FInal

Why are pollinators disappearing?

Pests Pathogens Pesticides Poor Forage

Pests

"Less than 5% of the world's insects are harmful to humans or crops." "95% of insects killed by pesticides are NOT pests and many are beneficial."

Pests and weeds can be reduced by controlling factors such as...

-Crop rotation in the same field ‐ reduces food availability for insect and disrupts life cycle -Timing of planting - can reduce exposure to pests -Insecticides, herbicides, etc ‐ Application of poisons and other chemicals -Use resistant varieties of crops - reduces need for pesticides

Corn Rootworm

-Larval Phase eats roots -Adult phase of corn rootworm eats leaves and sometimes corn silks -reduces water and nutrient uptake through the roots, resulting in both water stress and nutrient stress to the plant. -In addition... Leaf photosynthesis is reduced due to damage of photosynthetic cells -Reduced pollination and seed set

Pro's of GMO's (depends on who you believe. There is SO MUCH nonsense out there)...

1) Reduces or eliminates use of pesticides 2) Crops can be developed to be resistant to certain diseases 3) Crops can be developed to contain certain beneficial products such as vitamins 3) Farmers can do less physical labor 4) Crops can be developed to extend shelf life of fruits

Con's of GMO's (depends on who you believe. There is also lots of nonsense out there)...

1) Resistance to Bt has evolved in various insects 2) Resistance to glyphosate has evolved in various weeds 3) More pesticides and herbicides are now being applied than before 4) Industry has been able to lobby for laws allowing increased pesticide levels in food 5) Seed diversity has declined drastically in the last few years 6) No long‐term human clinical safety trials have ever been conducted 7) Studies in animals have demonstrated that GMO's negatively affect health 8) Farmers can't save seeds, and in most cases, there are no seeds to save 9) Etc., etc., etc.......

The term "Organic"

1940 - First used in an articled by J.J. Rodale (Rodale Press) in a publication called "Fact Digest". 1942 - Fact Digest was succeeded by magazine called "Organic Farming and Gardening"

• Plant Variety Protection Act (PVPA)

1970 Allowed USDA to grant "Certificates of Protection" (lasting 20 years) for "novel" sexually reproduced plants • But... 1) Farmers were still allowed to save seeds for replanting 2) Patented varieties had to be made available to researchers

‐ Diamond v. Chakrabarty

1980 landmark 5‐4 Supreme Court case allowed genetically engineered bacterium to be patented

Seeds for agriculture -

Agriculture began about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago • Agriculture since the dawn of human civilization has been based on seeds and seed saving • Food and seed were the same thing - some seeds were eaten, some saved for next ye

Homozygous (Inbred) =

An organism that contains similar (same) genes for a particular trait from mother and father. For example, tall mother and tall father genes

Types of pesticides

Approximately 350 different chemical "classes" of pesticides are listed on this page. Clicking on all of these classes links to nearly 10,000 different chemicals used as pesticides

Bt corn

Bt corn is a type of corn that has been genetically engineered by inserting genes from a soil bacteria (Bacillus thuringiensis) into its DNA. • This bacteria naturally produces spores that make a toxin that kills insects that consume them. • So the GMO corn produces the toxin in every part of the plant (roots, shoots, leaves, silks, grains, etc.) HT corn varieties are resistant to the herbicide glyphosate (and now other herbicides)

Crops

CROP Yield increase from bees and wild pollinators Squash 81% Tomatoes 18% Blueberries 10% bell peppers 10% Watermelons 10% Peaches 9% Apples 9% Cucumbers 9% Cantaloupes 8% Soybeans 5%

Major Corn Pests

Corn Rootworm Corn Earworm European Corn Borer

HT crops -

Crops able to resist the application of herbicide while the unwanted weeds die because they contain a particular enzyme that is not de‐activated by herbicide

Bt crops

Crops able to resist the corn pests mentioned earlier because they produce the Bt toxin.

Silent Spring

DDT from wwii...But eventually people began to realize that all of these pesticides were not all good. Rachel Carson's book, Silent Spring, alerted the world to its dangers. Due to public outcry about its effects on killing bald eagles, ospreys, Peregrine falcons and other birds, it was banned in the U.S. in 1972. Later it was banned worldwide... except for use in controlling malaria... where it's use is widespread and is still dangerous.

To support health of pollinators:

Decreasing pesticide exposure to honey bees: Increases ability of bees to fight pests and pathogens Improves nutritional quality of pollen and nectar Increases pollination of crops (as fewer bees die in field, more bees are available to pollinate crops!) more bees available to pollinate the next crop Pesticide-free forage increases diversity of food and habitat for all pollinators pollen • nectar • water

Honey bees and other pollinators are affected by pesticides through...

Drift • Dust • Seed treatment • Systemics • Residues • Direct spray • Rain run-off • Contaminated water Picture From source

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO's),

During the 1980's and early 1990's, chemical companies began to use biotechnology to come up with alternative solutions to combat insects and weeds in agriculture. But those solutions were not necessarily chemical‐free also called transgenic or genetically engineered organisms

Hybrid Vigor"

Heterosis Hybrid corn plants will be very vigorous (won't suffer from inbreeding depression)

Inbred line

How to make Hybrid Corn a group of corn plants that have been self‐pollinated for several generations, hence they have low genetic diversity Start with 4 inbred lines (A, B, C, D) Cross as shown to obtain hybrid 1 (AxB) and hybrid 2 (CxD) Cross hybrids 1 and 2 to form a hybrid containing genes from A, B, C, and D in one single plant

Dangers to Honeybees

Insecticides, Herbicides, Fungicides Foliar applied, Soil Drench, Seed Coating, Aerial application, Drip Irrigation, etc. PrivateApplicators, Home owners,Agricultural producers, County & State Departments, etc.

Corn Earworm

Looks like a butterfly -

HoneyBee Transport

More than 1.5 million colonies of Bees start crop pollination migration in California every year Honeybees start crop pollination migration on almonds in California, then go to apples, plums, cherries, alfalfa, and sunflower... Those honeybees will have encountered at least 21 different toxic pesticides. Add another 11 pesticides if the honeybees pollinate blueberries and cranberries.

Neam Oil

Neem tree - Azadirachta indica Essential oils that repel insects are used in organic food production Eugenol is clove oil Extracted from cloves Eugenia aromaticum

Transgenic Atlantic salmon containing genes from cold-water Chinook salmon - grow faster

No safety testing on humans has been conducted Models show that GM salmon escapees in 40-60 generations COULD wipe out wild salmon populations sea lice from fish farms could wipe out wild salmon most likely first GM meat on the plate

• Heterozygous

Not inbred = An organism that contains different genes for a particular trait from mother and father. For example, tall mother and short father genes

Organic food...

Produced without... - 1) Synthetic pesticides - 2) Synthetic fertilizers - 3) Artificial dyes or colorants - 4) Genetically modified organisms (GMO's) - 5) Irradiation - 6) Industrial solvents

Plant pesticidefree pollinator forage

Provide diverse food for your honey bees • No mowing all summer • Reduce your carbon emissions • Provide habitat for other beneficial insects

Organic pesticides"

Pyrethrins are much less toxic than the average synthetic insecticide Pyrethrins are extracted from the flowers of the genus Pyrethrum

patenting of seeds

Realizing there was money to be made, seed companies tried to get patents for plant varieties as early as 1885

What about labeling food to show if it contains GMO's?

The Federal Government does NOT require food containing GMO ingredients to have a GMO label Lots of people have a major problem with that situation and would like to see GMO food labeled as GMO

States trying to get Gmos laabeled

The Vermont Attorney General's Office adopted new regulations last week for labeling food products containing genetically engineered ingredients sold in Vermont after July 1, 2016. The regulations require manufacturers to place a label anywhere on the package where it can be "easily found" with guidelines on font size and color. Connecticut is the first state to enact such legislation, but the rules will take effect only after at least four other states enact similar laws. The bill also requires that any combination of Northeast states where together reside at least 20 million must adopt similar laws in order for the Connecticut regulations to take effect.In favor of GMO labeling

POllinators

The world-wide total value of pollination services by all insects = $100 billion Pollination: stimulates germination of pollen increases viability of seeds, embryos, plants creates more nutritive and aromatic fruits stimulates faster growth of plants increases number and sizes of seeds and crop yields increases nectar production in nectaries increases fruit set and reduces fruit drop enhances resistance to diseases and other adverse climatic changes increases oil content in oil seed crops

1) What government agency is responsible for sanctioning labels on food products?

US Food and Drug Administration is responsible for food labeling

PRoblems w BT corn

contains 10,000 to 100,000 times more Bt toxin than a corn plant sprayed with Bt. Also, the Bt is sprayed on the leaves, most of it washes off with rain, and none of it gets on the corn grains that are eaten by people

Golden rice

contains three new genes, including one from daffodils Plant produces Beta-carotene in the grain Presumably will help solve blindness in children deficient in vitamin A, in societies that have a rice-based diet

Dent corn

dent corn is the basis of the fast food industry (see the dents in each grain?)

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)

has NO economic concern for the effects of the pesticide on non-target species No economic concern, no impact assessment for beekeepers and honey bees New EPA label for neonicotinoids is LIMITED •48 hour notification to move colonies of honeybees . . . To where? •Native pollinators are sacrificed •Bee picture does not imply the product "harms bees" •Conditional "exceptions" allow for legal misuse •Only for neonicotinoid pesticides initially: imidacloprid, clothianidin, thaimethoxam, dinotefuran, tolfenpyrad, Cyantraniliprole. •Neonics are systemics- foliar application may do no harm today, but the neonic filled nectar and pollen set up a pre-lethal situation for the bees This is the better warni

Weeds

have also been a long term problem for agriculture because weeds compete with agricultural plants for water, nutrients, light, etc. So people developed herbicides too (weed killers)

Organic Standards

• 1992 - USDA appointed the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) and established the National Organic Program (NOP). Followed by much arguing for several years... • 2002 ‐ USDA Finally approved a functional version of (NOP) which oversees certification of organic farms

The process of variety development through plant breeding

• People select and breed plants that contain desirable characteristics such as... • High yielding • Insect pest resistance • Disease resistance • Better taste • More nutritious • Etc. plant breeding is useful for solving problems related to production...

Open‐pollinated varieties

• Plants are allowed to cross‐pollinate freely (wind, bees, etc.) with compatible plants in the area. This is the same method used to develop "landraces" of plants • Lots of genetic variation in the population. • Seeds can be saved for planting next year. • Plants will breed "true to type" (next year's plants will generally look like this year's plants)

Organic food production

• Producers require certification by the USDA and must follow organic standards established by the USDA • Only certified organic food can display this label

Organic certification process

• Requires 3 years of organic production before USDA certification can occur • Certification by brokers (third parties) representing the USDA • Accurate record-keeping is an absolute necessity • Must follow the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances

"Landraces

• Through selection and breeding over many thousands of years, farmers developed locally‐adapted crop varieties for their own use. • For example, there are many (close to 60) recognized landraces of corn in Mexico

Can organic agriculture and agroecology feed the world?

• Yes • Recent long term study demonstrated this

rBGH milk or RBST

-treated with antibiotics -puss in milk -imcrease in IGFI hormone in humans -insulin-like growth factor causes cow mastitis, more antibiotics used, and can increase early puberty and also incidence of cancer in adults, especially breast cancer Many milk products are made with milk that comes from cows that have been treated with rGBH

transgenic meats

...As the guidelines stand now, companies do not have to conduct human trials to test the safety of transgenic meats. Nor do they have to specially label products made from GM animals.

GMO‐fed pigs

1) Ate more 2) Were less efficient at converting feed to weight gain 3) Had heavier kidneys 4) Duodenal villi had fewer goblet cells/unit area

There are 5 different types of Bt corn to control the European Corn Borer They all have genes...

1) From Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria 2) From cauliflower mosaic virus 3) For antibiotic resistance from bacteria GMO corn contains a gene (Bt toxin gene) from Bacillus thuringiensis (a bacteria) responsible for production of a toxin which is poisonous to insects like the European corn borer and the corn rootworm. The corn makes its own pesticide in EVERY cell of the plant

How to make GMO Bt corn (or other crop)

1) Get some Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) bacteria 2) Extract the genes from the DNA of the bacteria that code for the production of toxin that kills insects. The toxin is a crystal protein, abbreviated as the CRY protein. There are many different CRY proteins from different bacteria that can be used for this. 3) Insert those CRY genes into corn using biotechnology methods 4) Now the corn will make the CRY toxin in every cell of the plant

How to make GMO HT corn (in simple terms)...

1) Get some corn 2) Extract the genes that code for a herbicide‐tolerant enzyme (ESPS) from a bacteria. The ESPS enzyme is involved in the synthesis of several important amino acids. The herbicide is glyphosate (Roundup®) 3) Insert those HT bacterial ESPS genes into corn (or other species) 4) Now the corn (or other HT‐GMO species) will make the bacterial version of the HT‐tolerant enzyme in every one of its cells. 5) When glyphosate is sprayed on the field, the regular weeds will die but the HT GMO corn (or other crop) will NOT die

Breeding Corn Hybrids

1) Pollen from a particular male 2) Is forced to pollinate a particular female This is a "controlled" pollination, not random as in open‐pollinated varieties collecting pollen from a corn plant applying pollen to the silks of a receptive ear of corn After pollination, fertilization happens Sperm fertilizes egg, a zygote develops. A corn grain develops with an embryo inside.

Other Pollinator Benefits

1)Control erosion, 2)Beautify human environments and increase property values 3)Help native plants that provide food for wildlife and have inherent value as members of local natural ecosystems."

Dirty Dozen Plus

1. Apples 2. Peaches 3. Nectarines 4. Strawberries 5. Grapes 6. Celery 7. Spinach 8. Sweet bell peppers 9. Cucumbers 10. Cherry Tomatoes 11. Snap Peas (Imported) 12. Potatoes + Hot Peppers + Kale/Collard Greens

Clean 15

1. Avocados 2. Sweet Corn 3. Pineapples 4. Cabbage 5. Sweet Peas (Frozen) 6. Onions 7. Asparagus 8. Mangoes 9. Papayas 10. Kiwi 11. Eggplant 12. Grapefruit 13. Cantaloupe 14. Cauliflower 15. Sweet Potatoes

Juice Guides

100% Fruit Juice (liquid expressed from fruit)... Contains Juice with maybe added sugar and a few preservatives Nectar (smashed fruit pulp with water), typically contains plenty of added water 100% fruit nectar No regulation of how much nectar is contained, most common is 20‐30% PURE nectar, the rest is water plus added high fructose corn syrup and other ingredients

Pesticides and their Half-life Impact Upon Pollinators

A half-life is a measure of how long it takes for 50% of a chemical to degrade. Herbicides- eliminates pollinator forage Glyphosate 47 to 174 days in soil; 70-84 days in water Insecticides Pyrethrins- a few hours (highly toxic to bees) Pyrethroids--Bifenthrin 7-8 months (highly toxic to bees) Cypermethrin- 8 days to 8 weeks; 100 days in water ( highly toxic) Deltamethrin- 1-2 weeks (highly toxic to bees) Esfenvalerate- 15 - 90 days in soil, 2-4 weeks on vegetation, 21 days in water (highly toxic to bees) Permethrin- 43 days to 5 years (highly toxic to bees) Neonicotinoids- highly toxic to honey bees Imidacloprid half life of 188-997 days in non-agricultural soil; in cropped and amended soils 40-124 days. Imidacloprid "residues become increasingly bound to soil with time, and by the end of the one year test period, up to 40%" could not be extracted from the soil. (NPIC Fact Sheet for Imidacloprid) Thiamethoxam has a half life of 5 to 638 days in soil and water. (Syngenta Enviro Facts) EPA states Clo

Major GMO agricultural crops

Corn (field and sweet corn) • Soybeans • Cotton • Canola (rapeseed) • Papaya from Hawaii • Alfalfa • Approved for sale... • tomatoes, radicchio, zucchini and yellow squash, many others in development

100% Organic -

Foods completely organic or made with 100% organic ingredients. USDA Organic seal allowed

• Made with organic ingredients

Foods that contain at least 70% organic ingredients. No USDA Organic seal. May list specific organic ingredients on the front of the package.

• Organic

Foods that contain at least 95% organic ingredients. USDA Organic seal allowed

Contains organic ingredients -

Foods that contain less than 70% organic ingredients. No USDA Organic seal. May list specific organic ingredients on the information panel of the package.

ORganic Stats

Organic product sales exceeded $39 billion in 2015 • 54% of organic food sales occur at mainstream grocery stores • Organic non-food sales rose 12.8 % in 2013 totaling $2.7B

Enviropig

Pig waste lagoon high in phosphorus-> eutrophication Pigs normally excrete most of the phosphorus they consume The EnviropigTM a GM Yorkshire pig able to digest plant phosphorus more efficiently. Enviropig has "PHYTASE" gene that came from Escherichia coli bacteria and a promoter gene from a mouse Phytase protein breaks down Phosphorus compounds allowing pig to absorb more P This pig is designed for humans to eat, but not available yet

Hybrid varieties

Plants are crossed with other plants in a very controlled fashion using parents that are inbred • Inbred = plants crossed among themselves for multiple generations • Much less genetic variation in the population. • Seeds can be saved for planting next year but if planted, they will not be "true to type" • Next year's plants will NOT look like this year's plants • Segregation will occur = Genes will begin to separate from each other in the offspring

Gene

Section of DNA in a chromosome that controls the expression of a particular physical trait

Organic food prices

Yes, organic foods tend to be priced slightly higher than food produced through industrial agriculture • Why? Not subsidized by government, more expensive to produce, more labor required smaller market share

Are GMO labels required in other countries?

Yes, pretty much every developed nation around the world requires that GMO's be labeled. 64 countries require GMO labeling Many countries don't allow GMO's within their borders so they don't have GMO labeling laws

Know your garden plants

You can plant forage for honey bees and native pollinators Pesticide free forage is needed to support the nutrition of our managed and native pollinators You too can provide nature's nutrition for your bees, and native pollinators— Turn your yard into a pollinator haven!

gene insertion

agrobacterium vs gene gun agrobacterium- gene inserted into plasmid bacteria mixed w plant cells, plasmid moves into plant cell and inserts bacteria DNA into plant chromosome, cells screened for transgene, transformed cells selected with selection marker, GENE GUN- gene replication, gold particles covered with dna, cells shot w gene gun and DNA incorporated into plant cell chromosome, cells screened for transgene. transformed cells selected w selector marker.

European Corn Borer

also looks like a butterfly Larvae eat right through the corn stalk

Real‐world field exposures—TANK MIXES of different chemicals - beyond EPA's scope

l Photo J. Anderson/American Bee Journal While pollinating almonds in spring 2014, an estimated 80,000 colonies suffered dead foragers, and dead and dying brood after a tank mix was applied

Plant Patent Act of 1930

of 1930, allowing patenting of "asexually" propagated plants (cuttings, rootings, etc.) • Sexually propagated varieties (via seeds) were not allowed • This seemed like common sense

Pesticide Facts

over a billion lbs of pesticides used in the us every year Nearly 6 billion pounds of pesticides used worldwide In California alone, in 2013, 171 million pounds of pesticides were used in crop agriculture The chemicals that we are currently dumping into the groundwater will be there for MANY years. Many states do not require healthcare providers or public health officials to report pesticide illnesses.28 While 30 states require health professionals to report pesticide poisonings, only 12 have the resources and capacity to actively investigate, classify, and document reported cases.

GM cows

produce antimicrobial protein to reduce utter swelling. -resist masiitis causing bacteria GM cows to produce human milK? Transgenic cows to make Human Serum Albuman? HSA- Most abundant protein in human blood

GM goats

produce antithrombin - a blood thinner

Unilever (Breyer's ice cream)

uses GM YEAST to grow antifreeze proteins based on a gene from the ocean pout (cold water arctic fish). • Protein is used to improve the consistency and storage properties of its ice cream brands currently sold in the US

The Organic Trade Association (OTA)

was established in 1985 in the United States and Canada (http://www.ota.com/index.html) • OTA = Membership-based association promoting organic in all of its phases

Utility Patents"

• 1985‐ US Patent and Trademark Office approved patenting of sexually reproducing plants. Allowed corporations to obtain utility patents allow patent owners to DENY farmers rights to save and replant seed and also to exclude others from conducting research on the patented variety • Affirmed in 2001 by the Supreme Court • Corporations rushed to patent thousands of varieties of seeds and plants • Chemical companies bought out seed companies and developed GMO (transgenic) varieties containing novel genetic constructs