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Plant Breeding: “Biotech and GM are just New Tools”

Plant Breeding: “Biotech and GM are just New Tools”. Brian Rossnagel Crop Development Centre University of Saskatchewan. Plant Breeding. Factory concept Breeder = Manager Product = Improved Varieties Customers Farmers & Farmer’s Customers. Breeding Objectives. Performance Offensive

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Plant Breeding: “Biotech and GM are just New Tools”

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  1. Plant Breeding: “Biotech and GM are just New Tools” Brian Rossnagel Crop Development Centre University of Saskatchewan

  2. Plant Breeding • Factory concept • Breeder = Manager • Product = Improved Varieties • Customers • Farmers & Farmer’s Customers

  3. Breeding Objectives • Performance • Offensive • Sustained performance • Defensive • Marketability • Differentiation • Opportunity

  4. Farming • Business • Needs Profit • Profit is OK • Reduce Input Costs • Increase Output Value

  5. Breeding Tools • Genetics • Variation & Knowledge • Mechanization • Field & Laboratory • Computers • Biotech

  6. Breeding Efficiency • Slow, simple and cheap • Biotech is costly • Justify costs??? • Medicine vs. Agriculture

  7. “Because We Can” Syndrome • Look in mirror • Regulatory complaint at Saskatoon Mtg • “Which Barley Variety is it?”

  8. Biotech in Breeding • What is Biotech? • 2x haploidy • MMAS • Transformation • Replace Breeding

  9. Biotech & Breeding • Positive • Science Based • Negative • Emotion based • Necessity? • Need for Variation? • Testing/evaluation

  10. Biotech - Costs • Biotech is expensive • Justify investment • Expectation of Return • Do we need to be so fast? • Plant Breeding - Proven & Cost Effective • Public to Private • Gov’t. Cost Recovery

  11. Roundup-Ready Wheat • Who wants it? • Who needs it? • Because we can? • Return on Investment?

  12. Biotech Backlash Concerns • New Problems for Breeding • Technology ahead of itself • Technology too expensive yet • Expectations too high • Driving away investment • Golden Rice - Problems??

  13. Breeding - Organic Production • Current Breeding is for all • Heritage Varieties issue • “Good Old Days” • Island of Susceptibility in Sea of Resistance • Organic >> Benefit from GM Tech

  14. Organic vs. Conventional • Agriculture is NOT Natural • Ergo Organic Ag is NOT Natural • Sustainable Agriculture??? • Food movement = Nutrient movement • Ergo need Nutrient Replenishment

  15. Agricultural Product Safety • Health Foods • Organic Products • Conventional Products • Relative Risk • Conv Ag and Medicine allow people to live long enough to be concerned!

  16. Confused Philosopher • If Health Foods are so good then why haven’t they Naturally become important foods? • Too much of anything can be dangerous • Reasonable Risk • What if? Vs What if we don’t?

  17. Org/Conv/Biotech • Pollen Drift vs. Pest Drift • Evidence of Invasion • Organic surrounded by Conventional • Marketplace Differentiation • Cheap Food Policies

  18. Risk • Reasonable Risk • Zero Tolerance • Precautionary Principle • Research = Unknown = Risk • Electricity Analogy • Careful what you ask for?

  19. The HUMAN PEST • This is our problem!!

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