Controlling Pests and Diseases viaGenetic Transformation:

Examples from the Public Sector

Transgenic Crops for Food SecurityPontifical Academy, Rome

May 15 -19, 2009

Roger Beachy, Ph.D., President of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri

Improving the Human Condition through Plant Science

Outline

• Needs for genetic controls for pests and pathogens: options include chemical control +/- IPM, breeding for resistance, genetic modification, or crop losses

• Demonstrations from research by the public sector

• Capacity building and technology transfer

• Regulatory hurdles

Improving the Human Condition through Plant Science

Improving the Human Condition through Plant Science

Improving the Human Condition through Plant Science

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

140000

160000

180000

Total Insects Total Diseases

Total VirusesTotal

78,144 (M) Euros 71,253

(M) Euros

16,882 ( M) Euros

166,279 (M) Euros

Worldwide Cost (million €) of Losses Due to Insects, Diseases, and Viruses in Five Major Food Crops

(maize, rice, wheat, potato, soybean)

Improving the Human Condition through Plant Science

Control of diseases caused by fungi: research but no commercialization to date

• Resistance to Pythophthera infestans/late blight: R gene from wild species: technology at near-commercial level (several univ.)

• Use of chitinase, glucanase and other PR proteins for control of Aspergillis, Fusarium spp., and others: not commericial (mulitple locations)

• Defensin proteins: not commercial (multiple)

Improving the Human Condition through Plant Science

Transgenic Approaches to Control Fungal Pathogens using Antifungal

Defensins

Improving the Human Condition through Plant Science

Goal: Resistance to F. verticilliodesin maize

• Maize for Africa and U.S.: reduce ‘gray mold’ and mycotoxins, increased value

(field trials under- way in U.S.)

Cancer riskReduced nutrition

Alfalfa defensin confers strong resistance to

V.dahliae in potato

Development of East African Development of East African Highland Banana Resistant Highland Banana Resistant

to Black Sigatoka and to Black Sigatoka and Nematodes using Genetic Nematodes using Genetic

Engineering Engineering