Science Quiz 3 part 2

a.) What groups are for the planting and use of this crop and what is their rationales? b. What groups are against this crop and what is their rationales? c. What other ideas or issues were discussed in this article? d. What are your thoughts on the use of this crop in places such as Africa or Asia and why?

A.) Consultative group on International Agriculture Research (CGIAR), the Rockefeller Foundation (RF), United States, Canada, & Argentina B.) European Union (EU) & other European nations, Environmental advocacy groups already against GM crops, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOS) in nutrition & food security issues, Biodiversity & Community rights action (BIOTHAI) in Thailand, Cambodian center for study & development in agriculture (CEDAC), Development Research Communication & Services Center (DRCSC) in India, GRAIN-MASIPAG in Philippines, Pan-Indonesia & Policy Research for Development Alternatives (UBINIG) in Bangladesh, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Food First. C.) VAD (Vitamin A Deficiency), malnutrition (result of poverty), GM foods unsafe/GR imposes risks, rice is consumed by poor so poor would be "Guinea Pigs for GM food", IP arrangements convoluted, & Grave unsustainable/harmful to poor. D.) As long as it is monitored & tested/proven harmless, I think this be a great opportunity to offer those of poverty in Africa and Asia with the food they need to survive (which is not working the natural way). As of right now it has not been tested or produced therefore we have no real evidence of this specific crops benefits or issues, until we know we can't truly determine if it is good or bad to be a solution of the VAD problem in Africa & Asia.

What do proponent say are the advantages of GM crops?

Advantages of GM crops include -increased crop yields -enchanted food security -reduced need for new farmland -conservation of natural areas -reduced need for irrigation -better nutrition -no-till farming promoted -reduction of pesticide use

What is Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and how is it used as a pesticide

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a natural soil bacterium. It is used to kill caterpillars, some flies, & beetle larvae through the release of a specific protein. - Farmers have also been engineering the gene in the bacterium into crop plants causing plants to produce poison & kill the insects on their own

Explain what biological control is and give examples.

Biological control is control of pests & weeds w/organisms that prey on or parasitize them, rather than w/chemical pesticides. (Aka biocontrol) *Examples:(parasitoid wasps laying eggs on caterpillar, eventually killing it when the eggs hatch. -preying mantis on insects -Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt): natural soil bacterium produces a protein that kills caterpillars, flies, and beetle larvae

Explain how Bt is now one type of GM plant. How did we make these plants?

Bt is a GM plant that is modified to produce poison on its own. -it's created by isolating the gene from Bacillus thuringiensis bacterium responsible for its poison & engineering it into crop plants creating the the Bt GM plants.

Besides GM crops against pests we also make some that are Ht..what does that mean?

Ht crops are GM crops that are herbicide tolerant (Ht) to specifically be tolerant to herbicide w/glyphosate & glufosinate ammonium.

What are pesticides and why are they used?

Pesticide is artificial chemical used to kill insects (called insecticide), plants (called herbicide), or fungi (called fungicide). -They are used because monocultures have less natural enemies and therefore have difficulty to control pests without pesticide use.

Explain the importance of pollinators in food production.

Pollinators perform pollination which is when male sex cells of a plant (pollen) fertilizes female sex cells of a plant. -Pollinators move the pollen from 1 plant to another enabling this process to be performed and allowing plants to grow our food.

What are the downside of GM crops in terms of herbicide resistance and how has that happened?

Since there is no need for insecticide use, herbicide usage is increased causing over 250 weed species to evolve resistance to herbicides worldwide.

Read pages 154-155 and explain what you learned about the possible link of pesticides to colony collapse disorder.

There has been a correlation between pesticide exposure and damage to beehives causing psychological harm, increased mortality, & altered behavioral patterns. -There also have been more colorations between beehive colony dying to the amount of pesticides beebread & honeycomb wax. -The studies show that pesticide may not be the main cause of colonies death, but through exposure to toxic pesticides along with other factors effect the colony in different ways to increase the risk of colony death as a whole.

Explain how pests can become resistant to pesticides

Within the pest populations some of the pests may already have a gene to metabolize & detoxify the pesticide which causes those pest to survive above the rest -Then when the immune pests mate they create more pests with the same gene making the pest population resistant to pesticides over time.

Read table 7.1 and describe what some of the major plants that have been GM are and what we or the world have gained from them.

•Bt corn -one of many Bt crops -major crop in U.S. for animal feed & biofuel •GM salmon -1st GM animal approved for sale of food -Fast growth & large size •Virus-Resistant Papaya -resistant to ringspot virus in Hawaii -2011 became 1st biotech crop to be approved for consumption in Japan •Bt Cotton -Increased yield, decreased insecticide use, & boosted incoming 14 million small farmers in India, China, & other nations.