China develops GM corn variety to combat yield-cutting fall armyworm

Credit: Miaoli County Agriculture Office
Credit: Miaoli County Agriculture Office

Food security is a major policy issue in China. To strengthen the nation’s seed industry, the country has approved a series of supporting policies, including in South China’s Hainan Province.

…

Like James Bond once said, “Nothing is impossible.” Lyu Yuping, a veteran plant breeder, had a similar belief and so [he] named his genetically modified corn seed “the 007”.

Lyu has devoted himself to agricultural technology and the seed breeding industry for more than two decades. He believes the corn seeds he’s developed are the real deal.

…

“Since 2018, one type of pest, we call it the fall army worm, was imported from overseas. Later, they spread and destroyed corn production, costing 15 to 30 percent of losses to production every year,” [Lyu said.]

The idea behind Lyu Yuping’s creation is to ward off pesticides and other forms of crop deterioration, especially when it comes to corn.

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“The genetically modified organism will not help boost production itself, but it will ensure that damage is minimized, to keep up production as much as it can without pesticides.”

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