Plant Biotechnology: Raspberry Delights
Council for Biotechnology Information
July 19, 2007
Here’s the excerpt of a great article published by the Council for Biotechnology Information about how plant biotechnology could help improve the crop yields for raspberry farmers.…
Biotechnology could be berry, berry good to this popular fruit.
Raspberries, mmmmm ... Whether plucking them off a bush on a hike in the mountains or buying them at the supermarket, we all love their sweet, summery taste.
About 90 percent of all raspberries in North America are grown in Oregon, Washington and California.
Unfortunately, some raspberries never make it into juice drinks, pies or cereal bowls because of a common berry disease called the Bushy Dwarf virus. That is one reason why raspberries are so expensive. But thanks to biotechnology, it won't be long before the virus is no longer a threat to these tasty and healthful berries.
One cup of raspberries provides 25 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C.
In the Northwest, where 90 percent of the raspberries in North America are grown, the Bushy Dwarf virus is all too common. When the virus attacks a raspberry bush, the bush stops producing the fruit we love and instead produces a small, crumbly berry that cannot be eaten. It does not take long for the virus to contaminate a whole field. Farmers then have no choice but to remove the infected plants, sterilize the soil and wait for five years before growing raspberries again. That means fewer raspberries and higher costs for consumers.
Raspberries provide more fiber per calorie than any common fruit -- even more than prunes.
So how can biotechnology help? By putting tiny bits of the virus in raspberry seeds, scientists can make bushes that will resist the virus. While this resistance will not save every bush, it will make it very difficult for the virus to travel from one raspberry bush to another, and that could save entire fields. Right now, scientists are still testing the biotech raspberry bushes, but if everything goes smoothly, they should be available to nurseries and plant breeders in about three years. After that, it may not be long before the exact same technology can be adapted to protect similar fruits such as blackberries, black raspberries and other dewberries.
Biotechnology will allow farmers to continue to make the best use of their land and consumers to get better food at better prices. And that is berry, berry good news for raspberry lovers….
Full article at Council for Biotechnology Information.
