Drought-tolerant varieties begin global march

Abstract

175.2 million hectares of biotech crops were grown globally in 2013. In the United States, the first commercialized drought-tolerant maize (MON87460) expressing Bacillus subtilis cold shock protein B (cspB) was planted by 2,000 farmers over 50,000 hectares. Indonesia also approved drought-tolerant sugarcane expressing choline dehydrogenase (betA), which accumulates membrane-protectant glycine betaine. Other drought-resistant varieties of sugarcane, maize, wheat and rice are also in field trials in Argentina, Brazil, India, Egypt, South Africa, Kenya and Uganda. Brazil continues to lead the world in annual growth (10%) of transgenic acreage.