GM Crops: Unlocking the Potential

Contents......Page 8
Foreword......Page 6
Acknowledgements......Page 12
Introduction......Page 14
Worldwide status of genetically modified crops......Page 18
References......Page 19
1 Classical plant breeding and genetically modified crops......Page 20
Aids to plant breeding: mutations, jumping genes and horizontal gene transfer......Page 21
Genetic modification of plants......Page 22
References......Page 23
2 Insect-resistant crops......Page 26
Cotton......Page 27
Environmental impacts of Bt cotton......Page 32
Is Bt cotton safe?......Page 36
Maize......Page 39
Bt crops in the pipeline......Page 51
References......Page 52
3 Herbicide-tolerant crops......Page 58
Economic impacts of herbicide-tolerant crops......Page 60
Environmental impacts of herbicide-tolerant crops......Page 61
Herbicide-tolerant oilseed rape in Scotland – a farm-scale evaluation trial......Page 66
The effect of herbicide-tolerant crops in developing countries......Page 67
Summary......Page 69
References......Page 70
4 Virus-resistant and drought-tolerant crops......Page 72
Virus-resistant papaya......Page 73
Virus-resistant potatoes......Page 74
Virus-resistant cassava......Page 75
Environmental impact of resistance to viruses......Page 76
Drought-tolerant crops......Page 77
References......Page 80
5 Effects on biodiversity......Page 84
Genetic, species and ecosystem diversity......Page 85
Loss of biodiversity and why worry?......Page 87
The impacts of agriculture on biodiversity......Page 88
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety......Page 92
References......Page 94
6 Crops behaving badly: pollen spread, its prevention and coexistence of GM crops with conventional varieties......Page 98
Gene flow in oilseed rape, sunflowers, rice and potatoes......Page 101
Gene flow in Mexican maize......Page 103
Gene flow from genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops......Page 105
Coexistence of genetically modified and non-genetically modified crops......Page 106
Genetically modified crop coexistence and economic consequences......Page 109
Preventing and managing gene flow......Page 112
References......Page 115
7 When plants don’t come from their parents – horizontal gene transfer......Page 120
Uptake of DNA......Page 121
Establishment and expression of the transferred DNA in the recipient......Page 122
References......Page 124
Regulating transgenic crops......Page 128
A strong regulatory system......Page 133
Regulating transgenic crops sensibly......Page 134
Trade issues......Page 136
Intellectual property issues......Page 138
References......Page 139
Insect-resistant crops......Page 142
Drugs in crops......Page 144
Plants that clean up the environment......Page 148
Genetically modified crops and hunger relief in developing countries......Page 149
Nutritionally enhanced transgenic crops......Page 153
Summary......Page 159
References......Page 160
Glossary......Page 164
Index......Page 170