Dr Julian Little Chair of the Agricultural Biotechnology Council All-Party Parliamentary Group on Science and Technology in Agriculture GM Crops – so what

Dr Julian LittleChair of the Agricultural Biotechnology Council

All-Party Parliamentary Group on Science and Technology in Agriculture

GM Crops – so what is in the pipeline?

JPL – APPG on Science & Technology in Agriculture – 24/03/09

GM crops – what’s in the pipeline?

Crops

Countries

Public-Private Partnerships

Conclusions


Remember…

The European Regulatory system is the most robust anywhere in the world

No GM product has achieved regulatory approval for cultivation since 1998

Only one “first generation” is currently licenced for use in the EU

We do have a functional system for import and food and feed use

10 products went into the system in 2008

Only 4 products came out of the system in 2008


Bt/RR2Y(Monsanto)

Low Sat(Monsanto)

Omega-3(Monsanto;

Steandonic Acid)

HighStearate(Monsanto;

DuPont)

High Beta- Conglycinin

(Monsanto; DuPont)

Industry Soybean PortfolioIndustry Soybean PortfolioA Steady Pipeline of New Biotech Events Nearly Every Year

Processing: High Oil Soy(Monsanto)

High Oleic(DuPont)

Liberty Link (Bayer)

Agronomic Quality/Food

RR2Y(Monsanto)

201X2009

Modified 7S Protein FF (DuPont)

High Oleic, Stearate (DuPont)

Low Lin(Syngenta)

Glyphosate & isoxazole tol. (Bayer)*

Low-Phytate(DuPont)

Dicamba Tolerant(Monsanto)

Omega-3(EPA/DHA)

DuPont

Feed: High Protein Soybean

(Monsanto; DuPont)

Yield(Monsanto;

Pioneer)

Rust(Monsanto;

Pioneer

Antibody -containing

(against E. coli 0157:H)

Herbicide tol.: 2,4-D (Dow) and aryloxyphenoxy propionate herbicides

Disease(Monsanto;

Pioneer)

Soybean Cyst Nematode

Monsanto; PioneerGAT/Glyphosate-ALS (Pioneer)

*Estimated commercialization pipeline of soybean biotech events prepared by the American Soybean Association, November 2007.


Bt/RR2Y(Monsanto)

Low Sat(Monsanto)

Omega-3(Monsanto;

Steandonic Acid)

HighStearate

(Monsanto; DuPont)

High Beta- Conglycinin(Monsanto;

DuPont)

Industry Soybean Portfolio – Helping Farmers to grow their cropIndustry Soybean Portfolio – Helping Farmers to grow their cropA Steady Pipeline of New Biotech Events Nearly Every Year

Processing: High Oil Soy

(Monsanto)

High Oleic(DuPont)



RR2Y(Monsanto)

201X2009



Low Lin(Syngenta)


Low-Phytate(DuPont)


Omega-3(EPA/DHA)

DuPont

Feed: High Protein Soybean(Monsanto; DuPont) Yield

(Monsanto; Pioneer)

Rust(Monsanto;

Pioneer




Disease(Monsanto;

Pioneer)

Soybean Cyst Nematode

Monsanto; PioneerGAT/Glyphosate-ALS (Pioneer)



Bt/RR2Y(Monsanto)

Low Sat(Monsanto)

Omega-3(Monsanto;

Steandonic Acid)

HighStearate(Monsanto;

DuPont)

High Beta- Conglycinin

(Monsanto; DuPont)

Industry Soybean Portfolio – Food Quality & NutritionIndustry Soybean Portfolio – Food Quality & NutritionA Steady Pipeline of New Biotech Events Nearly Every Year

Processing: High Oil Soy(Monsanto)

High Oleic(DuPont)



RR2Y(Monsanto)

201X2009



Low Lin(Syngenta)


Low-Phytate(DuPont)


Omega-3(EPA/DHA)

DuPont

Feed: High Protein Soybean

(Monsanto; DuPont)

Yield(Monsanto; Pioneer)

Rust(Monsanto; Pioneer




Disease(Monsanto; Pioneer)

Soybean Cyst NematodeMonsanto; Pioneer

GAT/Glyphosate-ALS (Pioneer)



Soybean – non agronomic traitsSoybean – non agronomic traits

High oleic soybean– Oleic acid reduces transfats– Submitted for regulatory approval

Low phytate soybeans– Reduced phosphorus levels in livestock/poultry manure– Improved human nutrition through better mineral absorption by the

body

High omega-3 soybeans– Much increased omega-3 levels for improved human health benefits

High stearic acid soybeans– Up to six times more than conventional with improved food processing

benefits through reducing harmful fats


…and not just an empty promise!

Long chain omega-3 fatty acids – a vital constituent in our diets but rarely eaten at the recommended levels

Up to now, the only viable point of entry for the long chain versions is through unsustainable fishing

Now successfully introduced into soybean

Crops grown in field trials

Human clinical trials completed

Close to submission for regulatory approval

Will we ever see it on the UK shelves??

On the way…


Maize

2010 2011 2012 >2012

Optimum AcreMax multiple insect tolerance

stack (Pioneer)

Herculex multiple insect tolerance(Dow / Pioneer)

Optimum GAT – multiple herbicide

tolerance(Pioneer)

SmartStax multiple insect tolerance

(Dow / Monsanto)

NutriDense® corn increased protein content, essential amino acids & reduced

phytate content (BASF)

DHP herbicide resistance

(Dow)

Drought Tolerance (Monsanto &

Syngenta)

Nitrogen-use efficiency (Monsanto & Syngenta)

High Lysine(Monsanto)

Corn Amylase

(Syngenta)


Maize

2010 2011 2012 >2012


stack (Pioneer)



tolerance(Pioneer)


(Dow / Monsanto)




(Dow)


Syngenta)



Corn Amylase

(Syngenta)


2010 2011 2012 >2012


stack (Pioneer)



tolerance(Pioneer)


(Dow / Monsanto)




(Dow)


Syngenta)



Corn Amylase

(Syngenta)

Maize – for farmers


Maize – for climate change

2010 2011 2012 >2012


stack (Pioneer)



tolerance(Pioneer)


(Dow / Monsanto)




(Dow)


Syngenta)



Corn Amylase

(Syngenta)


Maize - Nutrition

2010 2011 2012 >2012


stack (Pioneer)



tolerance(Pioneer)


(Dow / Monsanto)




(Dow)


Syngenta)



Corn Amylase

(Syngenta)


More and more GM crops now have Multiple Gene Additions


What does Bt (insect tolerance) do for your yield?


Potatoes – esp BASF

– Blight Resistance – would have a huge positive impact on potato growing in UK and Ireland

– Industrial use – higher quality, lower energy imput. Amflora currently stuck in EU system

UK Specific Crops

Oilseed Rape – esp Bayer & BASF

– Modified oils to include zero-trans and long chain fats versions as well as Omega-3– Even higher yielding versions on the way


China – already commercialised

Crop Field TrialsEnvironmental

Release

Pre-Production

Trial

Commercial Activity

Cotton

Tobacco

Tomato Sweet Pepper

Papaya

Poplar Trees

Flowers


China – close to formal commercialisation

Crop Field TrialsEnvironmental

Release

Pre-Production

Trial

Commercial Activity

Rice 2009?

Wheat ?

Maize ?

Soybean ?

Oilseed Rape ?

Chilli ?

Potato

Peanut

Cabbage


India

Crop Trait ResearchContained Field

TrialsField Trials

Commercial Activity

Cotton Insect Resistance

Brinjal (Eggplant)

Insect Resistance 2009

Cabbage Insect Resistance 2009?

Cauliflower Insect Resistance 2009?

Mustard Increased Yield

Rice Insect Resistance

Maize Insect Resistance

Okra Insect Resistance

Groundnut Insect Resistance

Potato Late Potato Blight

TomatoLycopene

enhancement


Public-Private Partnerships

Water-Efficient Maize

Insect Resistant Cabbage / Cauliflower

Super-Cassava

Golden Rice


So what about wheat?

RR WheatInsect Resistant

Wheat

Drought-tolerant Wheat

Disease-Resistant Wheat

Fusarium-resistant wheat


Conclusions

The first generation simple GM crops are being rapidly supplanted by multiple gene stacked second generation products

Different companies have different expertise in different crops

Increasingly, crops containing quality traits are entering the regulatory process

Public funding is starting to drive innovation in countries such as India and China

Where normal business models are absent, public-private partnerships allow access to this increasingly powerful technology

Documents

Dr Julian Little Chair of the Agricultural Biotechnology Council All-Party Parliamentary Group on Science and Technology in Agriculture GM Crops – so what