Today in Science magazine, reporter Richard Stone describes China’s $3.5 billion GE crop initiative.
Of the six plants that China has approved for commercialization, only cotton is grown widely. Introduced into commerce in 1997, 64 varieties of pest-resistant cotton are now grown on 3.7 million hectares, or about 70% of the area devoted to commercial cotton, averting the use of 650,000 tons of pesticides.
A new initiative could pave the way for GM versions of the biggest prize of all: rice.
