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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: SCRI develops new strain of cannabis sativa
Roy Gregor Press and Journal
Saturday 09 Mar 2002 NEW varieties of hemp for the paper-making and fashion industries and improved barleys for whisky and beer are among money-earners for British farmers through the work of plant breeders at Dundee. The Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI) at Invergowrie is already world-famous for its development of cereals, pota-toes and fruits that offer better yields along with pharmaceu-tical benefits throughout tem- perate and tropical zones. Now it can lay claim to the world's first genetically mod-ified hemp plant. However, the new strain of cannabis sativa has not been developed for its potential as a source of the drug with which it is more commonly associated. For more than 2,000 years hemp was grown for making paper and clothing fibres, apart from its use as a medicine. Today it can be found in fashion clothing and as a replacement for fibre-glass in making vehicle parts. Ideal At present there are some 2,000 hectares grown Britain and it is claimed to be an environmentally-friendly crop, growing on poor soil with no need for artificial fertilisers and little or no pesticides or weedkillers, making it ideal for set-aside land. It is a short-term crop of 100 days and attracts European grants of 100 euro per tonne (about 60 pounds). It is grown under Home Office licence and has to be processed at a factory at Bishop Stortford, Essex. One drawback to the crop is that it is susceptible to attack by grey mould bacteria. SCRI staff have, however, bred in resistance to the dis-ease as well as improving the oil content of its seed. Steve Milan said: "In the laboratory we have bred a new strain of hemp that could be commercially worthwhile and which would have a very low content of cannabis resin. "This is the first genetic transformation in hemp and more targeted approaches will enable wider ranges of use of this versatile and historically significant plant. Unlike other fibres, such as cotton, which require considerable process-ing and strong chemical treat-ments prior to use, the methods used for hemp fibres are far more environmentally friendly." Other plant geneticists at the institute are working on improving the spirit yield of barleys used in malting for whisky and beer. By tailoring varieties for variable soils they hope to achieve an extra three litres of spirit yield per tonne - and with 800,000 tonnes being used each year by distillers that would mean an extra l million bottles from the same quantity of melting barley. On the general issue of crop modification director Profes-sor John Hillman said in the institute's annual report that there has been "orchestrated hostility, with campaigns led by some sections of the broad-cast and publishing media". Recommendations on trial work from the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission did not go far enough, he said. "Missing are the analysis of the economic and social implications in the UK of not introducing commercial GM crops and of delaying the in- troduction of proven commercial GM crops. He said global expansion of GM crops should involve ra-tional thinking on the benefits to society and the industry. "The tide is surely turning towards a more balanced, open-minded position in line with confidence growing in the advisory and regulatory mech-anisms." "Perhaps the public sector should take the lead in in-troducing these crops."
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