美国的生物技术作物

随着转基因作物的临近， 20^日 在美国商业化的周年纪念日. 在 2016, their past gives some indication of their future. A recent report from the Economic Research Service of USDA, 美国的基因工程作物, provides valuable background information. With biotech crops accounting for half the crop acreage in the U.S., 该行业仍然以研究为导向，以解决美国的其他担忧. 作物生产者.

报告的第二个脚注解释了为什么植物生物技术仍然很重要, “Plant biotechnology in general and genetic engineering in particular have significantly reduced the time needed to develop improved plant varieties, 增加了纳入这些新品种的特性的范围和精度. By allowing scientists to target single plant traits through genetic recombination techniques, 植物生物技术减少了通常由传统植物育种杂交产生的残留有害特征的数量, enabling breeders to develop desirable new varieties more rapidly.”

转基因作物产业继续受到联邦政府的监管. Under the Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology, 联邦监督由美国农业部（USDA）承担, EPA, å’ŒFDA, with each bringing its expertise to the regulatory process. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (蚜虫) plays a primary role in regulating field testing of agricultural biotechnology products. EPA regulates a plant as a pesticide if it is engineered to prevent, 破坏, 击退, 或减轻害虫. FDA regulates all food applications of crops developed through the use of biotechnology to ensure they are safe to eat.

APHIS issues authorizations for biotech plants that are categorized as “regulated articles” under its regulations to allow technology developers to pursue in-field tests. Plants that meet six specific criteria undergo a streamlined process, known as ‘notification’. Researchers provide information on the nature of the plant and introduced genes, 基因修饰的描述, 介绍的大小, 以及运动的起点和终点或现场测试的位置. For biotech plants that do not meet the criteria for a ‘notification’, an APHIS ‘permit’ 需要进行更全面的审查. Researchers must describe how they will perform the test, 包括减少对其他植物的危害风险的具体措施, 因此，测试的性状保持受限，并且在完成允许的活动后不会持续存在.

现场测试发布 (通知和许可证) are a good measure of the research interest. 从 1985 到9月 2013, 累积的 17,000 releases have been granted. Corn was the leader with 7,800. Herbicide resistance traits totaled about 6,800 百分百, 昆虫的抗性总计 4,900. Product quality such as flavor or nutrition accounted for an additional 4,900 releases. In fiscal year 2012, 767 批准发布 9,133 授权网站和 469,202 结构体 (一段DNA，其充当将目标基因带入受体生物的媒介或载体).

经过足够的现场测试, 特质开发者可以请求APHIS申请确定非管制状态，以准备特质商业化. If APHIS concludes after a thorough review that the trait is unlikely to pose a plant pest risk, 特质被确定为不受管制状态. The trait can be moved and planted without APHIS oversight.

根据数据，作者从生物技术信息系统检索到, “As of September 2013, APHIS已收到 145 解除管制的请愿书 96 (31 被撤回, 17 待定, å’Œ 1 不完整).” Corn had the most petitions granted with 30; 其次是 15 用于棉花; 12 用于大豆; 11 西红柿; 8 用于油菜籽/油菜籽; 5 土豆; 3 用于甜菜; 2 每个木瓜, 白饭, 和南瓜; å’Œ 1 每个苜蓿, 李子, 玫瑰, 烟草, 亚麻, 和菊苣. By trait, 43 批准了除草剂耐受性的请愿书, 31 用于抗虫, 17 为了产品质量, 9 农艺特性, 8 用于抗病毒, å’Œ 2 for others.”

中美. 农民种下了 169 百万英亩转基因玉米, 大豆, 和棉花 2013, 占美国近一半. land used to grow crops. Soybeans with herbicide resistance accounted for 93 percent of total soybean acreage. Corn and cotton with herbicide tolerance and/or insect resistance accounted for 90 percent of their respective acreage. Herbicide tolerant crops have helped spread no-till farming since they allow more effective systems for weed control. When USDA surveys farmers on why they use biotech seeds, 关于 75 percent of cotton and corn farmers say to increase yields. Sixty percent of soybean farmers say to increase yields and another 20 百分比表示降低农药成本.

这似乎与作者发现不一致, “Over the first 15 多年的商业使用, GE seeds have not been shown to increase yield potentials of the varieties.” The authors clear up the confusion in the same paragraph with a follow-up statement, “然而, 通过保护植物免受某些害虫的侵害, 转基因作物可以防止害虫减产, allowing the plant to approach its yield potential.” Farmers see the higher yields resulting from better weed and insect control, 同时节省投入成本和腾出的管理时间.

含有土壤细菌基因的抗虫或Bt作物 苏云金芽孢杆菌 (Bt) 在减轻产量损失方面特别有效. Before 1996, 欧洲玉米bore仅通过化学杀虫剂得到部分控制. 许多农民接受了产量损失，而不是承担化学控制的费用和不确定性. 引入Bt玉米后, 以前使用杀虫剂控制了玉米bore侵扰的收养者降低了农药成本并提高了产量. 所有玉米农场的杀虫剂使用量从 0.21 每玉米种植一英亩玉米的磅数 1995 至 0.06 在 2005 磅和 0.02 磅入 2010.

中美. 农作物农民继续面临诸如草甘膦耐受性杂草的挑战, 耐旱性, 氮利用, increasing yields and viral/fungal resistance. The ERS report shows that the biotech seed industry is actively engaged in researching solutions to these and other production problems.

罗斯Korves是贸易和经济政策分析师真相关于贸易 &技术 (www.truthabouttrade.org). 跟着我们: @TruthAboutTrade上 推特 |真相关于贸易 & 科技上 Facebook的.