1. Quiz on “how to tame a plant” 1)What plant, mentioned by the author, is conspicuous in its absence from the list of domesticated plants? 2)List three desirable traits of a plant that would make it a good candidate for domestication.

2. Agriculture- Part II Modern agriculture -Ohio & NW Ohio -Problems -Biotechnology

3. Fig. 14.1

4. Ohio Agriculture See overheads & file (ohio ag facts)

5. Crop loss in the U.S. (1982) Croprecord yieldaverage yield (=21%) corn193004600 wheat145001880 soybeans73901610 oats106001720 sorghum201002830 barley114002050 potatoes9410028300 s. beets12100042600

6. % of crop loss due to: Diseases = 4.1 (U.S. lower than elsewhere) Insects = 2.6 Weeds = 2.6 Unfavorable environment = 69.1 –40% of this to drought –20% to flooding –14% to cold

7. Crop development Occurring since domestication of plants Through artificial selection Use of hydrids & grafting Propogation of desirable genotypes Homogenizing individuals To transgenic plants

8. Fig. 14.7a

9. Fig. 14.7b

10. Fig. 14.16

11. Fig. 14.14a

12. Fig. 14.24b

13. Fig. 14.18

14. Fig. 14.17

15. Fig. 14.21

16. Fig. 14.23

17. Fig. 14.22

18. The Green Revolution Has increased yields 2-4x over ca. 50 years Using high-yield disease-resistant varieties + lots of: – fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, mechanization, & irrigation –mainly corn, wheat, & rice Dr. Norman Borlaug –Father of GR; dwarf & disease-resistant wheat; Nobel Peace Prize 1970 Sustainable? Fairly available?

19. Fig. 14.9

20. Fig. 14.10

21. Fig. 14.12

23. Fig. 14.11

24. Fig. 14.13

25. Fig. 14.26

26. Fig. 14.27

27. Fig. 14.28

28. Fig. 14.14

29. Fig. 14.15

30. Transgenic crops Most are either GM for: –herbicide tolerance (glyphosphate=Round-Up) (poisons shikimic-acid pathway, so plants & fungi, but not animals) –insect resistance (Bacillus thuringiensis genes) (range of insecticidal proteins, but doesn’t kill vertebrates; reduces use of pesticides) –or both See overheads

31. Some “hot topics” in agriculture Transgenics* Non-plant products from plants* Phytoremediation* Developing new crops* Enhancing crop quality* Increasing crop water & nutrient use efficiency Increasing stress tolerance (temp, drought, salt) Preserving crop genetic diversity for the future* Development of resistant weeds and pests Environmental damage (e.g., from run-off)

32. Transgenic concerns Human health risks? Allergic reactions from non-plant proteins? [Mostly minor] Philosophical issues? e.g., Europe Developing-country concerns? Have to buy seeds, pesticides, etc., from company; intellectual property rights Gene escape? [YES, and it’s not reversible!] Due to hybridization, pollen flow, & human error/disregard. No fail-safe method to stop. Superweeds? [YES…already happening!] (article) Toxic effects on non-target organisms? [Minor?] e.g., monarch butterflies

33. Non-plant products Using transgenic techniques to create plants that make non-plant substances E.g., edible or huge-volume of human medicines, plastics (see Botany global issues map), fuel oil, etc. See overhead

34. Phytoremediation Using grasses, trees, herbs (e.g., mustards), ferns, crops (see Botany global issues map) Remove soil/water contaminants and accumulate in tissues (e.g., shoots) Remove plants & dispose Can use for a wide range of substances –(e.g., metals, radioactivity, organics) Can require site-specific research

35. Developing new crops Amaranth Eastern gama grass Quinoa Oca Tarwi

36. Enhancing crop quality Increasing oil or protein content e.g., in corn and soybean Changing protein/oil composition Lysine & tryptophan in corn (BGI map) Increasing mineral or vitamin content Carotene (Vit A) in golden rice (BGI map) (50% of humans get 80% of calories from rice) Work underway on high-Fe crops

37. Irrigation Makes soil salty Uses fresh water

40. *most major crops have only a few cultivars in use *so high risk to disaster loss *most natural variation for crops is lost *seed/germplasm banks keep genetic variation for safety