gmos, organic agriculture, and sustainability complex issues with poor vocabulary 18 years out it...
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GMOs, Organic Agriculture, and Sustainability
Complex issues with poor vocabulary
18 years out it remains controversial in the media
What is Biotech and where is it going?
Sin
gle-g
ene tran
sfer
Genesilencing
Mu
lti-g
ene
tran
sfer
Modifying gene
expression
Yield Nutrition
PestprotectionRx Heartier
plantsIndustrialproducts
What is Agricultural Biotechnology ?
Unmodified DNA
Gene ofInterest
PromoterGene
MarkerGene
A GMO plant is one that has been modified by inclusion of genetic material from another organism through molecular techniques (not traditional breeding)
Modified DNA
Common Types of Biotech/GMO Crops
• Disease resistance (USDA regulation)– Viral coat protein genes
• Herbicide tolerance (USDA regulation)– Alternative enzyme genes not affected by
herbicide• Insect resistance (USDA and EPA regulation)
– Bt genes (EPA: Plant Incorporated Pesticides)
Transgenic Introductions
• 1994 – Calgene s Flavr-savr tomato• 1995 – Newleaf potato• 1995 – Virus-resistant squash• 1996 – Roundup Ready soybeans• 1996 – Bt corn – Corn Borer• 1996 – Bt cotton• 1997 – Liberty Link Corn• 1997 – Roundup Ready Corn• 1998 – Attribute Bt sweet corn• 2000 – Bt potato discontinued• 2001 – Nicotine-free tobacco• 2003 – Bt corn – Corn rootworm• 2004 – Stacked BT traits in corn (CB+RW)• 2010 – SmartStax corn – Eight traits incorporated• 2010 – AcreMax 1 – Refuge in the bag• 2012 – Performance Bt/ Roundup Ready sweet corn• 2013 – Attribute II Bt sweet corn
2003 – Glofish
Biotech Tools in Agriculture
Sugarbeet HT (4)Wheat HT (3)Chicory HTTobacco HTCreeping Bentgrass HTLentil HTRice HT (3)Flax HTSunflower HTSoybean HT (5)Bt soybean *Cotton HT (9)Canola HT (14)Corn HT (14)Alfalfa HTNew Leaf Potato *New Leaf Plus Potato *Attribute Sweet Corn *Bollgard Cotton *Bollgard II Cotton *
Widestrike Cotton *VIP Cotton *Bt Tomato *YieldGard Corn *YieldGard Rootworm Corn *YieldGard Plus *Herculex I Corn *Herculex RW Corn *Herculex Xtra Corn*Agrisure Corn Borer Corn*Agrisure Rootworm Corn*Agrisure CB/RW Corn*YieldGard VT RW Corn*YieldGard VT3 Corn*YieldGard VT2Pro Corn*YieldGard VT3 Pro Corn*SmartStax Corn*Viptera Corn*AcreMax 1Corn*AcreMax 2 Corn*
FlavrSavr TomatoFreedom II Squash *Laurical CanolaCarnation Color, HT, ShelflifeUH Papaya *Soybean Virus Resistance *Vector Tobacco *Intrasect Corn*Performance Sweet Corn*Dicamba Resistant SoybeanEnogen Corn, for ethanolVistive Gold SoybeansPlenish SoybeansStarLink Corn *Knockout Corn *NatureGard Corn *Bt-xtra Corn *Attribute II Sweet corn*
* Directly affects insect management
Under Consideration in US
• Non-browning apple … in the news
– Arctic Golden– Arctic Granny– Arctic Gala ?– Arctic Fuji ?
In the Pipeline - Corn
• Nitrogen utilization enhanced corn – 2015?• Drought tolerant corn (2nd generation) – 2015?• Higher yielding corn – 2016?• Rootworm III corn – 2016?
Transgenic Animals
• GloFish (Modified Zebra fish) – required FDA approval
• Fast-growing Salmon (AquaAdvantage)– Significant opposition to approval
Regulatory Approval
• USDA – To determine if GM plants present environmental threats, also animal welfare (AWA)
• EPA – Regulates PIPs as a type of pesticide• FDA – Regulates PMPs, transgenic animals,
food safety
GMO Crops• Regulated by USDA APHIS
– Plant Pest Risk assessment (PPRA)
• Regulated by EPA– Environmental assessment (EA)
Public comments encouraged and addressed
Genetically Modified Foods
• Foods derived from GMO crops– Corn chips, corn syrup, soda
• Regulated by the FDA– The FDA considers foods derived from GMO crops to be
nutritionally equivalent to traditional foods
• Do not require labeling in the US– Initiatives for labeling in New Mexico, Washington, Oregon
and Vermont (California’s Prop 37 failed)
• Organic foods are GMO-free
GMO Labeling• Negative vs. positive labeling
– Who would pay for this?– A 2012 survey revealed only 3% of consumers asked for GMO
labeling
• Do not require labeling in the US– Initiatives for labeling in New Mexico, Washington, Oregon
and Vermont (California’s Prop 37 failed)
• Certified organic foods are GMO-free
• Does a ‘GMO’ provide meaningful information?
GMO Labeling
• Voluntary Labeling by Okanagan Specialty Fruits (B.C. Canada)
• OSF strongly opposed to mandatory labeling
What is Bt?• A common soil bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis
• Many strains and types
• They produce many types of toxins (>500), some have ag uses, some do not– Delta endotoxins have been used against insects (beetles,
caterpillars, mosquitoes)
Why Use Bt Toxins ?
• Effective against troublesome pests
• Selective, do not affect beneficial insects- Compatible with biocontrol- Safe for pollinators
• History of use on food crops
• Not known to cause problems with fish, birds, mammals or environment
History of Bt Use in US
• Used since the 60’s as a foliar spray– IR-4 enabled initial registration
• Very popular with organic producers• Many OMRI formulations, some non-OMRI• Those in use target:
insects with alkali guts• Caterpillars• Mosquito larvae• Some beetle larvae
How Bt Reduces Losses to Insect Pests
Pests Sensitive to Bt in crop plants: Caterpillars and some beetles
Types of GM Vegetable Crops
• Sweet corn– Attribute Series (Bt and Liberty Link)– Performance Series (Bt and Round Up Ready)– Attribute II Series (Bt and Liberty Link)
• Squash– Freedom II squash - resistance to several viruses
What are the Issues with GM crops ?
• Unapproved traits appearing where they shouldn’t
• StarLink Corn (2000)
• LibertyLink Rice (1998-2006)
• GM Wheat (OR, MT)
• Effect in national/international sales
What are the Issues with GM crops ?
• Traits from GM crops will get into ancestral populations
• Pests will develop resistance to Bt crops
• Weeds resistant to common herbicides used with GM crops
• Herbicide resistance: May create “super weeds” (Sorghum, squash, canola)
YieldGard RW, Urbana, July 2, 2007: Mike Gray, Univ of IL
July 29, 2011
• High Dose – Renders heterozygous (RS) individuals susceptible– Yieldgard Bt25X LD99 for corn borers
– Rootworm Bt’s not high dose
• Refuge Strategy– Allow Bt susceptible moths (SS) to survive– Provide 20% non-Bt corn on each farm (refuge)– Grower’s responsibility
High Dose / Refuge Strategy
Resistance Management• High-dose refuge strategy
– Goal 500 : 1 ratio of susceptible to resistant • KEY ASSUMPTIONS
– Random mating
– High dose event at correct time/tissue in plant
– Frequency of resistance initially low (10-6)
– Resistance is not dominant or near dominant
– Growers plant structured refuges
© Bessin 2009
0% refuge 1-19% refuge
20 to 40% refuge
40 to 60% refuge
> 60%0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
2010 Earlybird Mtg56 respondents
Column1
What is the size your “B.t.” corn refuge?
Volunteer Corn in Soybeans
Impact on insect management– Food for larval rootworm development – Food for adult rootworms and egg laying– Unmanaged segregating Bt traits– Implications for disease management
What are the Issues with GM crops ?
• Antibiotic resistance may move to harmful microbes
• Increasing problems with allergenicity
• Impact on non-target organisms- Herbicide movement (Dicamba, 2,4-D)
• Acceptance of foods overseas
• Subject to intellectual property law
Non-Target Effects (?)MonarchGreen lacewings
Direct vs. Indirect effects
What are the Benefits with GM crops ?
• Reduction of losses to pests and disease
• Reduction of insecticide use
• Reduced risk of some plant viruses and other pathogens
• Reduced impact on non-target organisms
• Improved grain quality
• Compatibility with biological control of pests
• Regional reductions in European corn borer populations
• Reducing pests on non-GMO crops
What are the Benefits with GM crops ?
What are the Potential Benefits with GM crops ?
• Increased yields
• Improved nutritional quality of foods
• Reduced animal waste
• Promotion of no-till agriculture
• Assist with introduction of new crops
Impact on Non-targets:
Monarch butterflyDirect or Indirect impact?
Issues to watch:Severely reduced monarch populations
Other Issues to Watch
• FDA’s ruling on AquaAdvantage fast-growing Atlantic salmon– Retail acceptance among major chains
• USDA/EPA ruling on Arctic non-browning apples
• State initiatives on GMO food labeling
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