34-3 |
Current and future products of biotech vegetables |
S. SANKULA, National Center for Food & Agricultural Policy, 1616 P St. N.W., 1st Fl., Washington, DC 20036 Genetically-engineered vegetable cultivars have been developed and are being further researched for pest control purposes. Summer squash and tomato cultivars have been transformed through the insertion of viral genes and, as a result are immune to viral infections .Sweet corn broccoli and eggplant have been transformed with insertion of an insecticidal gene from a soil microorganism which is expressed in the plants and which is toxic to insects taking small bites. Tomatoes, strawberries, and lettuce cultivars have been transformed with the insertion of a gene from a soil microorganism which enables the plants to withstand sprays with broad spectrum nonselective herbicides which can be used to kill weeds without harming the crop Pests are a significant problem for vegetable growers. Uncontrolled weeds, viruses, fungi, nematodes, and insects can significantly lower yields if not controlled. Traditionally, these pests have been controlled with the application of chemical pesticides. However, the vegetable crop market is a small one and not many new chemical controls are in the pipeline. The lack of effective controls is particularly acute for weed management and many US vegetable growers spend large amounts for handweeding fields. Uncontrolled viruses lower crop yields. Managing insects which damage crops often requires numerous expensive chemical sprays. Biotech cultivars offer the potential to reduce chemical use , save growers money and improve crop yields. In some cases, the biotech cultivar may be the last line of defense against new crop pests that threaten the very existence of a crop's continued production-such as the transformation of tomatoes to resist geminiviruses in Florida.
Session 34, Biotechnology to improve quality of fruits and vegetables: Potential, safety and consumer acceptability
|