SCRI DEVELOPS NEW STRAIN OF CANNABIS SATIVA

NEW varieties of hemp for the paper-making and fashion industries and
improved barleys for whisky and beer are among money-earners for British
farmers through the work of plant breeders at Dundee.

The Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI) at Invergowrie is already
world-famous for its development of cereals, potatoes and fruits that offer
better yields along with pharmaceutical benefits throughout temperate and
tropical zones.

Now it can lay claim to the world's first genetically modified hemp plant.
However, the new strain of cannabis sativa has not been developed for its
potential as a source of the drug with which it is more commonly associated.

For more than 2,000 years hemp was grown for making paper and clothing
fibres, apart from its use as a medicine. Today it can be found in fashion
clothing and as a replacement for fibre-glass in making vehicle parts.

Ideal

At present there are some 2,000 hectares grown Britain and it is claimed to
be an environmentally-friendly crop, growing on poor soil with no need for
artificial fertilisers and little or no pesticides or weedkillers, making
it ideal for set-aside land. It is a short-term crop of 100 days and
attracts European grants of 100 euro per tonne (about 60 pounds).

It is grown under Home Office licence and has to be processed at a factory
at Bishop Stortford, Essex.

One drawback to the crop is that it is susceptible to attack by grey mould
bacteria.

SCRI staff have, however, bred in resistance to the dis-ease as well as
improving the oil content of its seed.

Steve Milan said: "In the laboratory we have bred a new strain of hemp that
could be commercially worthwhile and which would have a very low content of
cannabis resin.

"This is the first genetic transformation in hemp and more targeted
approaches will enable wider ranges of use of this versatile and
historically significant plant. Unlike other fibres, such as cotton, which
require considerable processing and strong chemical treat-ments prior to
use, the methods used for hemp fibres are far more environmentally friendly."

Other plant geneticists at the institute are working on improving the
spirit yield of barleys used in malting for whisky and beer. By tailoring
varieties for variable soils they hope to achieve an extra three litres of
spirit yield per tonne - and with 800,000 tonnes being used each year by
distillers that would mean an extra l million bottles from the same
quantity of melting barley.

On the general issue of crop modification director Professor John Hillman
said in the institute's annual report that there has been "orchestrated
hostility, with campaigns led by some sections of the broad-cast and
publishing media".

Recommendations on trial work from the Agriculture and Environment
Biotechnology Commission did not go far enough, he said.

"Missing are the analysis of the economic and social implications in the UK
of not introducing commercial GM crops and of delaying the introduction of
proven commercial GM crops.

He said global expansion of GM crops should involve rational thinking on
the benefits to society and the industry.

"The tide is surely turning towards a more balanced, open-minded position
in line with confidence growing in the advisory and regulatory mechanisms."

"Perhaps the public sector should take the lead in introducing these crops."