Corn That Clones Itself
From MIT's Technology Review: CIMMYT (International Center for the Improvement of Maize and Wheat), located just outside of Mexico, produced the wheat varieties like Sonora, Yaqui, Kauz, Sujata, Sonalika, and more about 40 years ago. Those varieties have surplanted the native varieties in countries such as China and India and have allowed them to feed themselves. Corn is the next biggest crop worldwide, and CIMMYT is looking to do for corn what it did for wheat - but this time, they're looking at producing corn that can clone itself instead of reproducing. The idea isn't far fetched or scary as it may appear. Many plants already reproduce in a cloning fashion called apomixis. There are numerous benefits of reproducing this way. Read the article to learn more.
From MIT's Technology Review: CIMMYT (International Center for the Improvement of Maize and Wheat), located just outside of Mexico, produced the wheat varieties like Sonora, Yaqui, Kauz, Sujata, Sonalika, and more about 40 years ago. Those varieties have surplanted the native varieties in countries such as China and India and have allowed them to feed themselves. Corn is the next biggest crop worldwide, and CIMMYT is looking to do for corn what it did for wheat - but this time, they're looking at producing corn that can clone itself instead of reproducing. The idea isn't far fetched or scary as it may appear. Many plants already reproduce in a cloning fashion called apomixis. There are numerous benefits of reproducing this way. Read the article to learn more.
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