GMOs in the Pipelines in Developing Countries -focus on public sector products-

Desiree M. Hautea, Ph.D. Research Professor & UP Scientist III University of the Philippines Los Banos College, Laguna, Philippines PRRI Side Event, COP-MOP 7, September 29, 2014 Pyeongchang, South Korea

Current situation regarding GMOs in food and agriculture

• GM crops - large land areas are cultivated in

different countries worldwide; • GM trees - a small number are grown in China • GM livestock or fish – none released for food

purposes • GM micro-organisms- used in food processing,

production of food ingredients, animal nutrition and development of vaccines to manage livestock and fish diseases

Source: FAO.2013. http://www.fao.org/biotech/biotech-forum/

GM Crops in the pipeline in developing countries

(Examples from Asia) Country Traits Crops Developer

China high lysine and/or low phytate content,

insect resistance, herbicide tolerance,

disease resistance

maize, rapeseed, rice, soybean

and wheat

Various national research

institutes and univiersities

India Insect resistance , disease resistance,

drought tolerance, delayed ripening,

male sterile, female fertile, high iron,

enhanced Vit A

cotton, eggplant, chickpea, castor,

sorghum, sugarcane, rice, tomato,

groundnut, papaya, potato,

watermelon, mustard

Various national crop research

institutes, universities

Public-private partnerships

Bangladesh Insect resistance, disease resistance

and enhanced Vit A

brinjal (eggplant), potato, rice National crop research

institutes with public and

private partners

Pakistan, virus resistant, insect resistant,

herbicide tolerance, drought/salt

tolerance

Cotton, maize, sugarcane and

wheat

National crop research

institutes

Iran Insect resistance, herbicide tolerance Rice, cotton, sugar beet, canola

and alfalfa

National crop research

institute

Indonesia drought tolerance, disease resistance sugarcane, potato National crop research

institutes with public or private

sector partners

Philippines Insect resistance, enhanced Vit. A,

delayed ripening

eggplant, cotton, rice, papaya National crop research

institutes and universities with

public or private sector

partners

Source: FAO. 2013.. http://www.fao.org/biotech/biotech-forum/

GM Crops in the pipeline in developing countries

(Examples from Africa) Country Traits Crops Developers

South Africa Drought tolerance, disease

resistance, increased yield,

alternative products, enhanced

nutrition, modified starch

Maize, cassava, sugarcane,

potatoes, sorghum

National crop research institutes and

universities with public or private

sector and regional partners

Uganda Insect resistance, disease

resistance, drought tolerance,

Nutrition enhancement (Fe and

Pro-vitamin A)

Cotton, cassava, banana, maize

Kenya Insect resistance, disease

resistance , drought tolerance,

Enhanced levels of iron and zinc,

protein, Vitamin A and E

Cotton, maize, cassava

Tanzania disease resistance, insect

resitance , drought tolerance

cassava, cotton, maize

Nigeria Insect resistance, Nutrition

enhancement for increase in

levels of Vit. A, iron, zinc, protein

Sorghum, cowpea, cassava

Burkina Faso Insect resistance cowpea

Egypt Insect resistance, disease

resistance, drought tolerance,

salt tolerance

Maize, cotton, wheat, potato

Source: FAO. 2013. http://www.fao.org/biotech/biotech-forum/

GMOs in the pipeline in developing countries (Examples from Latin America)

Source: Ruane, J. 2013. An FAO e-mail conference on GMOs in the pipeline in developing countries: The moderator’s summary. FAO. http://www.fao.org/biotech/biotech-forum/

Country Traits Crops Reference document in FAO e-

mail conference (2012)

Brazil virus resistance, drought

tolerance and heat

tolerance

soybean, cotton,

sugarcane, maize and

common beans

Santana, 76; Ramos, 82;

Parrott, 97; Sampaio, 106)

Argentina insect and virus

resistance, herbicide

tolerance, drought

resistance and modified

fatty acid profile

cotton, maize, potato,

rice, soybean, sugarcane

and wheat

Gadaleta (72)

Other GMOs in the pipeline in developing countries

Source: FAO. 2013. http://www.fao.org/biotech/biotech-forum/

Sector Country Traits Species Developer

GM fish China better growth rates and

feed conversion efficiencies

carp National research

institute

GM

livestock

Iran Bioreactor for human

pharmaceuticals

Goat National research

institutes

GM insect Brazil Male sterility Aides aegypti National institute and

private partner

Brazil public-sector: Virus resistant beans (approved for commercialization)

• highly nutritious and appreciated in Brazil (ca.16 kg per person/year)

• Brazil is the largest producer – ca. 20% of the global production - not enough

• 70% produced by small farmers (<100 hectares).

• golden mosaic virus - transmitted by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci - annual losses vary between 90,000 and 280,000 tons in Brazil

• hundreds of thousands of hectares either abandoned or could not be cultivated without heavy use of insecticides

• search for bean varieties resistant to the golden mosaic virus (BGMV) begun in the 70′s

• Resistance through RNAi – mimics natural silencing mechanisms.

Photo F. Aragão - EMBRAPA Slide courtesy of Lucia de Souza

Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran

دستاوردهاي با قابليت تجاري

Slide Source: B. Ghareyazie

Drought-tolerant sugarcane in Indonesia already approved for food and environmental release

Drought response for 8 days after stop watering, from the left GM cane 3T, 4T, 5T, control cane (BL)

Root profile of wild type (left) and GM cane (right)

Source: Adapted from Sugiharto, 2014

Late blight resistant potato in India, Bangladesh & Indonesia

Kufri jyoti SP951

Kufri jyoti and Katahdin (SP951). July 2006 at CPRI, Shimla

Non-GM Katahdin and SP951. Early 2007 at IVEGRI, Lembang

Slide Source: ABSPII South and Seast Asia

Golden Rice

• A new type of rice that contains beta carotene, a source of vitamin A.

• It is being developed as a potential new food-based approach to improve vitamin A status.

Phytoene synthase (Psy) gene from maize

Phytoene desaturase (crtI) gene from a common soil

microorganism Ordinary Rice

+ and

Slide Source: ET Rasco Jr., 2014

Insect resistant

cowpea in W. Africa

Cassava Resistant to mosaic

disease / brown streak in E. Africa

Source: Larry Beach

Disease resistant

banana in E. Africa

Source: Larry Beach

Using genetic engineering to solve problems difficult to address with conventional

breeding around pest & diseases to increase resilience to biotic stresses

Sourc

e: C

hri

s R

ey,

Univ

ers

ity

of th

e

Witw

aters

rand, S

outh

Afr

ica

Examples of current USAID-funded biotech projects – pests & diseases

Insect resistant

Eggplant in S. & SE Asia Slide Source: Adapated from J. McMurdy, 2014

Nitrogen use efficient,

water use efficient

Pearl Millet

Example current biotech projects – abiotic stress

Using genetic engineering to increase the natural resource and fertilizer

use efficiency and resilience to climate change of major staples

Nitrogen use efficient, water use efficient,

saline tolerant NERICA, Indica, Japonica Rice

Nitrogen use

efficient Maize

Source: Pioneer

Sourc

e: S

ahar

ah M

oon C

hap

otin

Source: Naseco Seeds

Heat Tolerant

Wheat

Source

: WT

SU

Slide Source: Adapted from J. McMurdy, 2014

The Philippine Experience with Fruit and Shoot Borer-Resistant (FSBR) Eggplant

Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)

ナス (Japanese) (www.savortheworld.net)

茄子 (Chinese) (photo by Dave Bullock)

Talong (Filipino) (photo c/o ABSPII SEAsia)

Brinjal (India) (www.hollywoodpatch.com)

Brinjal (Bangladesh) (www.uncorneredmarket.com)

Terung (Indonesia) (www.uncorneredmarket.com

)

• Belongs to Solanaceae, the nightshade family, which includes tomatoes, potatoes, chili, peppers

• Also known as aubergine in

the West and other local names in various countries

• Exhibit a wide range of

variation in colors, shapes and sizes

Eggplant – The fruit

Ph

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BSP

II S

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corn

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mar

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Philippines

Bangladesh

India Very popular, economically and

culturally important vegetable

Superior in terms of fiber, vitamins

and minerals; contains no fat , 25

calories

Consumed in rural and urban

areas as ingredients in many

native dishes

Top Ten Eggplant Producing Countries are in Asia (hectares of area planted)

Sources: FAO CropStat 2011; BBS 2010* Area of Production: 1,820,994 has

WORLD

787,000 has #1 CHINA

52,233 has #3 INDONESIA

45,020 has #4 EGYPT

27,000 has #6 TURKEY

38,785 has #5 IRAN

21,377 has #7 PHILIPPINES

680,00 has #2 INDIA

11,320 has #10 SRI LANKA

19,917 has #8 IRAQ

#9 BANGLADESH* 17, 959 has

Eggplant in the Philippines

• # 1 in area of production among top vegetables

• #1 in volume of production among top vegetables

• Contributes Php 2.5 Billion annually in agriculture

Source: Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, CropStat, 2013 (http://countrystat.bas.gov.ph)

Eggplant is a very important vegetable crop in the Philippines

Rationale for developing Bt eggplant

• Significant yield loss due to insect damage

• Excessive use of pesticides and potential harm to human health and environment

• Higher cost of production due to pesticides

• No effective resistance in conventional varieties

Major Constraint to Eggplant Production

Adult moth Destructive larva

Ph

oto

cou

rtesy of R

ao,

20

10

Eggplant Fruit and Shoot Borer (EFSB) (Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee)

most destructive insect pest of eggplant (60-70% yield loss)

Exterior fruit damage Fruit damage Shoot damage Stem damage

RESISTANT

EGGPLANT

VARIETY

Use of

Parasitoids,

Predators Pruning,

Sanitation

Pheromone

Trap

Chemical

Control

Management Programs for

EFSB

Spraying Practices to Control FSB

• Bangladesh - more than 140 times during

a cropping season of 180-200 days (Rashid et al, 2003)

• Philippines - up to 80 times per cropping

season (Quicoy, 2010)

• India – up to 35 times each growing season (Kolady and Lesser, 2008)

• “The number of spray operations per week has been proven to have significant association with the likelihood of experiencing neurobehavioral, respiratory & intestinal symptoms in a study among Indonesian farmers.”- Kishi et al., 1995

Health Effects of Organophosphate, Pyrethroid and Carbamate Insecticides Used to Control EFSB and Effects to Prolonged Exposure

Lu, J.L. 2012. Pesticide residues in eggplant during dry and wet seasons in Sta. Maria Pangasinan. J. Crop Sci.: 37(3): 93-98 Photo Sources: M.V. Navasero and JL Lu

Discovery Product Development Commercialization

Product

concept

Gene

discovery

Transfor-

mation

Event

selection

Field

trials

Variety release

registration

& seed

multiplication

Post-

release

marketing

Philippine Bt Eggplant Development Pathway

Further breeding

and

line selection

Bacillus

thuringiensis

Bt cry1Ac

gene Bt cry1Ac

gene

incorporat

ed into

eggplant

MAHYCO

EE-1

eggplant

EE-1

Bt eggplant

> 10 years in development (2003-present)

Bt Eggplant Product Development and

Regulatory Status

Confined Field Trial

Multi-location Field

Trials

Safety Assessment

and Approval

INDIA BANGLADESH PHILIPPINES

Completed Mahyco (2000-2002) Public partners (2003-2004)

Completed 2005- 2008 initial crosses, importation, backcrossing & selection

Completed 2003-2007 initial crosses, importation, backcrossing & selection

Completed Mahyco (2002-2004) Start regulatory dossier

Completed 2007-2008 (19 lines, single location trial)

Completed (2009) Hybrid – LST (2009) TNAU-OPV (2008_ UAS – OPV (2009)

Completed 2010 9 OPVs, 7 locations

Completed 2009-2013 3 OPVs, 4 hybrids, 4 locations

Completed 2009 Biosafety approved by GEAC

Completed 2013 Biosafety and commercial release approved in 2013

Pending Court case

Moratorium 2nd season commercial planting

Contained Trial

Market Release

Figure 1. (a) Healthy EFSB larva fed with terminal leaf of untransformed DLP and (b) an abnormal EFSB on terminal leaf of Mara 030-027.

a b

Figure 1. (a) Healthy EFSB larva fed with terminal leaf of untransformed DLP and (b) an abnormal EFSB on terminal leaf of Mara 030-027.

a bEFSB larva feeding on

non-Bt egglant leaf EFSB larva feeding on

Bt egglant leaf

Effect on EFSB larva

Fruit Damage: UPLB Bt vs. Non-Bt Eggplant

Non-Bt Eggplant UPLB Bt Eggplant

NO significant difference

between Bt+ and Bt- plots

on type and number of

• sucking arthropods

• soil arthropods

• beneficial arthropods

Effects Non-target Arthropods

Potential Socio-economic Impacts

• Positive returns to farmers and producers

>200 % increase in farm income

– P50,000 additional per hectare of production

• Positive impact on reducing poverty among farmer-adopters and improving the nutritional status of the eggplant consumers

– net impact to poverty was a decrease in the number of poor farmers in eggplant farming households

• Significant aggregate benefits for human health, farm animals, beneficial insects, and avian species

Source: Francisco, 2007; Francisco et al. 2009a, 2009b, Aragon, 2009

Public participation – Posting of public information sheet (PIS) at different trial

sites

Municipal Agriculture Office, Sta. Maria, Pangasinan

Brgy. Heath Center, Tuntungin-Putho, LB, Laguna

Brgy. Hall, San Jose, Pili, Camarines Sur

Municipal Hall, Sta. Barbara, Iloilo

Zone 4 waiting shed of Brgy. Guadalupe, Baybay, Leyte

UP Mindanao Announcement Board, Davao City

Wet market, Kabacan, N. Cotabato

Public participation – consultations & information campaigns

Continuing Challenges ….

Thank You

and

Questions