Transgenic corn and innate plant toxins

What is word is replacing GMO?

Bioengineered

What are the 2 BT genes inserted into plants?

Cry: protein from the crystalline

Vip: from the vegetative stage of BT

How does BT work?

Bacterial Thurengis grows within host (vegetative stage); then resting spore stage produce crystalline protein

What BT crop was first made, when was it approved?

A tabacco plant in 1987. It was approved for corn, potato, and cotton in 1995

What pest do BT target primarily?

Worms and Beetles

What are all corn seeds treated with?

Neonicotinoids

What was the billion dollar insect BT took care of?

European corn borer

What has changed with BT stacking?

They have made it where it is effective on all target pests. Before, you would need to choose efficacy. (VIP and CRY gene are in plants at same time).

Who gets biggest boost from BT planting?

Those that do not plant it because they still get the benefit of those that do (suppreses regional boring insects)

What has BT done to pesticides?

It has reduced their need to be applied.

Do BT increase yields?

No, they protect the inherit potential of different cultivars.

Who enforces GMO in the US?

Regulation in the U.S. is by 3 federal agencies.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

What is the idea behind refuse strategy?

Some seed needs to be planted that is not BT so the non-resistant species can still breed. Resistance is recessive.

What is RIB? why isn’t it always used?

The seed bag comes pre-mixed with refuse seed that is not BT (Refuse in Bag). Some states require you to plant whole strips of non-BT (this only applies to cotton).

What are some resistant species?

Fall armyworms, Bollworms

How many genes are actually combined in BT?

4 different genes

What does cotton BT target?

Bollworm

What are the worries of BT?

Consumer fear and marketing of GMO crops

Cost and perception of benefit

“Yield drag” of GMO varieties

Lack of high-yielding conventional hybrids

Corporate ‘dominance’ of production

Gene flow to non-GMO fields and wild relatives

Canola & Mustard; Bentgrass

Contamination of Organic production

International trade issues

Non-target effects, natural enemies, pollinators

What butterfly is a worry due to milkweed death?

Monarch

What does it mean if a GMO is stacked? Pyramided?

engineered genes for multiple target pests in the same plant: weeds, lep, rootworms. The stack is for the same species

What is PIP

Plant incorperated Protectants