The Rural Voice, 1982-02, Page 21Researching nitrogen fixation
Millions of people may one day be freed
from the ravages of hunger if only wheat
were like peas and beans and did not need
nitrogen fertilizer to grow.
That could become a reality because of
current research on nitrogen fixation —
the process by which certain plants can
convert the nitrogen in the air to a form
they can use. Most plants, including
wheat, cannot do this.
Dr. Desh-Pal Verma of McGill
University is one of the biologists studying
nitrogen and believes this knowledge
could allow scientists to make important
crops grow better by improving their
ability or "fix" nitrogen.
Understanding this process is no simple
matter since a plant can't actually fix
nitrogen by itself. It first has to be infected
by special strains of bacteria.
Verma says these strains are naturally
"attracted" to certain plants because the
bacteria's molecules stick to some
molecules on' the plant's root cells.
It is the bacteria that actually fix
nitrogen, but some types are better fixers
than others. Verma and his eleven
colleagues are learning which genes a
plant needs to attract the best fixers. He
believes that once they find every gene
that brings together plants and efficient
bacteria, and learn how they work, they
will be able to transfer the right genes to
crops such as wheat and help increase the
world's food supply.
"You have to know exactly how many
genes there are, what they are doing and
how they are organized so that you can
explicitly go after these genes and hope
that you can integrate them," says
Verma.
He adds that it could take ten or more
years to find the right genes, learn how to
introduce them into other plants and make
them work.
In the meantime he says his research
will give plant breeders valuable informa-
tion for deciding which plants can be most
effectively cross -bred or mated with
others.
Mating is much simpler than transfer-
ring genes, but it has its limitations. You
can't cross -breed a carrot with a tomato
through traditional mating methods
because they don't belong to the same
genus. But gentic engineering could
possibly give a tomato some carrot -like
characteristics.
Gene manipulation became possible in
the 1950's when geneticists first
discovered they could remove genes from
the DNA molecule by applying an enzyme
that separates some segments of the
DNA.
Other enzymes act as a glue. splicing
genes from different organisms together.
(Science Weekly Service)
Genetic engineering
One concept of pork production. in
which the biggest advances will be made
this decade, is genetics. Genetic engineer-
ing companies are already achieving a
series of amazing successes. Sexing,
twinning, frozen embryos and gene
splicing, scientists only dreamed about
are now becoming realities.
Three months ago, the first vaccine
developed through gene splicing was
Unveiled when U.S. Secretary of Agricul-
ture announced the production of a foot
and mouth vaccine. Just recently. the
same company Genentech Inc. announced
they are ready to test a growth hormone on
children unable to produce enough of the
hormone to grow at a normal rate.
Genentech made the hormone by
splicing the hormone gene into the genetic
material of a bacteria, thus tricking the
bacteria into manufacturing the hormone.
In the manufacturing process of foot and
mouth vaccine E. coli is used.
Imagine, no more slow growing pigs. Or
imagine, a semen tank full of genetically
identical female or male embryos- a
carbon copy of the best, fastest growing
leanest sire.
This means, that instead of artificially
inseminating just the male sperm, pork
producers will insert the embryo that is
already genetically complete. Some gene-
tic engineering companies are claiming
they can provide the dairyman a calf the
sex of his choice, today.
—Paul Simmons, Swine Specialist
O.M.A.F., Markdale, Ontario
BEANS
(cont. from page 6)
concentrated mainly in Kent (where there
are now more kidneys than whites
grown) and Elgin Counties, with smaller
acreages in Middlesex, Lambton and
Huron, Brown is running a bit against the
grain. But he's confident he can expand
his production of kidney beans, and show
an even greater return.
That's something in itself. Because
confidence among Ontario farmers these
days is the toughest of all commodities to
cultivate.
TH E
FARM ACTIVISM
(cont. from page 11)
not advocate violence, but negotiation.
They are there to make sure that no
farmer feels fear, and no farmer makes a
deal with creditors in fear.
Again, a group of people lay it on the
line to enable others to unload what are
usually financial problems but also a
great deal of hostility and anger directed
at various targets. The group could
certainly be congratulated for defusing
more than one potentially explosive
situation. Carl Spencer, the leader of the
group, and Bill Wolfe, the secretary could
be described as level-headed business-
men who aim it is to see that the farmer
has the same advantages in negotiation as
the creditors do. A simple philosophy,
but very complicated to apply and it takes
the combined efforts of financial counsel-
lors, lawyers, and attitude counselling to
bring results.
The efforts of the Survival Group and
the Concerned Farm Wives have been
combined on more than one occasion with
increased results in effectiveness. Koleen
Garland, President of the Concerned
Farm Wives is very determined to see
that proper changes are brought about in
both federal and provincial policies to
ensure the continuation of the farming
industry in the Grey -Bruce area.
Before the waters are calm other
groups could emerge that fill a need or
demand. Even the individuals who have
come forth and given color and controv-
ersy to the farming scene have been
valuable in alerting the public in general
as to exactly what the problem is. No
effort can be discounted or discarded
because in their own way, each contribut-
ion was and wip be valuable.
Great excitement was created when
several people pulled balaclavas over
their heads and posed on hay bales with
guns. The operative word there would
have to be POSED. I'm sure the reporter
did not just stumble across this group in
any old barn. The publicity of this
"event" was certainly widespread and
sensationalized and only the men under
the hoods can tell exactly why they were
there, but the incident did inform the
public that there could POSSIBLY be
such reactions if the situation deteriorat-
ed further. Farm "activism" has certain-
ly flourished in the past year and brought
forth opinions from any who might never
have been heard from under normal
circumstances.
Editor's Note:
Gisele Ireland is a Bruce County
farmer and writer with a special interest
in farm activism. She is not a member of
the groups described in her story.
RURAL VOICE/FEBRUARY 1982 PG. 19