Plant Breeding Flashcards
Why do private companies fund genetic research and cultivar development?
To make money on intellectual property or seed sales.
How can private companies protect their intellectual property?
They apply for (and are awarded) Patents, Plant Variety Rights and Plant Rights.
Briefly outline the stages necessary to insert a GMO into a new crop cultivar.
o Find a desirable gene
o Develop a suitable construct
o Develop a mechanism to transfer the gene into the target plant
o Select cells that have been transformed
o Regenerate whole plants from single transformed cells
o Check functionality of transformed plants
What are the advantages of genetically modified crops (GMO’s)?
Genetic engineering allows plant breeders to transfer genes from different species that
could not be possible with traditional breeding techniques. For example, a cold
tolerance gene can be clones from a flounder (fish) and inserted to canola to offer the
plant greater cold hardiness. Transgenic crops could offer greater yield potential and
increased pest resistance hence allowing lower production costs. GMO crops also offer
the possibility of developing Pharm-ing, whereby crops are grown to produce
pharmaceutical drugs (i.e. edible vaccines).
What are some of the concerns that the general public may have with genetically modified crops (GMO's)?
Concerns arise because of lack of trust in western governments. Some people are
concerned about Franken-foods that they are ‘not natural’, that plant breeders are
‘playing God’ by creating such foods. There are other concerns relating to allergies, in
that some people have life-threatening allergic reactions to some foods and that eating
GMO food may cause allergic reactions
What are the environmental concerns about genetically modified crops (GMO’s)?
There is concern that the engineered genes will escape into the ecosystem either as
volunteer plants or by cross pollination with related weedy species. If these transgenes
were to escape into the ecosystem they be become super-weeds. There have also been
concerns on the impact on other plants and animals (i.e. Monarch butterflies and B.t.
pollen from corn).
Could there be any affect on reduced genetic variability due to the use of genetically
modified crops?
Yes, much of the plant transformation technology is linked to proprietary ownership be a few large chemical and Biotechnology companies. There is a general trend to have
mono-genotypic crops where a single cultivar is grown over wide areas (and countries),
replacing many different cultivars of past.
