Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security: Does Biotechnology have a Role? Maarten J. Chrispeels University of California San Diego mchrispeels@ucsd.edu
The long term goals of ag. biotechnology: 1. To reduce inputs in high-input systems (Developed countries). 2. To increase productivity of low input systems (Developing countries) 3. To introduce crop non-uniformity, avoid catastrophes.
As a human endeavor, agriculture is a success: food production has outpaced population during a century of rapid population growth primarily because of the continued introduction of new technologies (genetics and inputs).
Internationally, enormous challenges remain 800 million people live on 1 $ per day and are food insecure Food insecurity is declining slowly, but we are highly unlikely to reach the UN development goal (World Food Summit). Much of the decline is due to improvements in a few countries,especially China and Brazil.
What vision do we have for food production? 1. Every person has sufficient food for a healthy life 2. Food is affordable (low cost?) 3. Food production is (ecologically) sustainable 4. Farmers and farm workers live with dignity
Sustainable agriculture is the ability to maintain long-term stable levels of food production and quality without escalating requirements for inputs to maintain the system.
Uniform systems require constant inputs and are inherently unsustainable
Many agricultural practices are not sustainable Soil erosion Farm worker housing Manure lagoons Coastal water pollution Texas Gulf of Mexico Dust storms Salinization Texas
Aquaculture on the China coast Irrigation with fossil water Nitrogen fertilizer and nitrous oxide release Overgrazing and soil organic matter decline
500 years + of continuous agriculture Pieter Breughel
2025 2000 1975 1950 In LDCs overpopulation and inappropriate practices make food production unsustainable
In DCs high inputs and inappropriate practices are contributors to lack of sustainability Nitrogen fertilizers Pesticides Irrigation Industrial animal production
We can t solve today s problems with yesterday s technologies Ukraine farmer tilling the world s most fertile soil
When plant breeders get involved, things really begin to happen.. Norman Borlaug
How do we use genetics to: (1) reduce inputs (2) make low-input systems productive (3) stabilize systems (4) produce crops adapted to 2050 conditions?
The long term goals of ag. biotechnology: 1. To reduce inputs in high-input systems (Developed countries). 2. To increase productivity of low input systems (developing countries). 3. To introduce non-uniformity, avoid catastrophes.
Chemical Genomics with plants Schematic of a forward chemical genomics screen using Arabidopsis Germinate Add compound library to multiwell plates Screen for specific phenotype
Chemical Genomics Approaches Chemicals that affect the sorting of CPY to the vacuole Zouhar et al (2004) Proc Natl Acad Sci 101:9497 Norambuena et al (2008) BMC Chem Biol 8:1 Chemicals that affect gravitropic response and vacuolar biogenesis Surpin et al (2005) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 102:4902. Rojas-Pierce et al. (2007) Chem Biol 14:1366.
# 5 Proteomics and network analysis: The ball of knowledge!
Using proteomics to identify disease resistance signaling Phosphorylation of PEN3 (ABC transporter) induced by RPM1 Non-modified peptides Phosphopeptides Normalized itraq Intensity 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 R (9 peptides) avr+r (10 peptides) avr (15 peptides) 4hr 2hr 0hr Pool Normalized itraq Intensity 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 R (S45) avr+r (S45) avr+r (S40) avr (S45) 4hr 2hr 0hr Pool Key: R = RPM1 avr + R = Dex::avrRpm1 + RPM1 avr = Dex::avrRpm1 + rpm1 Pool = mix of all samples 0hr = just before Dex added 2hr = 2 hours after Dex added 4hr = 4 hours after Dex added Steve Briggs lab, UCSD
# 6. Creation of GMOs. The insertion of an insecticidal Bt gene into cotton allowed the creation of lepidoptera-resistant cotton thereby reducing the need for pesticides Not GMO GMO
In the LDCs we need more than genes We need better cropping systems especially for hillsides Alley cropping: cowpea and leucana Hillside farming
Improve rural markets, infrastructure and institutions. Roads, markets, transportation, banks that lend money, small seed companies, irrigation canals, etc. Without access to markets, farmers have no incentives to produce.
Improve international and national macroeconomic policies OECD countries subsidize agriculture to the tune of US$ 250 B per year, thereby distorting trade. Tariffs on agricultural products are much higher than on industrial goods.
Improve development of human resources Farmer field school participants
Brasil Improve management of natural resources for the benefit of all people Haiti Madagascar
Agricultural practices and sustainability are heavily influenced by sociopolitical forces. Brussels Washington DC Beijing
Hey, we pay the Piper, let s call the tune Can/will biotechnology contribute to sustainability of our built environment?