The Impact of Genetically Engineered Crops on Farm Sustainability in the United States (2010) / Chapter Skim
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5 Key Findings, Remaining Challenges, and Future Opportunities
5 Key Findings, Remaining Challenges, and Future Opportunities
Pages 213-236
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From page 213... ...
The next set of challenges for the application of GE-crop technology is to expand to additional crops and to address additional desirable traits, such as drought tolerance, enhanced fertilizer utilization to reduce nutri ent runoff, nutritional benefits, renewable energy production, and carbon sequestration. A number of those applications are under development by the private sector, some by the public sector.
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From page 214... ...
The penultimate section highlights two subjects of research that the committee believes deserve more resources and effort: water quality and social impacts of GE crops. In closing, we discuss options for strengthening public and private research and development to exploit the potential of genetic-engineering technology to contribute more fully to environmental, economic, and social objectives.
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From page 215... ...
The potential for gene flow via cross-pollination between current major GE crops and wild or weedy relatives is limited to cotton in small spatial scales in the United States because the other major GE crops have no native relatives. How this changes in the future will depend on what GE crops are commercialized, whether related species with which they are capable of interbreeding are present, and the consequences of such interbreeding for weed management.
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From page 216... ...
REMAINING CHALLENGES FACING GENETICALLY ENGINEERED CROPS Potential crop-biotechnology developments stir discussion around five issues. The treatment and resolution of those issues hold implications for long-term sustainability for farmers, including both adopters and nonadopters of GE crops.
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From page 217... ...
For example, the concurrent effects on regional water quality of shifting tillage and pesticide regimens with the introduction of GE crops on regional water quality conditions remain poorly documented and understood. Knowledge of the spatial and temporal effects on ecological health -- favorable or unfavorable -- assumes greater importance as the evolution of herbicide resistance in weeds alters patterns of herbicide use to make up for the loss of glyphosate's efficacy on some species, and as novel GE plants, such as those for energy and nonfood uses, approach commercialization.
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From page 218... ...
To avail themselves of market premiums for certified organic crops, they must incur costs for keeping their products separate from GE crops. Food producers who market products as non-GE face similar challenges to prevent co-mingling of GE and non-GE crops during storage and distribution.
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From page 219... ...
This section summarizes the present pattern of R&D of novel GE traits in the private and public sectors and highlights areas in which new traits could be especially useful to improving agricultural sustainability. Patterns of Genetically Engineered Products in Development The GE crops now being planted by U.S.
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From page 220... ...
Traits that improve nitrogen-use efficiency that are on the horizon will bring value to farmers and could contribute to reducing agriculture's effects on water quality. The potential for envi ronmental improvement from such traits depends on the degree to which they improve input-use efficiency and the extent to which farmers expand production because of lower unit costs.
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From page 221... ...
. Most applications approved for field testing in 1987–2008 involved major crops, particularly corn with 6,648 applications approved, followed by soybean (1,554)
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From page 222... ...
SOURCE: ISB and USDA-APHIS, 2009. Herbicide Resistance 5.7 25.1 Insect Resistance 0.3 0.8 Product Quality 4.4 Agronomic Properties 5.4 Virus Resistance 20.1 Marker Gene 6.6 Bacterial Resistance Fungal Resistance 13.4 Nematode Resistance 18.2 Other FIGURE 5-2 Approved field releases of plant varieties for testing purposes by trait (percent)
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From page 223... ...
A similar pattern emerged for major crops: About 71 percent of notices filed with APHIS by for-profit firms entailed research on major crops compared with 32.6 percent filed by universities. Moreover, work on minor crops differed among universities depending on their region (for example, apples in the Northeast and citrus in the Southeast)
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From page 224... ...
Implications of Genetically Engineered Crops for Weed Management An unmet challenge for GE crops documented in Chapter 2 revolves around sustaining the efficacy of particular herbicides. Maintaining their efficacy holds important implications for future farm economics and environmental sustainability.
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From page 225... ...
There is considerable information about the proper timing of glyphosate applications that will provide protection of yield potential and the related economic loss of crop yield in response to untimely glyphosate application (Gower et al., 2003; Dalley et al., 2004; Cox et al., 2005, 2006; Stahl, 2007)
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From page 226... ...
Potential for Biofuels Amid diminishing reserves of fossil fuels, heightened concern about climate change, and growing demand for domestic energy production, biofuels have emerged as an important supplementary fuel that may have considerable potential in supplying future energy needs. Firstgeneration biofuels are serving as fuel extenders, displacing only a small percentage of gasoline consumption in the United States (Energy Information Administration, 2007)
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From page 227... ...
Because many of the plants that may provide fuel in the future have not been commercially farmed, it may be possible to improve plant genetics to maximize their energy-yield potential, minimize the costs of converting cellulosic plant material to liquid fuel, and devise best-management practices or mitigation for the environment. RESEARCH PRIORITIES RELATED TO GENETICALLY ENGINEERED CROPS Water-Quality Monitoring and Evaluation Nonpoint pollution is the leading cause of water-quality impairments across the United States, extending into ocean estuaries, bays, and gulfs (US-EPA, 2007)
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From page 228... ...
Such critical intelligence would help to improve the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of achieving regional and national water-quality standards, and thereby improve farm sustainability. Social Issues in the Use of Genetically Engineered Crops Accumulated research in the social sciences has verified that the processes of technological development and diffusion do not take place in a social vacuum.
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From page 229... ...
However, both the private and public sectors must play vigorous, if often times different, roles if the full potential of genetic-engineering technology to foster a more sustainable agriculture is to be realized. In developing analogous traits for other crops, such as GE varieties of "minor" crops and additional GE traits to meet broader public environmental and social objectives (e.g., improved water quality and carbon sequestration)
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From page 230... ...
Firms cannot capture the potential benefits external to farmers and consumers, such as reduction in downstream pollution. The underinvestment in research makes a case for public-sector development of GE varieties as long as social benefits exceed social costs or social-equity objectives defined by elected repre sentatives are achieved (de Gorter and Zilberman, 1990; Just et al., 2008)
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From page 231... ...
. Fourth, commercialization of orphan and minor crops requires a special role for public R&D because the improvement of such crops often will not lead to sufficient profit to attract private-sector investment, even though the crops are important to many farmers and consumers.
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From page 232... ...
Such an integrated approach would have universities, government, and nonprofit organizations leading in the development of traits that deliver public goods, including basic discoveries and such environmental issues as improved regional water quality. The private sector would continue to lead in the commercialization of GE crops for which there are adequate market incentives.
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From page 233... ...
2006. The first decade of genetically engineered crops in the United States.
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From page 234... ...
. Farnham, Surrey, UK: British Crop Protection Council.
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From page 235... ...
2007. National water quality inventory: Report to Congress; 2002 reporting cycle.
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