winning the future with gmos

Winning the Future with Genetically Modified Crops

Sameer Khanal

hobbyfarmblog.com

World’s farmland under GM crops

3.7 billion acres Arable land worldwide

376 million acres

In top five countries

$15 BNGlobal value of GM seed

in 2012

44 million acresRest of the world

420 millionacresof GM crops

worldwide

Isaaa.org, nature.com

The global picture (2012)


Top 5 GM-crop producers

Other GM-crop producers

CanadaUSA

Brazil

Argentina

India

Soybean Cotton Corn Canola0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

81%

81%

35%

30%

Major GM crops of the world

Mill

ion

acre

sConventional

GM


GM crops are growing

1996 2000 2004 2008 20120

50

100

150

200

250

Mill

ion

acre

s

Herbicide tolerance

Herbicide tolerance + Insect resistance(Stacked)

Insect resistance

Year Isaaa.org, nature.com

Farmers like GM cropsGM soybean adoption in the US

1996 2000 2004 2008 20120

20

40

60

80

100 Soybean

georgiamagazine.com , usda.gov

Prop

ortio

n of

tota

l cul

tivat

ed a

rea

Year

Farmers like GM cropsGM cotton adoption in the US

1996 2000 2004 2008 20120

20

40

60

80

100 SoybeanCotton

nature.com, usda.gov

Prop

ortio

n of

tota

l cul

tivat

ed a

rea

Year

Farmers like GM cropsGM corn adoption in the US

1996 2000 2004 2008 20120

20

40

60

80

100 SoybeanCottonCorn

ishratnazir.com, usda.gov

Prop

ortio

n of

tota

l cul

tivat

ed a

rea

Year

Increase in yield from GM

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Bt

Non-Bt

0

900

720

540

360

180

3,080

1,080

Fibe

r yie

ld

(lbs/

acre

)

Hake, 2013

GM cotton adoption increased yield

GM cotton introduction

Farmers profit from GM crops2004 increase in farm income from GM crops

(US $ million)

Soybean Maize Cotton Canola Total0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

Incr

ease

in fa

rm in

com

e

GM crop Brooks and Barfoot, 2005

Farmers profit from GM crops1996-2004 increase in farm income from GM crops

(US $ million)

Incr

ease

in fa

rm in

com

e

GM crop Brooks and Barfoot, 2005

Soybean Maize Cotton Canola Total0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

Yield ceiling is a fact!

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005

Yiel

d (lb

/acr

e)

Non-GM Corn yield in France and Italy (in thousand pounds)

2

4

6

8

10

12

ItalyFrance

Troyer,2006; epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu

Yield ceiling, not yet!

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005

Yiel

d (lb

/acr

e)

Corn yield in the USA (in thousand pounds)

2

4

6

8

10

12

US

USDA.gov; Troyer,2006; epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu

ItalyFrance

Why against GM crops?

climatevoices.files.wordpress.com1.bp.blogspot.com,independent.co.uk,

Protests

GM controversies

Ecological effects

Séralini et al., 2012, fineartamerica.com

Health risks

Super weeds

Biodiversity loss

projects.nfstc.org, anbg.gov.au, crops.org,

Messing up with genetics

Plant improvement methods

Traditional breeding

Less likely More likelyUnintended genetic consequences

Genetic consequences of breeding

nap.edu, nunhems.com

Crossing



Tissue culture



nap.edu, technologyofplanttissueculture.blogspot.com

Tissue culture



Tissue culture

Genetic modification



nap.edu, earthtimes.org



Tissue culture

Genetic modification

Induced mutation



nap.edu, scienceisntfiction.blogspot.com

People are fine with the mutants

whiskiesofscotland.com , bottlerocket.com ,texasweet.com , giordanofoods.com

Pasta durum wheatRio Star grapefruit

Golden promise barley

Bt corn kills butterflies

Losey et al., 1999; fineartamerica.com; news.cornell.edu

Monarch butterfly Larva

Monarchs feed on weeds with Bt corn pollen

Non-Bt

Bt

Bt does not kill butterflies

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005

Surv

ival

(%)

Survival of Bt or non-Bt pollen fed larvae

20

40

60

80

100

120

Stanley-Horn et al., 2001

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Time (days)

GM corn “wiped out the bees”

mygeni.org

?

GM not linked to colony collapse

scientificbeekeeping.com; gardenworld.in; Hendriksma et al., 2011

Heliconiapollen(toxic)

Non Bt pollen

Bt pollenBee larvae thrive well on Bt pollen

100

80

60

40

20

06 7 8 9 10 11

Time (days)

Surv

ival

(%)

Does Bt affect off-target?Study: cotton, corn, and potato

jaqstone.blogspot.com www.123rf.com visualphotos.comWelfenbarger et al., 2008

Does Bt affect off-target?

Off-target organisms

ent.iastate.edu, plantwise.org, firstlook.pnas.org, energyskeptic.com

Target insects

Does Bt affect off-target?Result: No difference in effect between Bt or non-Bt

Bt NonBtblog.daum.netWelfenbarger et al., 2008,

Non-BtBt

Bt does not affect off-target

I instar II instar III instar IV instar New-born

012345678

Lozzia et al. 1998; chonps.org

Deve

lopm

enta

l tim

e (d

ays)

Stage I Stage II Stage III Stage IV New-born

Aphids feeding on Bt corn

Aphids

Preborn stages

Profits from Bt corn

Profit calculation:

1 bushel = $6

US corn = 96 million acres annually

Profit = 96 x 6 = 576 million/yearusda.gov, genuity.com

GM-crops and “super-weeds”Glyphosate resistant weed

www.nature.com

How herbicide resistance evolve?Plants evolve

• Naturally and under human influence

arkansasagnews.uark.edu, pioneer.com

Herbicide applicationResistant

weed

Herbicide resistant weeds

After GM:11.5 cases/year

Before GM: 13 cases/year

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010Year

Unique cases of herbicide resistant weedsin the world

400

350300

250200150

100

Uni

que

case

s

Heap, 2013, weedcontrolfreaks.com

Smart ways to combat “super weeds”

• Diversified weed management• Crop rotation

Corn Soybean

kellysluckyyou.com, infiniteunknown.net


• Diversified weed management• Herbicides with different modes of action

rightinginjustice.com, foginfo.org


• Diversified weed management• Traditional strategies

extension.umn.edu, kress-landtechnik.de

Mechanical weeding Deep tillage

Herbicide-tolerant crops

Advantages• Easier weed management

motherjones.com karensgarden.net


Advantages• Less frequent application

-200

-150

-100

-50

0Q

uanti

tySoybean Corn Cotton

Reduced herbicide chemicals1996-2011 (in million pounds)

natureform.com , Brookes and Barefoot, 2013


Advantages• Less frequent application• Relatively safe herbicides

0

4

8

12

16

Soybean Corn Cotton

Positive environmental impactEnvironmental Impact Quotient (EIQ)

Impa

ct (E

IQ)

natureform.com , Brookes and Barefoot, 2013

GM corn causes tumors

Séralini et al., 2012

Séraline’s 2012 paper

GM corn as foodWe experienced GM for over a decade

cache.boston.com, cute-n-tiny.com, foodprocessing-technology.com, izifunny.com, bloggingfoodforthought.blogspot.com

GM corn does not cause cancerEurope refutes Séraline’s paper

Countries: Belgium Denmark France Italy Netherlands Germany

Are GM crops threat to biodiversity?

4photos.net , myrighttosafefood.blogspot.com

Bt eggplant debate

Monoculture leads to varietal erosion

Eggplant diversity Eggplant

Varietal diversity is increasingEggplant varieties in the US:

1981 and 2004

0

25

50

75

100

125

1981 2004Year

No.

of v

arie

ties

Heald and Chapman, 2011

GM does not erode varietal diversity Field corn varieties in the US:

1981 and 2004

1981 2004Year

No.

of v

arie

ties

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Heald and Chapman, 2011

A book on science?

• Misrepresentation

• Hearsays

• False claims

• Cherry picking poor science

• Propaganda Smith, 2007infowarsshop.com,

A movie on science?

Summary

• The world is accepting and adopting GM crops

• Science is winning against propaganda

• GM crops are better than non-GM conventional systems

• GM crops are the future of agriculture

Thank youharvest-pr.com