Despite the usual hyperbole about the promise of GM disease resistant crops, hardly any have been commercialised anywhere in the world and some of the biggest claims to success have been exposed as false. Non-GM plant breeding, on the other hand, has achieved success after success. Here are some of the non-GM successes.
Apples
US scientists breed non-GM scab-resistant apple (January 2009)
Banana
Saving the banana: New black Sigatoka resistant variety developed (February 2020)
Barley
Drought- and disease-tolerant and high yielding wheat and barley varieties (May 2024)
Using breeding with marker assisted selection, researchers have developed widely adapted and high yielding wheat genotypes with resistance to major biotic (diseases and insects) and abiotic (drought and heat) stresses in sub-Saharan Africa and the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region. Climate-smart barley varieties have also been developed. See also this.
Beans
Field trials find organic bean varieties sustainable, high-yielding and disease-resistant (April 2020)
Plant breeders at the University of California, Davis, are releasing six new varieties of organic beans. Field trials found that the new varieties produced high yields, and were resistant to bean common mosaic virus (BCMV), a disease that prevents bean plants from maturing promptly and uniformly.
Planting hope: the Syrian refugee who developed virus-resistant super-seeds (March 2020)
Heat, drought and disease tolerant non-GM beans released (June 2010)
And they yield and adapt well too!
High yielding, multi-disease resistant, non-GM bean success in Rwanda (February 2010)
An excellent example of the success of traditional plant breeding practices - multi-disease resistant, very high yielding, no mention of GM and apparently freely distributed without IP ties. What would the GM lobby give for one good success story like this?
Virus-resistant non-GM snap beans in pipeline (August 2009)
Brassicas
Non-GM method to produce virus-resistant brassica crops (November 2007)
Non-GM success in combating cassava mosaic virus in Africa (October 2007)
Cassava
Cassava disease control underway (July 2016)
High-yielding disease-resistant non-GM super-cassava for Africa (September 2010)
Scientists closer to developing dual-resistance non-GM cassava (August 2009)
Non-GM virus resistant cassava benefits 1.65 million people in Africa (November 2008)
Non-GM virus-resistant cassava for East and Central Africa (June 2007)
Non-GM solution found for cassava root-rot devastation in Africa (April 2007)
Citrus
New CTV-resistant citrus groves produce high-quality fruits (Nov 2019)
Cocoa
Cameroon hopes non-GM Brazilian fungus-resistant cocoa variety will boost output (September 2010)
Cameroon plans to use a fungus-resistant, high-yielding new cocoa variety developed in Brazil. While this Reuters article claims the variety is GM, it actually is not.
Coffee
Disease-resistant coffee stuck in Ugandan labs for lack of funding (May 2011)
Ugandan scientists announce development of wilt resistant non-GM coffee varieties (April 2009)
Cotton
Major breakthrough: PAU develops leaf curl virus-resistant breeding lines for cotton crop (Aug 2024)
In a breakthrough for the cotton crop cultivation, the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, has successfully developed virus-resistant breeding lines against the Cotton Leaf Curl Disease (CLCuD) by utilising a wild cotton species, Gossypium armourianum.
Cowpea
IITA releases non-GM high-yielding striga-resistant cowpeas in sub-Saharan Africa (March 2009)
Resource-poor cowpea farmers in sub-Saharan Africa have seen their profits jump by 55 per cent thanks to improved cowpea varieties.
Non-GM approach to striga-resistant cowpeas in Africa (July 2007)
Grapes
U.S. grape researcher breeds non-GM vines resistant to Pierce's Disease (April 2007)
Lettuce
USDA scientists release non-GM lettuce resistant to bacterial leaf-spot (April 2009)
USDA scientists release non-GM lettuce resistant to corky root disease (June 2009)
Maize
Corn lines resist fungal toxins (Sept 2010)
Corn germplasm lines developed by US Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists are scoring high marks in field trials for resistance to aflatoxin produced by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus fungi.
Drought-tolerant and striga-resistant non-GM maize released in Ghana (April 2010)
Ghana has released four Quality Protein Maize varieties tolerant of drought and resistant to striga hermontica - a parasitic weed that reduces maize yield - to farmers to boost maize production in drought-prone areas of the country.
IITA (Nigeria) launches new non-GM striga-resistant maize varieties (December 2008)
Napier grass
Disease-resistant Napier grass (fodder crop) for African farmers (April 2013)
Papayas
Researchers develop non-GM papaya resistant to ringspot virus (September 2011)
Despite claims that only GM could deliver this, researchers have developed a papaya resistant to ringspot virus through conventional breeding. The researchers comment, "Application of these results should lead to restoration of the papaya industry in virus-infested regions of the Philippines and worldwide." GM proponents have repeatedly promoted GM ringspot virus-resistant papayas as the only solution to the problem.
Peas
New disease-resistant pea lines developed (November 2013)
Potatoes
Researchers at the James Hutton Institute in the UK develop potato cyst nematode-resistant potatoes (September 2024)
The potato cyst nematode-resistant potatoes were developed using marker assisted selection, a biotechnology that doesn't result in a GMO. (Coverage starts at 08:25 mins in the BBC recording; there's also an article here.)
Solynta develops non-GMO late blight-resistant potato varieties (August 2017)
Non-GM blight-resistant potatoes performing well (April 2016)
Blight-resistant potato trial a resounding success (video) (2014)
Non-GM potatoes resist potato cyst nematode (PCN) and late blight (April 2014)
Blight-resistant potato developed amid curious absence of publicity (July 2011)
Cornell researchers release non-GM scab- and nematode-resistant potatoes (March 2011)
Two disease-resistant and food manufacturer-friendly potato varieties released (February 2011)
Blight-resistant non-GM potatoes could lower carbon footprint from agricultural sector (July 2010)
Late blight-resistant non-GM potatoes being developed in US (July 2010)
Late blight-resistant non-GM potato improves Andean smallholders’ production (June 2010)
Wild potato germplasm holds key to disease resistance (June 2010)
Rice
“Green Super Rice” is saline-tolerant, drought-tolerant, disease-resistant, and high-yielding without the use of fertilisers and pesticides (November 2014)
Non-GM rice with bacterial leaf blight-resistance genes developed (April 2007)
Sorghum
Africa: researchers start to develop non-GM striga-resistant sorghum (June 2010)
Breeder of non-GM drought-tolerant and striga-resistant sorghum wins World Food Price (2009)
Soy
University of Arkansas releases two non-GMO disease-resistant and sudden death syndrome-resistant soybeans (July 2013)
Brazil to debut non-GM rust-resistant soy (May 2009)
Nigeria to roll out fungus-resistant non-GM soybean crops (August 2009)
High-yielding, soybean cyst nematodes-resistant non-GM soybeans (July 2007)
Sweet potato
New not-so-sweet potato resists pests and disease (June 2011)
Taro
Non-GMO taro resistant to leaf blight ready to go - but being ignored! (October 2010)
Tomato
New tomato bred to naturally resist pests and curb disease (January 2023)
A Cornell researcher has completed a decades-long program to develop new varieties of tomato that naturally resist pests and limit transfer of viral disease by insects.
Conventional breeding produces non-GM virus-resistant tomatoes (May 2021)
Organic farmers in Nepal develop heat-tolerant, disease-resistant, high-yield tomato (December 2010)
A Nepali farm specializing in producing organic vegetables has developed nine varieties of tomatoes it says are high-yielding as well as tolerant to disease and heat. The tomatoes, named Srijana ("creation"), will be available in the markets of Kathmandu within a year.
Dutch researcher bred non-GM fungi-resistant tomato (March 2007)
Wheat
Drought- and disease-tolerant and high yielding wheat and barley varieties (May 2024)
Using breeding with marker assisted selection, researchers have developed widely adapted and high yielding wheat genotypes with resistance to major biotic (diseases and insects) and abiotic (drought and heat) stresses in sub-Saharan Africa and the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region. Climate-smart barley varieties have also been developed. See also this.
New club wheat holds its own against fungal disease (February 2013)
New non-GM wheat variety tolerant to virulent Ug99 fungus - good yields too (April 2012)
Australian researchers develop non-GM wheat lines resistant to crown rot (November 2011)
Fusarium head blight resistant wheat bred from Chinese cultivar (June 2011)
'Super wheat' resists devastating rust / Scientists: 'Super' wheat to boost food security (June 2011)
Marker assisted selection used to develop non-GM wheat streak mosaic virus-resistant wheat (August 2010)
See: Lu, Huangjun, Jacob Price, J. Rudd, R. Devkota and C. Rush. A dominant gene for resistance to wheat streak mosaic virus in winter wheat line CO960293-2. Crop Sci. (submitted)
Mexican scientists create non-GM disease-resistant wheat (July 2010)
Mexican scientists have developed a new variety of wheat that they say is more resistant to disease, an achievement that will reduce the use of fungicides and increase production of the grain.
Significant progress in developing non-GM wheat resistance against Ug99 stem rust (March 2009)