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The Rural Voice, 1986-04, Page 47Tailor-made plants A rapidly advancing "hi -tech" science known as biotechnology is beginning to sow a crop of tailor- made plants that might one day perform agricultural wonders. Biotechnology, a relatively new science, is a catch-all term used to describe the application of biological methods to plants or other cells for the creation of a new product or process. At Agriculture Canada's Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa, about 35 scientists and technicians are working on five separate plant biotechnology projects that they hope will eventually help create more productive varieties of the country's most important crops. Scientists at some of Agriculture Canada's 47 research stations across the country are also ex- perimenting with biotechnology techniques. The methods range from grow- ing plants from a few cells, known as tissue culture, to genetic engineering, the manipulation of the microscopic -sized trait - carrying genetic machinery within plant cells. They allow, for example, totally unrelated plants to be cross -bred, plants to be grown from only one genetic parent rather than the nor- mal two and the best character- istics from one plant to be directly inserted into another. Biotechnology is still in the early stages of research, and the scien- tists are reluctant to overestimate its potential because results are several years away. "Biotechnology expands the tools of the plant breeder by pro- viding a wider gene base with which to work or by cutting years off the time it takes to develop new strains through conventional means," says Brian Miki, an Agriculture Canada geneticist in Ottawa. "It takes 10 to 12 years to develop a new variety using con- ventional methods. Cutting that in half can be worth millions of dollars in extra yield from a new variety that goes into production ahead of its time."❑ 4. LUCKNOW, ONT LUCKNOW EQUIPMENT a l AUCTION THURS., APRIL 3 STARTING 10:15 A.M. to be held at C.A. BECKER EQUIPMENT LTD. LUCKNOW, ONT. K 4 MF 165 MF 285 JD 1120 & Ldr. AC 5050 & Ldr. AC 170 AC WD45 & Ldr. MF 1130 COCKSHUTT 1650 CASE 1370 AC 190XT FORD TW10 FORD 9700 IH 686 & cab CASE 970 MF 30B IH 45 181/2' IH 710 4 Furrow AC 2000 5 Furrow CASE 8300 5 Furrow AC 1300 29' Cult. AC 1000 15' Cult. AC 2300 19' Disc TRACTORS CASE 1830 UNI MF 255 FORD 9600 FORD 9700 AC 7045 IH 1086 MF 1135 DEUTZ 7807 IH 574 & Ldr. WHITE 2-105 IH 504 IH 1066 IH 6588 2 + 2 New MF 240 New MF 298 TILLAGE MF 3 Furrow Mtd. CASE 5x16" Semi COCKSHUTT 5x14" Semi KONGSKILDE 9' Cult. IH 610 Offset Disc YETTER 15 Rotary Hoe JD 14' Mulcher PLANTING & SEEDING IH 510 21x7 Drill IH 10 16x7 Drill MF 33 17x7 Drill IH 800 6x30" Planter JD 3250 18x7 Drill MF 33 17x7 Drill NI 213 End Gate NH 518 Spreader NI 218 Spreader NI 224 Spreader IH 510 18x7 Drill JD 1300 6 row Pltr. JD 7000 4 row Pltr. IH 400 4 row Pltr. JD FBB 15x7 Drill SPREADERS NH 790 Tandem NH 212 2 Beater NH 675 Tandem JD 34 Spreader HARVESTING EQUIPMENT MF 35 Pull Type JD 42 Pull Type MF 410 w. Pickup MF 300 w. Pickup AC 90 Pull Type INNES 570 Windrower INNES 500 Windrower Luke 6 row Puller IH 844 Corn Hd. AC A2 Combine IH 82 Pull Type MF 300 Comb. MF 410 D MF 760 D IH 1440 Comb. MF 510 D MF 44 Corn Hd. MF Pickup Table Plan to attend this Gigantic Auction Above list subject to additions or deletions C.A. BECKER LTD. G. & E. SALES & SER. 529 7993 528-3426 REAVIE FARM EQUIP. HACKETT FARM EQUIP. 529 7995 529-7914 4 ............... 84.11010. 8*.1010. daig...310- e5t SPECIAL EQUIPMENT SPECIAL, APRIL, 1986, P(,. 5