1. Introduction to Plant Biotechnology PlSc 452/552 Lecture 1 Chapter 1
C. Neal Stewart, Jr.
plantsciences.utk.edu/stewart.htm

2. Rules for class Have fun! Do the readings
Proper preparation prevents poor performance
Ask lots of questions
Give lots of answers
All opinions and thoughts will be heard and respected
Grades are not awarded on the basis of need
Have fun!

3. Questions for the semester
What is/are genetic engineering, transgenic plants, biotechnology?
What is the current and potential applications?
Risks?
Benefits?
How does plant biotechnology fit in with modern plant breeding and agriculture?

4. Objectives and questions
Define plant biotechnology.
What biotech crops are grown and where?
Why do farmers grow transgenic crops?
How has the adoption of plant biotechnology impacted the environment?
What has been plant biotech’s impact in the US and in developing countries?

5. Central dogma: DNARNA protein

6. Transgenic plants-Agrobacterium
Any gene, any organism
The new plant will pass the transgene
to its progeny through seed.

7. Biolistics
Consumer reports, Sept. 1999

8. Plant biotech milestones
1962 Murashige and Skoog publish their paper on tissue culture media that is very effective for tobacco and other plants
1982 First stably transgenic plant—marker gene in tobacco
1987 Gene gun invented
1994 Flavr Savr tomato commercialized
1996 First wide-scale planting of soybean and corn
2006 Billionth acre of transgenic crop planted somewhere in the world
2011 Second billionth acre planted

11. Herbicide tolerant soybean

12. Bt corn

13. Bt cotton

15. Progression of transgenic plants
1st Generation: Input traits (herbicide tolerance, insect resistance, etc.)
2nd Generation: Output traits: (pharmaceuticals, enhanced nutrition, etc.)
3rd Generation: Non-ag– (phytoremediation, sentinels, detectors)

16. Environmental benefits Herbicide tolerant crops have increased and encouraged no-till agriculture– less soil erosion. Over 1 million gallons of unsprayed insecticide per year.

17. Dr. Norman Borlaug Nobel Peace Prize 1970 Father of the Green Revolution 1914-2009

23. Environmental Impact Quotient (EIQ)
Assessment of pesticide active ingredient used
Assessment of the specific pesticides used
Provides environmental impacts of individual pesticides into
a single ‘field value per hectare’.
Balanced assessment of the impact of GM crops on the
environment
Includes key toxicity and environmental exposure data
related to individual products
applicable to impacts on farm workers
consumers and ecology
consistent and comprehensive measure of environmental
impact.
(Kovach et al. (1992)

24. EIQ example
The EIQ value is multiplied by the amount of pesticide active ingredient (ai) used per hectare to produce a field EIQ value.
For example, the EIQ rating for glyphosate is By using this rating multiplied by the amount of glyphosate used per hectare (eg, a hypothetical example of 1.1 kg applied per ha), the field EIQ value for glyphosate would be equivalent to 16.83/ha.
In comparison, the field EIQ/ha value for a commonly used herbicide on corn crops (atrazine) is 22.9/ha.

28. Recap and answers
Plant biotechnology: molecular manipulation of plants and cells.
What biotech crops are grown and where? Row crops soybean and corn for herbicide tolerance and insect resistance. US but also in 27 other countries.
Why do farmers grow transgenic crops? More efficient and effective; better control of pests.
How has the adoption of plant biotechnology impacted the environment? Positive—less insecticides, less soil erosion.
What has been plant biotech’s impact in the US and in developing countries? Changed row crop genetics in US and is improving yeilds in international agriculture.

29. But…GM crops not universally accepted and grown. Why?
Misunderstandings
Politics
Immature regulatory structures
Consumer issues
Benefits unclear to consumers
Fear of unknown, risk perception
Science and education should help

30. “Ordinary Tomatoes Do Not Contain Genes, while Genetically Modified Ones Do”
Source: Tom Hoban

31. “I eat organic food and drink only green tea– gallons of it when I’m writing. I smoke cigarettes, but organic ones”*
Discussing her “healthy” lifestyle in Organic Style magazine March 2005.