Herbicide tolerant crops in India: where do we stand?

Transcription

1 MONSANTO RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT Herbicide tolerant crops in India: where do we stand? Biennial Conference, Indian Society of Weed Science MPUAT, Udaipur, 1-3 March 2017 G. Ramamohan Regulatory Policy & Scientific Affairs Lead Monsanto India 1

2 Population (Billions) Food Production (Billion Tones) Land Use (Millions of Ha) MONSANTO RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT I T S C R I T I C A L T H A T A S W E C R E A T E A F O O D - S E C U R E W O R L D, W E D O S O S U S T A I N A B L Y. In order to sustainably intensify our food production, we must: Do more on each acre while reducing inputs (e.g., water, fertilizer) Protect biodiversity and precious natural resources (e.g., pollinators, forestland) Farm successfully in the face of climate change and continue our commitment to carbon neutrality World Population Total Food Production (tonnes) Global Land Use in Agriculture (Ha) Did You Know? Returning 300 million acres to 80% grassland and 20% forest/wetland would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions between 5 to 10%. 2

3 MONSANTO GLOBAL R&D ~ At A Glance ~ ~$1.5B Reinvested in research and development annually ~90 Products in the pipeline ~2,000 PhD and Pipeline prioritized to meet Farmer Needs & create More Using Less Masters scientists Broad Functional Expertise in Biotechnology, Chemistry, Data Science, Breeding, Vegetable R&D, Regulatory, Government Affairs Global Top Science Employer Over 25 products launching over next 5 years Transformational Alliances with public, private and academic entities

4 Monsanto s Five R&D Platforms Drive These Solutions AG PRODUCTIVITY INNOVATIONS Offerings that help to improve in-field protection against threats like weeds and pests through foliar and seed treatment products DATA SCIENCE Data science helps to increase B E Nefficiency E F I T Sby leveraging data about weather, soil and other patterns to help growers use agriculture solutions at the right time, in the right place PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY Weed, pest and other agronomic traits focus on protecting or improving the yield potential of seeds PLANT BREEDING Industry-leading genetics library and field-testing network drives seed improvements, crop yields Common Goal Creating Benefits for: AG BIOLOGICALS BIOAG ALLIANCE BioAg Alliance, our collaboration with Novozymes, researches and develops new technologies to help improve options for soil health, yield and pests BIODIRECT Technology This technology combines knowledge of genomes and natural processes to develop new ways to control on-farm pests while preserving biodiversity 4

5 P L A N T B I O T E C H N O L O G Y Supporting new solutions to the key challenges that farmers face around the world for more than 20 years. FARMER PROFITABILITY ENHANCED NUTRITION EFFICIENT WATER USE TIME IN THE FIELD PESTICIDE USAGE CO2 EMISSIONS SOIL TILLAGE S U S T A I N A B L E S O L U T I O N S S C A L E - N E U T R A L B E N E F I T S B R O A D S A F E T Y R E C O R D In-the-seed solution to mitigate threats that farmers face from weeds, insects, disease and drought; enables adoption of reduced tillage systems to preserve soil. 30+ government bodies globally review and approve GMOs. GMOs have been grown or imported by 70+ countries since ,000+ academic studies support that GMO crops are just as safe as those developed through traditional breeding. PLANT BREEDING How the science works PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY How the science works DESIRED GENE DESIRED GENE + = MANY GENES ARE TRANSFERRED DESIRED GENE ONLY SELECTED GENE IS TRANSFERRED + = 5

6 Herbicide tolerant crop a great component of Integrated Weed management A proper IWM approach includes Selection of a well adapted crop Appropriate planting pattern Improved timing, placement and amount of Nutrient application Crop rotation Tillage practices Cover crops Mechanical cultivation Biological and chemical control methods HTC crops fits very well in this IWM 6

7 What are Herbicide-tolerant crops? Herbicide tolerant crops are the crops which are tolerant to specific herbicides which kills the weeds when applied in the same field. Biotechnological approach with ability to introduce DNA into plants uses three main strategies to create herbicide tolerant crops: There are mainly three mechanisms it use 1. Increasing the level of the target enzyme for a particular herbicide. 2. Expressing a mutant enzyme that is not affected by the compound. 3. Expressing an enzyme that detoxifies the herbicide. 7

8 How Roundup Ready System Works??? Susceptible plants glyphosate blocks EPSPS enzyme Sugars shikimate-3- phosphate EPSPS X aromatic amino acids production of proteins necessary for plant growth interrupted... plant dies Roundup Ready Plants glyphosate blocks EPSPS enzyme Sugars shikimate-3- phosphate EPSPS CP4 - EPSPS X aromatic amino acids production of proteins necessary for plant growth unaffected Roundup Ready gene 8

9 What Does Herbicide Tolerant Crops Offer? Labor is not available at critical weed stage & very expensive Manual weeding not effective especially in monsoon situations Pre emergence herbicides need specific requirements for better efficacy Very few choice available for broad spectrum post emergent herbicides Comparatively less labor required to manage weeds Very effective and timely need based management. Very easy to use and flexibility in application Broad spectrum weed control is possible Promote Conservation tillage practices 9

10 Herbicide Tolerant Crops -Summary of Enviornmental Benefits Million Kg of Herbicide saved between Miillion liters of Fuel saved from HT Soy fields between Million Kg Carbon Dioxide emission saved between Brookes and Barfoot,

11 Herbicide Tolerant Traits: Current and Future, Green and Owen, 2010 Herbicides Crop(s) Transgenic / non-transgenic glyphosate soybeans, canola, cotton, corn, alfalfa, sugar beets transgenic glufosinate canola, corn, cotton transgenic bromoxynil cotton, canola non-transgenic sethoxydim corn non-transgenic imidazolinones corn, canola, wheat, rice sunflower non-transgenic sulfonylureas (specific) soybeans, sunflower, sorghum non-transgenic triazines canola non-transgenic Future Traits 2,4 D diamba ALS inhibitors HPPD inhibitors PPO inhibitors Multiple classes (P450) Organization Dow Monsanto DuPont Syngenta Syngenta Bayer Public Public 11

12 Average Yield (bu/ac) THIRD-GENERATION HERBICIDE-TOLERANT SOYBEANS Next-generation traits are designed to protect yields against tough-to-control weeds Project Highlights 2016 Field Trials - Collinsville, IL B E N E F I T S Full benefits of Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans including high-yield opportunity and tolerance to glyphosate and dicamba, with added tolerance to glufosinate Multiple herbicide options will offer enhanced control of resistant and tough-to-control weeds such as Waterhemp, Palmer amaranth and Horseweed Enhanced Control High Yield Opportunities Enhanced Flexibility Reduced Plowing Reduced Emissions Growers will gain enhanced flexibility in their weed management programs with added glufosinate tolerance in elite Monsanto products Non-Treated Treated Reduced Fuel Consumption Soil Preservation Field trials demonstrate enhanced durability and crop safety to maximize yield potential Key region of focus is North America Product will be offered in a portion of Monsanto elite products based on grower need Next steps: awaiting global regulatory approvals 2016 Field Trials 7 U.S. Locations** Glufosinate Dicamba Glufosinate Glufosinate + Dicamba + Dicamba + Glyphosate *Treated with a tank mixture of the additional three herbicides beyond glyphosate. ** Treated with 2X rates of each herbicide. 12

13 Crop Injury % FOURTH-GENERATION HERBICIDE-TOLERANT CORN Promising technology to manage hard-to-control weeds Project Highlights Tolerance to five herbicides; dicamba, glufosinate, glyphosate, ACCase inhibitors, and 2,4-D for post-emergence control of tough grasses and broadleaf weeds Flexible weed control options built upon Roundup Ready Corn 2 and the Roundup Ready PLUS Crop Management Solutions Key regions of focus are the United States with additional opportunities in Brazil and Argentina Next steps: Initiate regulatory studies and integrated systems testing 2016 Field Trials Monmouth, IL* Non- Traited 2016 Field Trials Monmouth, IL* Traited V2** V4** V8** B E N E F I T S Season-Long Protection Stacked with Bollgard 3 XtendFlex Yield Protection Reduced Insecticides 0 Non-traited Traited Events 1. *Treatment = 8X quizalofop V2,, V4, and V8 2. ** Corn vegetative growth stages, ranging from V1 to V9 13

14 14 Herbicide resistance allows a crop to survive the application of a herbicide which would otherwise kill it. Conclusions based on the available evidence include the following: Herbicide-resistant crop yield. herbicide-resistant crops contribute to greater yield where weed control is improved because of the specific herbicides that can be used in conjunction with the herbicide-resistant crop. Herbicide use. Total kilograms of all types of herbicide applied per hectare of crop per year declined when herbicide-resistant crops were first adopted, but the decreases have not generally been sustained. However, total kilograms of herbicide applied per hectare is an uninformative metric for assessing changes in risks to the environment or to human health due to GE crops; because the environmental and health hazards of different herbicides vary, the relationship of kilograms of herbicide applied per hectare and risk is poor. Weed-species distribution. In locations where glyphosate is used extensively, weed species that are naturally less susceptible to that herbicide may populate a field. The committee found little evidence that agronomic harm had resulted from such shifts in weed species. Weed resistance. In many locations, some weeds 14 have evolved resistance to glyphosate. Integrated weed-management approaches can be used to delay

15 Herbicide Tolerant Traits: Current and Future, Green and Owen, 2010 Herbicides Crop(s) Transgenic / non-transgenic glyphosate soybeans, canola, cotton, corn, alfalfa, sugar beets transgenic glufosinate canola, corn, cotton transgenic bromoxynil cotton, canola non-transgenic sethoxydim corn non-transgenic imidazolinones corn, canola, wheat, rice sunflower non-transgenic sulfonylureas (specific) soybeans, sunflower, sorghum non-transgenic triazines canola non-transgenic Future Traits 2,4 D diamba ALS inhibitors HPPD inhibitors PPO inhibitors Multiple classes (P450) Organization Dow Monsanto DuPont Syngenta Syngenta Bayer Public Public 15

16 Herbicide Tolerant Crops: Key Issues in India Labour displacement fear Socio economic problems Weed resistance (Super-Weed) Weeds used as fodder for animals Monopoly from one company Pollen outflow to neighboring Crops Loss of biodiversity Low priority research area Intercropping Multiple Consultations from 2007 till now, under different forums on the above subject has come up with recommendations that HT crops are relevant to Indian Agriculture Field trials of HT crops in India since 2005 but where are they? 16

17 17 Key Highlights of NAAS Brief 2016 GE technology is a promising, relevant, safe and efficient technology for low-input high-output agriculture. In the last two decades the global area under GE crops has increased over 100 folds, from 1.7 to million hectares, benefitting nearly 18 million farmers. Acknowledges the benefits of GE technology in terms of reduced chemical pesticide use, increased crop yields and increased farmer profits. Bt-cotton is the only GE crop commercialized in India, and has brought in a revolution in cotton industry. Indian labs are actively engaged in developing GE crops. Over 20 GE crop varieties are at advanced stages of development. Acknowledges that no technology has been commercialized since Identifies the hurdles and calls for immediate resolvement 17 of these limitations.

18 Following the moratorium on Bt brinjal on 9th Feb. 2010, there was a setback to GE research and the country continues to debate on the relevance of GE crops in India, in spite of the success of Bt-cotton clearly showing environmental and socioeconomic advantage of growing GE crops. Introduction of the requirement of no-objection-certificate (NOC) from the State Governments, for conducting confined field trials, has emerged as a major hurdle in moving forward. Notably, the regulatory system has evolved in line with the improvements in biosafety and environmental safety as recommended in the guidelines of the WHO, FAO and OECD. However, there is a strong need to provide enabling regulatory and policy framework to make the regulatory system efficient and effective to accelerate utilization of the GE technology for the benefit and economic empowerment of resource-poor farmers. During the two decades of the use of GE crops for food and other purposes, no risks, related to human health and environment as well as the related issues have been encountered. The GE crops have been found equally useful for both the large- and small-scale farmers. 18

19 Summary of NAAS brief The 2010 moratorium on the release of Bt brinjal and subsequent hurdles for field testing of GE crops adversely affected the morale of scientific community in the country and decelerated research on GE crops, and students intake in biotechnology The trend must change, by creating an environment and improved funding, to support GE technologies for the development of crop varieties in sync with traditionally bread varieties for resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses and to improve their nutritional content and productivity GE varieties will help in hunger alleviation and improving farm incomes. One of the non-scientific barriers in the way of promoting GE technology is the erroneous public perception that - the GE technologies are the monopoly of multinational companies. Weeds are a major pest of crops in India ( Since HT technology is shown to be safe to human beings as well as environment, use of this technology is an unavoidable agronomic requirement 19 in rain fed crops

20 Litigation and Price Control PIL on GM Crops in the Supreme Court Price Control Order- Seed as well as the Technology Intellectual Property Rights The challenges which we discussed so far, in a way are leading to lot of ambiguity and lack of interest for organization to sustain R&D interest and investments But everyone involved in GM R&D in India, is keenly waiting to hear the final stance on GM Mustard Full of Optimism 20

21 Dr M.K. Reddy s Lab, ICGEB Phosphite, a reduced form of phosphorus, proposed as an alternative fertilizer and herbicide that would address the above problems to a considerable extent Developed transgenic rice plants expressing a codon-optimized ptxd, which converts Phosphite to Phosphate Influence of different levels of Pi or Phi on biomass accumulation in WT and transgenic seedlings. Phi treatment at any given level resulted in death of WT seedling after 15 days of application. On the contrary, the biomass of WT seedling increased p 0.01 (**) significantly upon Pi supplementation. 21

22 T H A N K Y O U 22