News on GM Potatoes from Germany

The authors of the study from FAU (from left): PD Dr. Sophia Sonnewald, Günter Lehretz, Dr. José María Corral García and Prof. Dr. Uwe Sonnewald. (Courtesy: FAU / Rabih Mehdi)

May 15, 2019

Breakthrough research: potatoes can grow at high temperatures

If there’s one thing potato plants don’t like, it’s heat. If the temperature is too high, potato plants form significantly lower numbers of tubers or sometimes none at all. Biochemists at FAU have now discovered the reason why.

September 14, 2016

Bayer to Acquire Monsanto

Bayer and Monsanto today announced that they signed a definitive merger agreement under which Bayer will acquire Monsanto for USD 128 per share in an all-cash transaction.

May 23, 2016

Agricultural Giant in the making: Bayer offers USD 62 Billion in Cash for Monsanto

In response to further market speculation and stakeholder inquiries, Bayer is publicly disclosing the contents of its private proposal to acquire Monsanto.

Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) (Courtesy MPI, Afzal Khan)

March 08, 2015

Research: Fighting the Colorado Potato Beetle with RNA

Colorado potato beetles are a dreaded pest of potatoes all over the world. Now, scientists from the Max Planck Institutes of Molecular Plant Physiology in Potsdam-Golm and Chemical Ecology in Jena have shown that potato plants can be protected from herbivory using RNA interference (RNAi).

Fortuna GM potato with resistancy against phytophthora

April 05, 2012

BASF continues field trials with GM potatoes in Europe

BASF Plant Science will again conduct field trials this year with genetically optimized potatoes which are undergoing the EU approval process.

January 16, 2012

BASF moves unit to US after Europe rebuffs scientific potato

BASF SE, the maker of the Amflora scientific potato, is moving the plant-science unit that genetically modifies crops to the U.S. from Germany after European consumers resisted the technology.

January 16, 2012

BASF stops development of GM Potatoes

BASF announced today that it is concentrating its plant biotechnology activities on the main markets in North and South America. Development and commercialization of all products targeted solely at cultivation in the European market (potatoes!) will be...

October 31, 2011

BASF expects market introduction of GM table potato Fortuna in 2014/15

BASF Plant Science applied today for EU approval for Fortuna, a genetically optimized table potato.Fortuna has a wild potato’s natural protection to late blight, a disease causing severe problems in agriculture.

January 31, 2011

BASF Plant Science set to cultivate Amflora potatoes in Germany and Sweden in 2011

BASF Plant Science has concluded its Amflora cultivation plans for the 2011 season. Amflora, the genetically enhanced potato for use in the starch industry, will this year be cultivated on two hectares of land in Üplingen (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany).

September 24, 2010

BASF indentifies cause of Amadea and Amflora starch potato mingling

BASF Plant Science has identified the root cause of the starch potato comingling in northern Sweden. During the course of company's regular internal quality assurance measures in August, BASF Plant Science discovered 47 Amadea plants in Amflora propaga...

September 02, 2010

Amadea submission announced at harvest first Amflora starch potatoes

The German Federal Minister of Economics and Technology, Rainer Brüderle, today helped to start the harvesting of the Amflora potatoes in Zepkow in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Together with BASF’s Chairman Dr. Jürgen Hambrecht an...

August 31, 2010

BASF ha solicitado a la CE autorización para una segunda patata transgénica

El grupo químico alemán BASF ha solicitado a la Comisión Europea (CE) autorización para una segunda patata manipulada genéticamente "Amadea", cinco meses después de haberla logrado para "Amflora"tras años de espera. Con motivo del...

August 14, 2010

GMO - Tempting traits waiting in the wings

The latest genetically modified crops being trialled in Europe are open to public at the Uplingen Plant Science Garden in east Germany. Potatoes that fend off blight without the aid of pesticides, sugar beet capable of withstanding a dose of glyphosate...

April 27, 2010

German Food Companies Say No to Genetically Modified Potatoes

According to the results of a survey released this month by the German branch of the environmental organization Greenpeace, a number of snacks and fast food giants including Burger King, McDonald's, German seafood chain Nordsee and chipmaker Lorenz Sna...

March 03, 2010

Starch manufacturer Emsland Group welcomes approval of Amflora

EMSLAND GROUP welcomes the approval of Amflora by the European Commission. Cultivation of genetic modified crops will be an important prerequisite to secure long term competitiveness for the European potato starch industry.The Amflora registration proc...

March 02, 2010

European Commission approves Amflora starch potato

Today the European Commission approved Amflora, BASF's genetically optimized starch potato, for commercial application in Europe. The potato can now be used for the production of industrial starch."After waiting for more than 13 years, we are de...

December 08, 2009

Emsland Stärke processed 100 tonnes amylopectin potatoes this fall

The skin is light brown, the meat luscious and yellow: from the outside alone, this new potato looks like any other. But on the inside, it is different. Its cells produce pure amylopectin, a starch used in the paper, textile and food industries. The ne...

November 02, 2009

German government endorses growing of GM starch potato Amflora

The new German government has endorsed the growing of genetically modified Amflora starch potatoes in its policy on the use of plant biotechonology. A report on the website, www.gmo-safety.eu, says the new coalition government will promote a policy of ...