicals or radiation. But this mutagenesis approach is random and makes breeding of new varieties very time consuming. Genome editing with CRISPR-Cas is a new approach to introduce mutations into the genome of plants - in a precise and predictable manner. Even better, with genome editing it is not only possible to induce mutations, but also to repair existing ones: this was shown by researchers of the University of Lausanne in a paper published in Nature Genetics. And not in any plant! The biologists of the Department of Plant Molecular Biology (DBMV) at the Faculty of Biology and Medicine, published their work on the second most consumed vegetable crop (or fruit for insiders) worldwide after the potato: the tomato.
Using CRISPR to harvest earlier
Researchers in the laboratory of Sebastian Soyk, assistant professor at the DBMV used a genome editing technology, called base editing, to change one of the ~850 million DNA base pairs in the genome of the tomato to repair an unfavorable domestication mutation.
Harnessing Nature to Defend Soybean Roots January 14, 2025
Introduction:
(Eurekalert) The microscopic soybean cyst nematode (SCN) may be small, but it has a massive impact. This pest latches onto soybean roots, feeding on their nutrients and leaving a trail of destruction that costs farmers billions in yield losses each year. Unfortunately, current methods to combat SCN are faltering as the pest grows resistant to traditional controls. But new research is now offering a glimmer of hope.
A collaborative team of scientists from BASF Agricultural Solutions and the Advanced Bioimaging Laboratory at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center are working on a potential solution: a special protein known as Cry14. Published in the journal Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions (MPMI), this innovative study details how Cry14 could revolutionize the fight against SCN. Lead author R. Howard Berg and his team have developed a way to genetically equip soybean plants with this special protein. This approach, long used in other crops such as corn and cotton to combat insect pests, has now been implemented successfully to prevent SCN from feeding on soybean roots.
This study addresses key scientific questions about the Cry14 protein, including its function and its potential to enhance existing agricultural products for farmers. The study demonstrates that combining Cry14 with current treatment options reduces the SCN population in soybean roots, ultimately leading to higher soybean yields. The research team also investigated how Cry14 provides this protection. Conflicting data in the scientific literature have raised questions about what size is “too large” for SCN to ingest. The Cry14 protein exceeds the previously assumed size limit.
However, using state-of-the-art electron microscopy and imaging equipment, the team captured groundbreaking images of the Cry14 protein inside the guts of SCNs feeding on soybean plants expressing the protein. These images provide direct evidence that Cry14 can be ingested by nematodes.
And for the first time, high-resolution electron microscopy was used to document Cry-induced damage, revealing membrane lysis in intestinal cells, which leads to cell death. This finding confirms the expected mode of action for Cry proteins.
