Plant Biotechnology, Science Writing, and Public

Communication

Kevin M. FoltaProfessor and Chairman

Horticultural Sciences Department

kfolta.blogspot.com@kevinfolta

kevinfolta@gmail.com

My main job: Chairman of the Horticultural Sciences Department (Fruit and Veg crops)

56 Faculty over six locations throughout the state

-Breeding / new varieties-Crop physiology and production-Molecular genetics-Genomics-Organic and sustainable production-Weed science-Plant nutrition, water use-Space biology-Cell and developmental biology-Postharvest physiology

•13 international scholars•Undergraduate researchers

•Examine how light affects plant traits, and use as a non-chemical treatment for enhanced shelf life

•Use of natural fruit volatiles to slow spoilage

•Connecting genes to important traits in small fruits.

•Marker-assisted breeding

My Research Program

Biotechnology Communication

•What this technology is

•Why there is resistance to good technology?

•The future of biotech crops.

Irony at the Apple Store

We loves new Apple products!

I demand new technology!

The best company on earth!

New improved products!

Don’t want new apple products!

New improved products!

If nature didn’t make it, I don’t want it!!

Down with corporations!

What Plant Genetic Improvement Is

More varieties

Grow better under given conditions

Improved yields

Safer products

Improved nutrtion

What Plant Genetic Improvement Is

People t hink

Improved yields

Examples of GM Crops?

What are our priorities?

Farmers

The Needy

Environment

Consumers

What transgenic technology is.What transgenic technology is.

Transgenic crop technology (familiar “GMO”) is a precise extension of conventional plant breeding.

“The techniques used pose no more risk (actually less risk) than conventional breeding.” (NAS, AAAS, AMA, EFSA many others)

In 18 years there has not been one case of illness or death related to these products

There are several traits used in only eight commercial crops

These are the most well studied and extensively tested plant products in history.

Humans have always manipulated crop genetics

“food with DNA that has been altered in such a way that does not occur naturally.”

GE vs. Traditional Breeding

Wide crosses exchange hundreds or thousands of genes and gene variants; GE moves only one/few.

Traditional breeding frequently uses plants that could never normally cross, GE uses genes from self or any other organism

GE can monitor the effect of a specific change; breeding seeks to judge the effect on plant productivity and does not address possible effects on individual genes.

GM Crops Available Now

How Do We Add a Gene to a Plant?

How Do You Make a Transgenic Plant – Exploit Totipoentcy

Agrobacterium is used to place gene of interest into a single cell.

The single cell is then cultured into an entire plant containing the gene.

How Do We Add a Gene to a Plant?

Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Making a New Plant from a Single Cell

How do the traits work?

Two main traits– Bt and glyphosate resistance

GMO Crops Make Pesticides

Bt is one of many natural anti-insect proteins

Bt is one of many natural anti-insect proteins

How Bt Works

bt

Advantages

Decrease in broad-spectrum insecticide use on corn and cotton

Lower fuel and labor costs for farmers

Solid dividends in the developing world

No effect on beneficials

Limitations

Need to plant refugia to slow resistance

Pockets of resistance are seen and require use of insecticides

Requires careful scouting

Glyphosate-Resistant (Roundup Ready) Products

A gene is inserted that allows plants to survive in the presence of the herbicide. Farmers can spray to kill non-transgenic plants.

How Herbicide Resistance Works

A B CAminoacids

proteins

epsps

glyphosate

XPlants

How Herbicide Resistance Works

A B CAminoacids

proteins

epsps

glyphosate

X

A B CAminoacids

proteins

epsps

Plants

Bacteria

glyphosate

How Herbicide Resistance Works

A B CAminoacids

proteins

epsps

epsps

Plants

X

glyphosate

A B CAminoacids

proteinsBacteria

glyphosate

How Herbicide Resistance Works

A B CAminoacids

proteins

epsps

Plants

glyphosate

Resistance!

Advantages

Switch to a low-toxicity herbicide, cheap and effective

Lower fuel and labor costs for farmers

Decreased tilling, saved topsoil

Limitations

Weeds can evolve resistance, requiring increased labor, lower yields, and new control strategies. New chemistries.

The point is– this is not a scientific debate.- benefits far outweigh limitations and new solutions are coming.

This is not a farming debate.-farmers freely choose the technology because it works.

This is a SOCIAL debate fueled by fear and misinformation.

Why Is There Resistance to Good Technology?

Rel

ativ

e nu

mbe

r in

pop

ulat

ion

Relative scientific understanding

Nonexperts

Farmers, scientists,

Etc.

MOST PEOPLE!!!!

FEAR FACTS

Manufactured Risk!

What Does the General Public Really Think?

“92% of Americans demand to know what is in their food”

Why is there even a problem?

Manufactured risk for profit

Political motivations (anti-corporate sentiment)

Well meaning people responding to a compelling bad-science message

Who is most influential in selling fear?

Oz Smith Shiva Adams Mercola Food Babe

Why is there even a problem?

How do we fix the problem?

Center for Food Integrity

Fixing the problem.

There needs to be more communication from scientists and farmers.

These are the folks that know the science.

We have not been participating well.

The companies have been useless in communication too.

Technology Exists NOW

Research has been published demonstrating that transgenic techniques can:

Help farmers save labor, fuel, water, fertilizer, other inputs.

Biofortify foods with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients

Grow plants in marginal areas

Grow plants with fewer inputs Efficient use of fertilizersInsect resistanceDisease resistance

Golden Rice

X

Farmers

Consumers

Environment

Needy

Opposition to golden rice cost $2 billion to farmers in developing countries and 1.4 million human years – Wesseler et al., 2014

Cassava

Virus Resistant Cassava (VIRCA)

Biocassava Plus (BC Plus)

250 million depend on cassava

50 million tons lost to virus.

X

X Farmers

Consumers

Environment

Needy

Allergy-Free Peanuts

Peanut – RNAi suppression Ara h2

X

Farmers

Consumers

Environment

Needy

Low Acrylamide, non Browning Potatoes

X

X

Farmers

Consumers

Environment

Needy

Non Browning ApplesSilencing a gene that leads to discoloration

X

X

Farmers

Consumers

Environment

Needy

Small Business!X

BS2 TomatoA pepper gene in tomato eases black spot and wilt.

X

X Farmers

Consumers

Environment

Needy

Stopping Citrus Greening

Spinach defensin

NPR1

Lytic peptides

Many show promise

Earliest deregulation is 2019

There are many more solutions to pressing ag problems, yet few are being developed.

What are our priorities?

Farmers

The Needy

Environment

Consumers

Conclusions

Transgenic technology is safe

Transgenic technology has proven effective

Progress is slowed by manufactured risk

Existing products could bring great benefit to the environment, the needy, the consumer and the farmer, but they are not developed– or people resist their development out of fear

We need to use all technologies available to ensure safe and sustainable food with less environmental impact.

Thank you

kfolta.blogspot.com@kevinfolta

kevinfolta@gmail.com

"There is a path to truth and sincerity that you must guard and defend“

-- Teruyuki Okazaki It is our mission to stand up for the truth that science gives us.

Dr. Jack PayneSVP UF/IFAS

Where do I get good information?

Warm welcome Cold facts

kfolta@ufl.edu

GMOanswers.com

Biofortified.org geneticliteracyproject.com

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