ETF Spontaneous Evolution Technologies

Genetically speaking, the evolutionary history of important agronomical and floricultural crops such as wheat, corn, rice, potatoes, apples, peaches, grapes, roses, chrysanthemums, lilies & zinnias, have had the focus of 2000 years of plant breeding towards the larger, more efficient plants we know and use today. Only recently has the economical importance of forestry trees surfaced, along with the potential for genetic improvement of plants carrying mainly wild – state genetic information.

Many forestry trees have the potential for genetic improvement due to their only recent apparent worth, and also from their slow breeding capabilities namely their long generation time. Long generation times and the relatively stable climax communities of virgin rainforests have “sheltered” many forestry trees from the need for evolutionary change. In particular adaptive evolution, which is more prominent in successional communities and faster growing species with shorter generation times.

It is from this outlook that ETF has developed a Spontaneous Evolution Process that enhances the genetic potential of forestry trees with long generation times and many other plants too. ETF Spontaneous Evolution Process has shown that the speed in which a forestry tree can grow, (and hence generation time), can be improved by as much as 30%. This Spontaneous Evolution Process is documented in ETF’s Paulownia report. The graphs shown on the following page depict the improved growth rates of a Paulownia sp. that have been spontaneously evolved using ETF unique Spontaneous Evolution Process.

ETF Spontaneous Evolution Process can also be directed towards evolving plants to more efficiently deal with high light intensities and plant stresses such as heavy metal, salt and water stress. In the case of the Paulownia sp. (P3) depicted in the graphs on the following page, this has been achieved by promoting water stress responses and adaptations, (namely changes in the hormonal balance of the plant), during the Spontaneous Evolution Process.

The Problem’s with Existing Technologies

So far, the breeding of salt tolerant crops/plants has been achieved by crossing cultivars with wild plants which have saline resistant traits. Recently biotechnology, which includes cell breeding, cell fusion and gene manipulation, has been developed as a means of expanding the gene source, thus giving us a new insight to the mechanisms of salt tolerance in higher plants. In light of a recent paper in which they attempt to a chromosomal localization of the mechanisms of salinity tolerance in Lophophyrum elongatum, they show that salinity tolerance depends on several minor non – additive gene interactions. Therefore salinity tolerance appears as a property of the genome as a whole. Consequently the cloning of specific genes expressed in halophytes should not improve the salinity tolerance of crop plants significantly (Amzallag, G., 1997 ).

Genetic Engineering Plus Micropropagation

Transformation of a plant by introduction of foreign genetic material from unrelated species is another powerful way of generating new varieties with desired traits.

However, at the current stage of technology, it suffers from serious problems such as

• imprecision of insertion – scientists cannot yet control exactly where the foreign DNA inserts
• instability of gene expression – the introduced gene often ceases to be expressed after some time, due to gene silencing (frequently related to alterations in methylation of the DNA)
• concern over transmission of the transgene to unintended targets (in nature, genes are highly mobile, and the recent discovery in wild ancestral Mexican maize of a transgene from GM corn, is only to be expected)
• lack of acceptance by the public
• prohibitively high regulatory costs

In our assessment, none of these problems are likely to be overcome quickly, though the technology may eventually become widely adopted

Plant Propagation Technology

Why is the Current Technology Inadequate?
A major limitation to the uptake of current plant propagation technology is its high cost. A big improvement in cost-efficiency is needed.
A leading authority on plant tissue culture, Dr E F George, estimates that a 70%–90% reduction in production cost and space could increase the market by as much as one thousand fold
Mass propagation of the resulting plants is the Achilles heel – a new system is needed to cope with high volumes at low cost.

ETF’s technology advantage

ETF can produce these trees, shortening their production cycle time by as much as 30%. A plantation that may normally take 15 years to produce a viable income, thanks to ETF could be producing after only 10 years.

In addition, ETF’s trees have a number of advantages:

• they are genetically identical
• they are not subject to seedling variation
• they are developed from an initial superior clone and are further genetically enhanced for desirable growth traits.

Applications are wider than just forestry

Tailed Programs

The applications are not just in salinity and forestry, but potentially many other
problem areas in agriculture, mining and environmental management. The key is cost-efficient mass propagation of plants able to help tackle each particular problem

Salinity

• causes

The Causes of Saline Soils

Current Agricultural Practices

Agriculture in Australia is mainly centered around fertile farming areas, such as the Murray Downing Basin. Advances in farming practices over the past 200 years and the need for high yields and efficiency has had a marked effect on our agriculturally prime areas. Many of these farming practices, such as land clearing and tilling have led to the erosion of valuable topsoil. The development of sophisticated irrigation and fertilization techniques has compensated in part for the decreasing fertility of our agricultural areas, but has also impacted greatly on salt levels found within our soils and water tables as approximately 1/3 of applied water/ fertilizer is utilized by crop plants (ABARE research report, 98/1). This, combined with a lack of deep rooted crop plants, has allowed continuous erosion of our valuable topsoil, unable to use the increasing salt levels left in our soil and water tables. Many of our prime agricultural regions are quickly becoming arid, unusable salt plains. Out of about 954.8 million hectares of salt affected land of the world, 69% are present only in Australia and Asia which occupy first and second position, respectively (Szabolcs, 1992).

The Impact of Saline Soils

The ability of a plant to grow in such soils is severely limited by the excess salts and nutrients found within the soils and water tables. Plants utilize nutrients from the soil, in the form of salts, not only for the growth of the plants, but also to allow efficient uptake of water for transpiration and photosynthesis. Efficiency of water uptake directly correlates with growth and hence yield of a plant. A plant normally gathers nutrient in the form of salts and utilizes them internally, which allows for water to move freely within the plant as a result of osmosis. If the soil and water in which a plant is growing is laden with high concentrations of salt, the plant must accumulate a higher concentration of salts internally to allow water to move from the soil and transverse within the plant. Excessive accumulation of salts within a plant can be toxic, inhibiting metabolic functions, nutrient storage/usage, DNA transcription etc. All of which is detrimental to a plant's efficiency and yield, if not lethal. At present, much attention is being paid to this ever increasing problem.

• What needs To Be Done

Why Salt-Tolerant Trees?

SALINITY
Vast areas of World’s productive agricultural land have been devastated by salinity.
And the problem gets worse year by year.
Salt-tolerant trees can make a major difference.

TREES LOWER THE WATER TABLE
A tree that thrives in the salty soil will take up water, helping to lower the water table the culprit in bringing salt from deep in the soil toward the surface.

TREES REDUCE SALINE GROUNDWATER FLOW
Trees also reduce saline groundwater flow another major culprit.

TREES PROVIDE INCOME
Salt-tolerant trees will provide income to the farmer often from land that was degraded and useless.

REVITALISING WASTELAND
ETF's technology offers major benefits to regions such the Murray-Darling Basin, increasingly afflicted by alarming salinity problems, but blessed with inherently good soils and abundant water.

BOOSTING THE RURAL ECONOMY AND EMPLOYMENT
Reforestation with ETF's trees can provide a new source of income from marginal land, boosting the economy of the area, and providing new jobs, both directly and indirectly.