AgBioForum, vol. 17, no.1 (2014)
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Item How Much Can GMO and Non-GMO Cultivars Coexist in a Megadiverse Country?(University of Missouri, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, 2014) Burgeff, Caroline; Huerta, Elleli; Acevedo, Francisca; Sarukhán, JoséThe relevance of addressing coexistence between GM, conventional, and organic agricultural production mostly has been driven in industrialized countries by (international) commercial issues and consumer choices. While some of these drivers are also relevant in less industrialized countries, coexistence of the different agricultural options in these countries might be more complex and have indirect consequences that need to be considered in a more integrated way.Item The Influence of Scientists, Agricultural Advisors, and Farmers on Innovative Agrobiotechnology(University of Missouri, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, 2014) Małyska, Aleksandra; Twardowski, TomaszAgrobiotechnology is one of the most innovative fields of science, and its achievements are widely used in knowledge-based bioeconomy (KBBE). At the same time, some products in several countries arouse public controversy; 75% of Poles are against using genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food and feed production. It should be stressed that scientists involved in molecular research play a crucial role in technological progress, as well as farmers and agricultural advisors responsible for the information flow. In order to identify the determinants underlying the perception of GMOs, qualitative and quantitative studies were carried out in 2012 and 2013 in Poland. Results of this study revealed that scientists were rather optimistic about the use of genetic engineering in the economy, agricultural advisors were mostly against the use of GMOs in food and feed production, and farmers showed particular interest in the profitability and safety of specific GM products.Item Analysis of the Prevalence of CDC Triffid Transgenic Flax in Canadian Grain Stocks(University of Missouri, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, 2014) Booker, Helen M.; Mischkolz, Jenalee M.; St. Louis, Michael; Lamb, Eric G.CDC Triffid transgenic flax was deregistered in 2001 due to concerns about the effect of its production on offshore markets. A decade after removal of CDC Triffid from the commercial system in Canada, it was detected in grain shipments to Europe. This event resulted in a disruption of trade between Canada and the EU. To demonstrate compliance, the industry in Canada adopted a testing protocol involving testing grain samples (post-harvest) using a RT-PCR test for the construct found in CDC Triffid. This study re-evaluates GM presence in Canadian grain stocks for the updated data set of 2009-2013 using a previously described simulation model to estimate low-level GM presence. The test results were broken down by category (i.e., seed or grain) as well as crop year. For each category of seed or grain, it was determined whether the observed positives deviated from the expected number of false positives (i.e., due to chance alone). In most cases, the number of positive tests was significantly higher than expected due to chance alone. For these categories of seed or grain, a simulation model was applied to the test results to estimate GM contamination levels. The number of positive tests showed a downward trend, indicating removal of transgenic flax from the commercial system. However, low-level GM presence persists in grain stocks. A way forward for the Canadian grain industry is presented, including renewal of seed stocks with reconstituted GM-free varieties.Item Coexistence in the Case of a Perennia l Species Complex : The Potential Challenges of Coexistence between GM and Non-GM Prunus Species(University of Missouri, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, 2014) Van Acker, Rene C.; Cici, S. Zahra. H.The characteristics of Prunus species highlight the complexity of maintaining coexistence between genetically modified (GM) and non-GM Prunus in the case of commercial production of GM Prunus species and have implications for proposed low-level presence (LLP) policies. These characteristics include genetic diversity, genetic bridging capacity, inter- and intra-specific genetic compatibility, self sterility (in most species), high frequency of open pollination, insect-assisted pollination, perennial nature, tendency to escape from cultivation, and the existence of ornamental and roadside Prunus species. GM plum is the first Prunus species to be deregulated, yet the current plum production system is not designed to prevent gene flow at the level required to prevent LLP of given GM traits especially when it does not take into account the implication of the opportunity for trait movement across the Prunus species complex. The commercialization of one GM Prunus species may create coexistence and LLP issues for the commercial production of many non-GM Prunus species.Item The Existence and the Socio-Economic Implications of Genetic Networks : A Meta-Analysis(University of Missouri, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, 2014) Scandizzo, Pasquale Lucio; Imperiali, AlessandraGenetic networks are recent paradigms for the inheritance of traits from parents. They can be defined as relational structures composed of genes, some of which carry genetic information, and linkages with structural or regulating properties. Previous studies have found that biological networks are characterized by scale-free or power-law algorithms, with the development of highly influential genes with many -- but sparse -- connections to other genes, and with key regulatory roles in phenotypical expression. The highly influential genes are "hotspots" of regulatory functions and represent the top of the network. Seven basic typologies of genetic networks have been discovered; in these networks, genes play different roles. In this article, we address the issue of the characteristics of genetic networks and their social and economic implications by reviewing recent literature on the subject and developing a meta-analysis of a sample of recent studies. We explore the implications of a model where the desirable traits depend not only on the properties of the individual genes, but also on their connections and the architecture of the network. The model suggests that under reasonable hypotheses and interpretations of past research, several important consequences follow for the interpretation of the roles of genes in everyday life, their interaction with the environment, and their socio-economic role. A major implication for agricultural research on biotechnology is that a strategy aimed to select varieties on the basis of topological properties of the underlying genetic network, and their regulatory role, may be more successful than one depending only on focusing on the direct association between specific genes and desirable traits.