Gene sequencing technology on track for routine agriculture use

Gene sequencing technology on track for routine agriculture use
Vineyards might be able to drastically cut their fungicide use. (Image: Hawkes Bay Today)
Greg Hurrell
Lincoln University researchers say New Zealand’s $2.1 billion wine export industry could slash its fungicide use by up to 80% using cheaper gene sequencing technology.They are using a platform provided by MGI Tech, a Chinese-headquartered company, that can process up to 50,000 samples per year, opening a path to commercial services.Chris Winefield, an associate professor in plant genomics and molecular biology at Lincoln University, has spent much of his time understanding how plants respond to their environment. Until a few years ag...

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