July 7th, 2009
Can we engineer insect-free crops?
The promise of bio-engineering and genetically-modified crops is that we’ll get better yields, more food or cotton for us, less for our six-legged opponents. Now comes research that insect evolve more quickly than expected and may rapidly overcome any pest-repelling chemicals in our genetically modified plants. Evolutionary escalation at work.
For those who refuse to believe in evolution this whole discussion will be so unpleasant. No word yet of any divine intervention on behalf of humanity nor the insects.
Turns out caterpillars can quickly adjust to the transgenic plants we engineer. Says the report, “Insects can become resistant to individual insecticides in much the same way as bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics.” So the answer is to modify plants to create multiple levels of insect repellents or toxins. Thus the escalation. The research was done in laboratory controlled patches, not in open fields. While the caterpillars wuickly began evolving they were not totally immune to the engineering plants’ built-in toxins. Yet even the researchers likened it to an arms race.
Then we have to trust the genetic modifiers to not create any of those insect-hurters that are human-hurters as well. Let’s see a show of hands on all who implicitly trust agribusiness to keep us healthy regardless of profit potential.
Another goal of genetic engineering in crops will be higher yield with less water, or more heat resistant strains as the climate changes.
A newsman since 1969, Harry Fuller has worked for CBS, ABC, CNBC Europe, CNET and was founding news director at TechTV. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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