Interested farmers should contact their local FSA offices for more information. Applications are currently being taken. One payment rate nationwide will be announced for all varieties of apples 3. Scientists in upstate New York are trying to bring gene technology to the state's strawberry industry, but a professor at Cornell University says it might not be easy. Still, he said, strawberry growers would like to see the technology come to fruition because it would help them deal with pesky weeds.
Weeds are one of the biggest problems in growing strawberries.
He noted that researchers in California led the way in developing biotechnology in strawberries. In November 1999, officials at DNA Technology Corporation, an Oakland-based company, announced they had grown strawberries that were resistant to the herbicide glyphosate, commonly known as Roundup. Company representatives said such technology would allow strawberries to survive sprayings of Roundup and could be used as a methyl bromide replacement within a few years. We're trying to make Roundup-ready strawberry plants. DNA Technology also announced that it had entered an agreement with the chemical company Monsanto to market the new technology to strawberry growers.