Roundup Ready

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Roundup Ready is the Monsanto trademark for its patented line of genetically modified crop seeds that are resistant to its glyphosate-based herbicide, Roundup.

Contents

History

In 1996, genetically modified Roundup Ready soybeans resistant to Roundup became commercially available, followed by Roundup Ready corn in 1998. [1] Current Roundup Ready crops include soy, corn (maize), canola, [2] sugar beets, [3] cotton, and alfalfa, [4] with wheat [5] still under development. Additional information on Roundup Ready crops is available on the GM Crops List. [6] As of 2005, 87% of U.S. soybean fields were planted with glyphosate resistant varieties. [7] [8]

While the use of Roundup Ready crops has increased the usage of herbicides measured in pounds applied per acre, [9] it has also changed the herbicide use profile away from atrazine, metribuzin, and alachlor [ citation needed ] which are more likely to be present in run off water.[ citation needed ]

An injunction in the case of Center for Food Safety v. USDA in September, 2010 prevented farmers from planting Roundup Ready sugar beets across the United States until a remedial environmental impact report could be filed, prompting some fear of a sugar shortage. [10] The USDA completed an environmental impact study of Roundup Ready sugar beets in 2012 and concluded that they are safe, at which time they were deregulated. [11]

In 2016, Monsanto introduced Roundup Ready Xtend soybeans, modified to tolerate both dicamba and glyphosate. Xtend soybeans were planted on 1 million acres in 2016, and by 2020 were projected to be planted on 50 million acres. [12]

Patents

The US patent for Roundup Ready soybeans expired in 2014. [13] The US patent for Roundup Ready canola expired on 26 April 2022. [14] The 2022 film Percy is based on Canadian farmer Percy Schmeiser's legal battle against Monsanto over the Roundup Ready canola patent. [14]

Genetic engineering

Some microorganisms have a version of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS: EC 2.5.1.19, 3-phosphoshikimate 1-carboxyvinyltransferase; 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthetase; phosphoenolpyruvate:3-phosphoshikimate 5-O-(1-carboxyvinyl)-transferase) that is resistant to glyphosate inhibition. The version used in genetically modified crops was isolated from Agrobacterium strain CP4 (CP4 EPSPS) that was resistant to glyphosate. [15] [16] The CP4 EPSPS gene was cloned and inserted into soybeans. The CP4 EPSPS gene was engineered for plant expression by fusing the 5' end of the gene to a chloroplast transit peptide derived from the petunia EPSPS. This transit peptide was used because it had shown previously an ability to deliver bacterial EPSPS to the chloroplasts of other plants. The plasmid used to move the gene into soybeans was PV-GMGTO4. It contained three bacterial genes, two CP4 EPSPS genes, and a gene encoding beta-glucuronidase (GUS) from Escherichia coli as a marker. The DNA was injected into the soybeans using the particle-acceleration method or "gene gun". Soybean cultivar A54O3 was used for the transformation. The expression of the GUS gene was used as the initial evidence of transformation. GUS expression was detected by a staining method in which the GUS enzyme converts a substrate into a blue precipitate. Those plants that showed GUS expression were then taken and sprayed with glyphosate and their tolerance was tested over many generations.

Productivity claims

Under special conditions meant to reveal only genetic yield factors, RR lines actually have worse yields. In 1999, a review of Roundup Ready soybean crops found that, compared to the top conventional varieties, they had a 6.7% lower yield. [9] This so called "yield drag" follows the same pattern observed when other traits are introduced into soybeans by conventional breeding. [17] Monsanto claims later patented varieties yield 7-11% higher than their poorly performing initial varieties, closer to those of conventional farming, although the company refrains from citing actual yields. [18] Monsanto's 2006 application to USDA states that RR2 (mon89788) yields 1.6 bu less than A3244, the conventional variety that the trait is inserted into. [19]

Many genetically engineered crops have similar yield alterations due to one or both of the common causes for this. Roundup Ready crops have both: Yield drag due to the modification itself interfering with yield production; and yield lag due to the delay in breeding the best new yield genetics into the RR lines. [20]

Because this kind of testing is done under artificial conditions, these results do not hold for actual field conditions with weed pressure. [20] Under realistic field use the weed control advantages are more significant.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sugar beet</span> Plant grown commercially for sugar production

A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and which is grown commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding, it is known as the Altissima cultivar group of the common beet. Together with other beet cultivars, such as beetroot and chard, it belongs to the subspecies Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris. Its closest wild relative is the sea beet.

The Monsanto Company was an American agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation founded in 1901 and headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri. Monsanto's best known product is Roundup, a glyphosate-based herbicide, developed in the 1970s. Later, the company became a major producer of genetically engineered crops. In 2018, the company ranked 199th on the Fortune 500 of the largest United States corporations by revenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glyphosate</span> Systemic herbicide and crop desiccant

Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide and crop desiccant. It is an organophosphorus compound, specifically a phosphonate, which acts by inhibiting the plant enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSP). It is used to kill weeds, especially annual broadleaf weeds and grasses that compete with crops. Its herbicidal effectiveness was discovered by Monsanto chemist John E. Franz in 1970. Monsanto brought it to market for agricultural use in 1974 under the trade name Roundup. Monsanto's last commercially relevant United States patent expired in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boliviana negra</span>

Boliviana negra, also known as supercoca or la millionaria, is a form of coca that is purportedly resistant to the herbicide glyphosate. The coca plant is the source of the potentially addictive stimulant cocaine, a prescription drug and one of the most widely consumed illegal drugs in the world and the source of large amounts of money to various criminal organizations. Glyphosate is a key ingredient in the multibillion-dollar aerial coca eradication campaign undertaken by the government of Colombia with U.S. financial and military backing known as Plan Colombia.

<i>Monsanto Canada Inc v Schmeiser</i> Supreme Court of Canada decision

Monsanto Canada Inc v Schmeiser [2004] 1 S.C.R. 902, 2004 SCC 34 is a leading Supreme Court of Canada case on patent rights for biotechnology, between a Canadian canola farmer, Percy Schmeiser, and the agricultural biotechnology company Monsanto. The court heard the question of whether Schmeiser's intentionally growing genetically modified plants constituted "use" of Monsanto's patented genetically modified plant cells. By a 5-4 majority, the court ruled that it did. The Supreme Court also ruled 9-0 that Schmeiser did not have to pay Monsanto their technology use fee, damages or costs, as Schmeiser did not receive any benefit from the technology. The case drew worldwide attention and is widely misunderstood to concern what happens when farmers' fields are accidentally contaminated with patented seed. However, by the time the case went to trial, all claims of accidental contamination had been dropped; the court only considered the GM canola in Schmeiser's fields, which Schmeiser had intentionally concentrated and planted. Schmeiser did not put forward any defence of accidental contamination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetically modified crops</span> Plants used in agriculture

Genetically modified crops are plants used in agriculture, the DNA of which has been modified using genetic engineering methods. Plant genomes can be engineered by physical methods or by use of Agrobacterium for the delivery of sequences hosted in T-DNA binary vectors. In most cases, the aim is to introduce a new trait to the plant which does not occur naturally in the species. Examples in food crops include resistance to certain pests, diseases, environmental conditions, reduction of spoilage, resistance to chemical treatments, or improving the nutrient profile of the crop. Examples in non-food crops include production of pharmaceutical agents, biofuels, and other industrially useful goods, as well as for bioremediation.

Since the advent of genetic engineering in the 1970s, concerns have been raised about the dangers of the technology. Laws, regulations, and treaties were created in the years following to contain genetically modified organisms and prevent their escape. Nevertheless, there are several examples of failure to keep GM crops separate from conventional ones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intensive crop farming</span> Modern form of farming

Intensive crop farming is a modern industrialized form of crop farming. Intensive crop farming's methods include innovation in agricultural machinery, farming methods, genetic engineering technology, techniques for achieving economies of scale in production, the creation of new markets for consumption, patent protection of genetic information, and global trade. These methods are widespread in developed nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SmartStax</span> Seeds protected against bugs, weeds

SmartStax is a brand of genetically modified seed made through a collaboration between Monsanto Company and Dow Chemical Company. It takes advantage of multiple modes of insect protection and herbicide tolerance. SmartStax takes advantage of Yieldgard VT Triple (Monsanto), Herculex Xtra (Dow), RoundUp Ready 2 (Monsanto), and Liberty Link (Dow). The traits included protect against above-ground insects, below-ground insects, and provide broad herbicide tolerance. It is currently available for corn, but cotton, soybean, and specialty crop variations are to be released. Previously, the most genes artificially added to a single plant was three, but Smartstax includes eight. Smartstax also incorporates Monsanto's Acceleron Seed Treatment System which protects against insects at the earliest stages of development. Smartstax is sold under the Genuity (Monsanto) and Mycogen (Dow) brands.

The United States is the largest grower of commercial crops that have been genetically engineered in the world, but not without domestic and international opposition.

Genetically modified wheat is wheat that has been genetically engineered by the direct manipulation of its genome using biotechnology. As of 2020, no GM wheat is grown commercially, although many field tests have been conducted, with one wheat variety, Bioceres HB4 Wheat, obtaining regulatory approval from the Argentinean government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetically modified soybean</span> Soybean that has had DNA introduced into it using genetic engineering techniques

A genetically modified soybean is a soybean that has had DNA introduced into it using genetic engineering techniques. In 1996, the first genetically modified soybean was introduced to the U.S. by Monsanto. In 2014, 90.7 million hectares of GM soybeans were planted worldwide, this is almost 82% of the total soybeans cultivation area.

Genetically modified canola is a genetically modified crop. The first strain, Roundup Ready canola, was developed by Monsanto for tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in the commonly used herbicide Roundup.

The Center for Food Safety (CFS) is a 501c3, U.S. non-profit advocacy organization, based in Washington, D.C. It maintains an office in San Francisco, California. The executive director is Andrew Kimbrell, an attorney. Its stated mission is to protect human health and the environment, focusing on food production technologies such as genetically modified plants and organisms (GMOs). It was founded in 1997.

MON 87705 is a genetically engineered variety of glyphosate-resistant low-linolenic, high-oleic soybeans produced by Monsanto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EPSP synthase</span> Enzyme produced by plants and microorganisms

5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate (EPSP) synthase is an enzyme produced by plants and microorganisms. EPSPS catalyzes the chemical reaction:

The Enlist Weed Control System is an agricultural system that includes seeds for genetically modified crops that are resistant to Enlist and the Enlist herbicide; spraying the herbicide will kill weeds but not the resulting crop. The system was developed by Dow AgroSciences, part of Dow Chemical Company. In October 2014 the system was registered for restricted use in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin by the US Environmental Protection Agency. In 2013, the system was approved by Canada for the same uses.

A genetically modified sugar beet is a sugar beet that has been genetically engineered by the direct modification of its genome using biotechnology. Commercialized GM sugar beets make use of a glyphosate-resistance modification developed by Monsanto and KWS Saat. These glyphosate-resistant beets, also called 'Roundup Ready' sugar beets, were developed by 2000, but not commercialized until 2007. For international trade, sugar beets have a Maximum Residue Limit of glyphosate of 15 mg/Kg at harvest. As of 2016, GMO sugar beets are grown in the United States and Canada. In the United States, they play an important role in domestic sugar production. Studies have concluded the sugar from glyphosate-resistant sugar beets is molecularly identical to and so has the same nutritional value as sugar from conventional (non-GMO) sugar beets.

References

  1. ↑ "Monsanto Company History". Monsanto.com. 2008-11-03. Archived from the original on 2008-04-23. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
  2. ↑ "Monsanto Genuity Roundup Ready canola trait". Genuity.com. 2008-11-03. Retrieved 2010-08-22.[ dead link ]
  3. ↑ "Monsanto Genuity Roundup Ready sugarbeets trait". Genuity.com. 2008-11-03. Retrieved 2010-08-22.[ dead link ]
  4. ↑ ISSAA GM database approval entry for alfalfa event MON-00101
  5. ↑ ISAAA GM approval database entry for wheat event MON71800
  6. ↑ International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications - GM Crop List
  7. ↑ USDA/APHIS Environmental Assessment — In response to Monsanto Petition 06-178-01p seeking a Determination of Non-regulated Status for Roundup Ready 2 Yield Soybean MON 89788, OECD Unique Identifier MON-89788-1, U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service + Biotechnology Regulatory Services page 13
  8. ↑ National Agriculture Statistics Service (2005) in Acreage eds. Johanns, M. & Wiyatt, S. D. 6 30, (U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, DC).
  9. 1 2 Charles Benbrook. Evidence of the Magnitude and Consequences of the Roundup Ready Soybean Yield Drag from University-Based Varietal Trials in 1998. Ag BioTech InfoNet Technical Paper Number 1
  10. ↑ "Sugar Beet Beatdown: Engineered Varieties Banned". NPR.org.
  11. ↑ "USDA APHIS | USDA Announces Final Environmental Impact Statement and Plant Pest Risk Assessment for Genetically Engineered Sugar Beets". Archived from the original on 2020-06-12. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  12. ↑ Polansek, Tom; Nickel, Rod (4 March 2020). "Bayer's top seed faces U.S. soybean challenge from Corteva". Reuters. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  13. ↑ "Monsanto Will Let Bio-Crop Patents Expire". Business Week. January 21, 2010. Archived from the original on January 27, 2010. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  14. 1 2 Pratt, Sean (14 October 2021). "Roundup Ready canola patent set to expire". The Western Producer. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  15. ↑ Development and Characterization of a CP4 EPSPS-Based, Glyphosate-Tolerant Corn Event,G. R. Heck et al. Crop Sci. 45:329-339 (2005). Archived 2009-03-19 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ↑ Molecular basis for the herbicide resistance of Roundup Ready crops, T. Funke et al., PNAS 2006 103:13010-13015
  17. ↑ Caviness, Charles E.; Walters, H.J. (1971). "Effect of phytophthora rot on yield and chemical composition of soybean seed". Crop Science. Madison, Wisconsin: ACSESS. 11 (1): 83–84. doi:10.2135/cropsci1971.0011183X001100010029x.
  18. ↑ "Roundup Ready 2 Yield® Soybeans | Bayer Traits". Bayer CropScience .
  19. ↑ "Microsoft Word - RR2Y USDA Revised 11.03.06a.doc" (PDF). Retrieved August 22, 2010.
  20. 1 2 Gurian-Sherman, Douglas (April 2009). Failure To Yield - Evaluating the Performance of Genetically Engineered Crops (PDF). Union of Concerned Scientists. S2CID   6332194.

See also

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