1. GMOs, Organic Agriculture, and Sustainability Complex issues with poor vocabulary 18 years out it remains controversial in the media

2. What is Biotech and where is it going? Single-gene transfer Gene silencing Multi-gene transfer Modifying gene expression Yield Nutrition Pest protection RxHeartier plants Industrial products

3. What is Agricultural Biotechnology ? Unmodified DNA Gene of Interest Promoter Gene Marker Gene A GMO plant is one that has been modified by inclusion of genetic material from another organism through molecular techniques (not traditional breeding) Modified DNA

4. Common Types of Biotech/GMO Crops Disease resistance (USDA regulation) – Viral coat protein genes Herbicide tolerance (USDA regulation) – Alternative enzyme genes not affected by herbicide Insect resistance (USDA and EPA regulation) – Bt genes (EPA: Plant Incorporated Pesticides)

6. Transgenic Introductions 1994 – Calgene s Flavr-savr tomato 1995 – Newleaf potato 1995 – Virus-resistant squash 1996 – Roundup Ready soybeans 1996 – Bt corn – Corn Borer 1996 – Bt cotton 1997 – Liberty Link Corn 1997 – Roundup Ready Corn 1998 – Attribute Bt sweet corn 2000 – Bt potato discontinued 2001 – Nicotine-free tobacco 2003 – Bt corn – Corn rootworm 2004 – Stacked BT traits in corn (CB+RW) 2010 – SmartStax corn – Eight traits incorporated 2010 – AcreMax 1 – Refuge in the bag 2012 – Performance Bt/ Roundup Ready sweet corn 2013 – Attribute II Bt sweet corn 2003 – Glofish

7. Biotech Tools in Agriculture Sugarbeet HT (4) Wheat HT (3) Chicory HT Tobacco HT Creeping Bentgrass HT Lentil HT Rice HT (3) Flax HT Sunflower HT Soybean HT (5) Bt soybean * Cotton HT (9) Canola HT (14) Corn HT (14) Alfalfa HT New Leaf Potato * New Leaf Plus Potato * Attribute Sweet Corn * Bollgard Cotton * Bollgard II Cotton * Widestrike Cotton * VIP Cotton * Bt Tomato * YieldGard Corn * YieldGard Rootworm Corn * YieldGard Plus * Herculex I Corn * Herculex RW Corn * Herculex Xtra Corn* Agrisure Corn Borer Corn* Agrisure Rootworm Corn* Agrisure CB/RW Corn* YieldGard VT RW Corn* YieldGard VT3 Corn* YieldGard VT2Pro Corn* YieldGard VT3 Pro Corn* SmartStax Corn* Viptera Corn* AcreMax 1Corn* AcreMax 2 Corn* FlavrSavr Tomato Freedom II Squash * Laurical Canola Carnation Color, HT, Shelflife UH Papaya * Soybean Virus Resistance * Vector Tobacco * Intrasect Corn* Performance Sweet Corn* Dicamba Resistant Soybean Enogen Corn, for ethanol Vistive Gold Soybeans Plenish Soybeans StarLink Corn * Knockout Corn * NatureGard Corn * Bt-xtra Corn * Attribute II Sweet corn* * Directly affects insect management

8. Under Consideration in US Non-browning apple … in the news – Arctic Golden – Arctic Granny – Arctic Gala ? – Arctic Fuji ?

9. In the Pipeline - Corn Nitrogen utilization enhanced corn – 2015? Drought tolerant corn (2 nd generation) – 2015? Higher yielding corn – 2016? Rootworm III corn – 2016?

10. Transgenic Animals GloFish (Modified Zebra fish) – required FDA approval Fast-growing Salmon (AquaAdvantage) – Significant opposition to approval

11. Regulatory Approval USDA – To determine if GM plants present environmental threats, also animal welfare (AWA) EPA – Regulates PIPs as a type of pesticide FDA – Regulates PMPs, transgenic animals, food safety

12. GMO Crops Regulated by USDA APHIS – Plant Pest Risk assessment (PPRA) Regulated by EPA – Environmental assessment (EA) Public comments encouraged and addressed

13. Genetically Modified Foods Foods derived from GMO crops – Corn chips, corn syrup, soda Regulated by the FDA – The FDA considers foods derived from GMO crops to be nutritionally equivalent to traditional foods Do not require labeling in the US – Initiatives for labeling in New Mexico, Washington, Oregon and Vermont (California’s Prop 37 failed) Organic foods are GMO-free

14. GMO Labeling Negative vs. positive labeling – Who would pay for this? – A 2012 survey revealed only 3% of consumers asked for GMO labeling Do not require labeling in the US – Initiatives for labeling in New Mexico, Washington, Oregon and Vermont (California’s Prop 37 failed) Certified organic foods are GMO-free Does a ‘GMO’ provide meaningful information?

15. GMO Labeling Voluntary Labeling by Okanagan Specialty Fruits (B.C. Canada) OSF strongly opposed to mandatory labeling

16. What is Bt? A common soil bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis Many strains and types They produce many types of toxins (>500), some have ag uses, some do not – Delta endotoxins have been used against insects (beetles, caterpillars, mosquitoes)

17. Why Use Bt Toxins ? Effective against troublesome pests Selective, do not affect beneficial insects - Compatible with biocontrol - Safe for pollinators History of use on food crops Not known to cause problems with fish, birds, mammals or environment

18. History of Bt Use in US Used since the 60’s as a foliar spray – IR-4 enabled initial registration Very popular with organic producers Many OMRI formulations, some non-OMRI Those in use target: insects with alkali guts Caterpillars Mosquito larvae Some beetle larvae

19. How Bt Reduces Losses to Insect Pests Pests Sensitive to Bt in crop plants: Caterpillars and some beetles

20. Types of GM Vegetable Crops Sweet corn – Attribute Series (Bt and Liberty Link) – Performance Series (Bt and Round Up Ready) – Attribute II Series (Bt and Liberty Link) Squash – Freedom II squash - resistance to several viruses

21. What are the Issues with GM crops ? Unapproved traits appearing where they shouldn’t StarLink Corn (2000) LibertyLink Rice (1998-2006) GM Wheat (OR, MT) Effect in national/international sales

22. What are the Issues with GM crops ? Traits from GM crops will get into ancestral populations Pests will develop resistance to Bt crops Weeds resistant to common herbicides used with GM crops Herbicide resistance: May create “super weeds” (Sorghum, squash, canola)

23. YieldGard RW, Urbana, July 2, 2007: Mike Gray, Univ of IL

24. July 29, 2011

25. High Dose – Renders heterozygous (RS) individuals susceptible – Yieldgard Bt25X LD 99 for corn borers – Rootworm Bt’s not high dose Refuge Strategy – Allow Bt susceptible moths (SS) to survive – Provide 20% non-Bt corn on each farm (refuge) – Grower’s responsibility High Dose / Refuge Strategy

26. Resistance Management High-dose refuge strategy – Goal  500 : 1 ratio of susceptible to resistant KEY ASSUMPTIONS – Random mating – High dose event at correct time/tissue in plant – Frequency of resistance initially low (10 -6 ) – Resistance is not dominant or near dominant – Growers plant structured refuges © Bessin 2009

27. What is the size your “B.t.” corn refuge?

28. Volunteer Corn in Soybeans Impact on insect management – Food for larval rootworm development – Food for adult rootworms and egg laying – Unmanaged segregating Bt traits – Implications for disease management

29. What are the Issues with GM crops ? Antibiotic resistance may move to harmful microbes Increasing problems with allergenicity Impact on non-target organisms - Herbicide movement (Dicamba, 2,4-D) Acceptance of foods overseas Subject to intellectual property law

30. Non-Target Effects (?) Monarch Green lacewings Direct vs. Indirect effects

31. What are the Benefits with GM crops ? Reduction of losses to pests and disease Reduction of insecticide use Reduced risk of some plant viruses and other pathogens Reduced impact on non-target organisms Improved grain quality Compatibility with biological control of pests

32. Regional reductions in European corn borer populations Reducing pests on non-GMO crops What are the Benefits with GM crops ?

33. What are the Potential Benefits with GM crops ? Increased yields Improved nutritional quality of foods Reduced animal waste Promotion of no-till agriculture Assist with introduction of new crops

34. Impact on Non-targets: Monarch butterfly Direct or Indirect impact?

35. Issues to watch: Severely reduced monarch populations

36. Other Issues to Watch FDA’s ruling on AquaAdvantage fast-growing Atlantic salmon – Retail acceptance among major chains USDA/EPA ruling on Arctic non-browning apples State initiatives on GMO food labeling