Jane Dever Associate Professor Cotton Breeder Member, USDA
National Genetic Resources Advisory Council Welcome to Hong
Kong
Slide 3
Purpose: Eliminate Barriers to Growth Objective: Collaborate
and Grow Challenge: Meeting Supply and Demand Solution: Working
Together Facilitate expansion strategies Improve access to non-GM
seed Address GM contamination Organic and sustainable Improve
business models
Slide 4
Good farming practices that produce raw material for business
expansion and strategy depend on access to good quality seed with
native genetic improvement 1. GM cannot be separated from the
importance of native traits and availability of genetic
improvements to all farmers 2. Contamination: distraction or
threat? 3. Breeding for the long haul, not the short delivery 4.
Good news and other news 5. Policy: Hindsight versus tunnel vision
Have a wonderful and high-yielding round table discussion! It
starts with the seed
Slide 5
Returning to Texas A&M, I was stunned to be asked, How can
a traditional breeder be relevant in a GM world? To capture native
genetic resources that are not targets of biotechnology research To
ensure genetic resources are available for adaptation to changing
environments To protect consumer choices; the freedom to farm your
way Your seed is something before it is GM
Slide 6
Seed has to be something before is it GM. DNA is a strand of
genes. Traditional plant breeding combines many genes at once.
Desired gene Traditional Donor Commercial Variety New Variety (many
genes transferred) Desired gene(s) X (crosses) = Plant
Biotechnology Using plant biotechnology, a single gene is added to
the strand with a very specific purpose. (backcross) = GM trait
Desired Gene Commercial Variety Old Variety Yield, fiber quality,
disease resistance, drought tolerance, salt tolerance,
environmental adaptation
Slide 7
Organic farmers should not be penalized for unintentional
adventitious presence of GM Planting seed purity begin with the
purity of the foundation seed Seed quality is as important as seed
purity Good production practices minimize contamination Presence of
GM is a threat to traditional breeding 1% allowable contamination
in non-GM seed sources can multiply in the breeding process if the
GM trait cannot be economically and practically detected Selection
bias exacerbates GM contamination in the breeding process and
farmer-caught seed sources Contamination is a distraction and a
threat
Slide 8
Maintaining purity GM seed contamination is a concern for
traditional breeding programs. Sources of contamination can come
from out crossing, volunteers, seed handling, and adventitious
presence. It can be minimized, but detection of GM traits is
expensive for traditional breeders without access to technology
profits. Adventitious presence Volunteer in a field Outcrossing in
a field Harvester mixing Mechanical Seed contamination It takes 10
to 15 years to develop a line; if contamination is not controlled
early the cost is multiplied. Seed security in a minority
environment should include prevention and maintenance relief for
traditional breeders and organic farmers who do not financially
benefit from biotechnology traits, but feel the burden of the
costs. Possible sources of contamination
Slide 9
Germplasm enhancement and screening at Texas A&M AgriLife
in Lubbock Broaden the genetic base of cotton Improve fiber quality
Identify new sources of resistance incorporate native traits into
agronomically acceptable germplasm Improved Fiber Quality Thrips
Resistance Sources identified for drought and salt tolerance
Slide 10
Cotton varieties available to organic farmers in US increased
from ~2 in 2010/2011 to 7 in 2012 Transgenic acreage in US cotton
increased to 99% Good news and other news U. S. DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE Agricultural Marketing Service - Cotton Program
Memphis, Tennessee September 5, 2012 mp_cn833 Bayer CropScience FM
958 and AFD 2485 were the predominate varieties planted by Organic
cotton producers. Other varieties planted by organic producers
include All-Tex 7A21, All-Tex LA122, All-Tex A102, Bayer
CropScience FM 989, and Seed Source Genetics CT 210.B15
Slide 11
Current biotechnology efforts are very specific Short term
benefits fundamentally change farming practices with few
contingency plans to handle new problems that arise Regulation
during the GM approval phase relax after deregulation w/o adequate
stewardship for contamination issue Genetic resources should be
protected beyond GM traits There is a gap in germplasm collections
for crops with approved GM because final varieties are not
deposited (IP) Contamination issues in development of new,
traditional varieties far exceed planting seed contamination issues
Crossing with sources that have 1% AP and selection bias can lead
to contamination beyond expected amounts Tunnel vision and
hindsight
Slide 12
Seed breeders ask, how can we help organic farmers? Experience
(hindsight) tells me a thriving organic farming community helps
protect our vital genetic resources Consumer demand and adherence
to principles of organic farming encourages true genetic
improvement and diversity in an environment dominated by short-term
policies In countries with GM being introduced, urge policies that
help protect the development and production of traditional
varieties Discovery of new genetic improvements from native sources
improves agriculture production and policy for everyone and
contributes biodiversity when short-term solutions fall short Do
not let GM IP issues restrict access to natural genetic resources A
brighter future
Slide 13
Jane Dever Associate Professor Cotton Breeder Member, USDA
National Genetic Resources Advisory Council Thank you and Enjoy the
Conference