Genetically modified and organic crops in developing countries: A review of options for food security

Since two decades ago, when the first GM crops were introduced, there have increasingly been hot debates on the applications of gene manipulation. Currently, the development of GM crop varieties has raised a wide range of new legal, ethical and economic questions in agriculture. There is a growing body of literature reflecting the socio-economic and environmental impacts of GM crops which aims to criticize their value for farming systems. While organic crops are promoted as environmentally-friendly products in developed countries, they have provoked great controversy in developing countries facing food security and a low agricultural productivity. Discussion has been especially vigorous when organic farming was introduced as an alternative method. There are in fact, a few tradeoffs in developing countries. On the one hand, farmers are encouraged to accept and implement GM crops because of their higher productivity, while on the other hand, organic farming is encouraged because of socio-economic and environmental considerations. A crucial question facing such countries is therefore, whether GM crops can co-exist with organic farming. This paper aims to review the main considerations and tradeoffs.     

Molecular farming of pharmaceutical proteins

Molecular farming is the production of pharmaceutically important and commercially valuable proteins in plants. Its purpose is to provide a safe and inexpensive means for the mass production of recombinant pharmaceutical proteins. Complex mammalian proteins can be produced in transformed plants or transformed plant suspension cells. Plants are suitable for the production of pharmaceutical proteins on a field scale because the expressed proteins are functional and almost indistinguishable from their mammalian counterparts. The breadth of therapeutic proteins produced by plants range from interleukins to recombinant antibodies. Molecular farming in plants has the potential to provide virtually unlimited quantities of recombinant proteins for use as diagnostic and therapeutic tools in health care and the life sciences. Plants produce a large amount of biomass and protein production can be increased using plant suspension cell culture in fermenters, or by the propagation of stably transformed plant lines in the field. Transgenic plants can also produce organs rich in a recombinant protein for its long-term storage. This demonstrates the promise of using transgenic plants as bioreactors for the molecular farming of recombinant therapeutics, including vaccines, diagnostics, such as recombinant antibodies, plasma proteins, cytokines and growth factors. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Computer-aided technology for regional pest management: Towards agricultural sustainability

Sustainable agriculture is commonly accepted in China and is practised by means of agro-ecological engineering. Large scale agricultural production, supported by advanced technology and the dissemination of eco-agricultural knowledge, will be more important in the future. With the development of integrated pest management, increasing evidence suggests that, large- and very-large-scale ecological engineering techniques must be developed and used. Also, computer-aided techniques such as geographical information systems and expert systems offer a more effective way to resolve new problems in pest management. As a pilot investigation using computer-aided technology for regional pest management in China, a vegetable production information and decision system, BJ-CABBAGIS, has been developed. Design of the system, supporting software and hardware for its development, and its function and preliminary application are presented in detail.     

Clean Biotechnology for Sustainable Farming

Sustainability would never be achieved farewell as agricultural practices continue beyond the carrying capacity of the ecosystem through the exaggerated abuse of agricultural chemicals. The rapid growth of agricultural productivity in chemical farming systems is shrinking off. Moreover, environmental torrent from agricultural activities jeopardizes agricultural growth in several countries. Problems associated with the wealthy agricultural production in the developed world and underproduction in developing countries necessitate a widely accepted assessment of the present status of agriculture. It is time to install new farming systems committed to following environmental and sustainable approaches, and producing healthy food free from agrochemical residues. Ecologically oriented farming routines are being developed within the frame of the recent achievements in environmental biotechnology, the most important of which is the clean farming system which is increasingly acknowledged as a potential solution to copious problems overlaying present world agriculture. It is a farming system, which aims at evading the routine use of agricultural chemicals and reducing their rates of application. Clean farming systems directly give rise to four environmental biotechnologies, i.e., recycling of composted organic waste, fortifying the rhizosphere soil with biofertilizers, encouraging the use of biopesticides in agricultural practices and bioremediation of polluted agro‐ecosystems.     

Role of non-timber forest products in the economy of peripheral communities of knuckles national wilderness area of Sri Lanka: A farming systems approach

The Knuckles range of forests has been identified as a unique biological resource in Sri Lanka with much biodiversity. It is also important as a watershed which feeds the Mahaweli reservoir system. Having considered the present hazardous land-use practices such as cardamum production and shifting cultivation, the Knuckles range has been declared a national wilderness area. The Forest Department is in the process of preparing the management plan for the area. There are about 48 villages in the vicinity of the forest. This study attempts to estimate the composition of income in the peripheral communities, ticularly the extraction of non-timber forest products (NTFP) from this range of forests. Data were collected using structured questionnaires from 60 households in three villages in the vicinity of the forest. The rural economy is described using a farming systems approach and the net income contributed by each activity in the farming system was estimated. Results show that nine components of the farming system use resources from the village and the forest, with at least 47 plant species used by the villagers for different purposes. Cardamum production and shifting cultivation contribute significantly to the total income of the household, but the majority of households in the study depend upon forest resources to supply some portion of their income. Nevertheless, the monetary value of the annual income generated by NTFP is much lower than income from either cardamum production or shifting cultivation. If cardamum production and shifting cultivation are to be restricted under the conservation program, there could be additional pressure put on NTFP. Therefore, we suggest a study of the natural regen-eration capacity of selected NTFP; such information should be used in finalizing the management plan in the Knuckles range of forests.     

Prevalence and key figures for the poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae infections in poultry farm systems

Recent surveys and sample collection have confirmed the endemicity of Dermanyssus gallinae in poultry farming worldwide. The reduction in number and efficacy of many acaricide products has accentuated the prevalence rates of this poultry ectoparasite observed more often in non intensive systems such as free-range, barns or backyards and more often in laying hens than in broiler birds. The lack of knowledge from producers and the utilisation of inadequate, ineffective or illegal chemicals in many countries have been responsible for the increase in infestation rates due to the spread of acaricide resistance. The costs for control methods and treatment are showing the tremendous economic impact of this ectoparasite on poultry meat and egg industries. This paper reviews the prevalence rates of this poultry pest in different countries and for different farming systems and the production parameters which could be linked to this pest proliferation.     

Mechanisms for flowering plants to benefit arthropod natural enemies of insect pests： Prospects for enhanced use in agriculture

Reduction of noncrop habitats, intensive use of pesticides and high levels of disturbance associated with intensive crop production simplify the farming landscape and bring about a sharp decline of biodiversity. This, in turn, weakens the biological control ecosystem service provided by arthropod natural enemies. Strategic use of flowering plants to enhance plant biodiversity in a well-targeted manner can provide natural enemies with food sources and shelter to improve biological control and reduce dependence on chemical pesticides. This article reviews the nutritional value of various types of plant-derived food for natural enemies, possible adverse effects on pest management, and the practical application of flowering plants in orchards, vegetables and field crops, agricultural systems where most research has taken place. Prospects for more effective use of flowering plants to maximize biological control of insect pests in agroecosystem are good but depend up on selection of optimal plant species based on information on the ecological mechanisms by which natural enemies are selectively favored over pest species.     

Synergizing biological control: Scope for sterile insect technique,induced plant defences and cultural techniques to enhance natural enemy impact

When used alone, only a minority of biological control programs succeed in bringing the target pest population under sufficient control. Biological control is, therefore, usually employed with chemical, cultural, genetic or other methods in an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy. The interactions between different pest management methods, especially conventional pesticides and host plant resistance, is an area of growing research interest but relatively little consideration is given to novel combinations. This paper reviews the interactions between biological control and other forms of pest management, especially induced plant defences and the novel, non-toxic plant protection compounds that may boost these defences; and sterile insect technique. We also cover the cultural methods that offer scope to support synergies between the aforementioned methodological combinations. We conclude that despite the sometimes negative consequences of other pest management techniques for biological control efficacy, there is great scope for new strategies to be developed that exploit synergies between biological control and various other techniques. Ultimately, however, we propose that future use of biological control will involve integration at a greater conceptual scale such that this important form of pest management is promoted as one of a suite of ecosystem services that can be engineered into farming systems and wider landscapes.     

Plant Volatiles-based Insect Pest Management in Organic Farming

Organic agriculture is increasing in popularity worldwide due to the rapidly growing market for organic products. In organic production, insects present a major pest challenge that negatively impacts crop health and yield. To successfully manage an organic farmland, an effective insect pest management program is key. In this review, we first describe the approaches currently used for pest management in organic farming. Next, we review natural plant defense mechanisms, especially those based on plant volatile organic compounds. Chemically complex, plant volatiles have multiple ecological roles in plant-insect interactions including attracting pollinators, acting as cues for foraging herbivores as well as functioning as direct defense, indirect defense, or interplant priming. Based on the ecological roles of plant volatiles, we then discuss in-depth how pest management may be improved through a variety of strategies including using resistant cultivars, polyculture, using beneficial microorganisms such as mycorrhizal fungi and endophytes, and using plant-derived pesticides, all of which are reviewed in the context of plant volatiles. Lastly, integration of these different strategies based on the trait of plant volatiles for a successful and sustainable pest management program in organic farming is discussed.     

Effects of intensive rice production practices on avian biodiversity in Southeast Asian managed wetlands

Rice fields are common throughout the agricultural landscape of Southeast Asia and sustain various bird species. These birds can provide ecosystem services, such as pest control, that improve agricultural yields whilst minimising the use of agrochemicals. This study quantified avian biodiversity in rice production landscapes during three farming stages in Peninsular Malaysia. In Malaysia, rice fields can be an important habitat for migrating birds due to Malaysia’s position on the East-Asian–Australasian Flyway. We determined bird abundance, species richness, and composition in rice field landscapes and compared these during different stages of rice growing. Wetland and terrestrial birds were counted in rice fields using the point-count method. Sixty sampling points were randomly established in three locations, from which 3447 individual birds of 46 species and 26 families were recorded. There was a significant difference in total bird abundance and species richness between the three different stages of rice growing. The growing stage supported greater bird abundance and species richness compared to the pre-harvest and post-harvest stages. Rice-growing provides temporary habitats to different bird species in this managed aquatic landscape. This implies the presence of abundant food, such as small fish and amphibians. The evidence from this study suggests that biodiversity-friendly agricultural practices should be implemented to improve habitat quality for birds in rice production landscapes.     

Metabolomics-assisted synthetic biology

As the world progresses from a fossil-fuel based economy to a more sustainable one, synthetic biology will become increasingly important for the production of high-value fine chemicals as well as low-value commodities in bulk. The integration of metabolomics and fluxomics within synthetic biology projects will be vital at all levels, including the initial design of the pathways to be generated, through to the optimisation of those pathways so that more efficient conversion of low-cost starting materials into highly desirable products can be achieved. This review highlights these areas and details the most important and exciting advances being made in this area.     

Yield stability: an agronomic perspective on the origin of Near Eastern agriculture

Here we argue that, based on evolutionary, ecological and agronomic considerations, climate change could not have been a suitable background nor a probable cause of plant domestication in the Near East. This thesis is developed based on the year-to-year yield dynamics in traditional rainfed grain farming in semi-arid environments, on the genetic basis that underlies temporal yield dynamics in natural wild cereal populations as well as in traditional farming systems, and upon the recognition that prior to elaborate high capacity and long-range trade networks, yield stability was more important than yield maximization. We also briefly discuss the likely social and cultural responses to subtle and real climatic changes vs. responses to rapid directional environmental trends. Taking into account the agronomic, ecological and genetic aspects discussed, it is suggested that the Near Eastern founder crop assemblage was chosen to function within the normal east Mediterranean precipitation regime, in which good rainy years create the ‘normal surplus’ that sustains farming communities during drought years, and the different crop types provide the system with its compensating ability. A slow (but real) climatic change is unlikely to induce major (revolutionary) cultural changes. Nor would a prominent environmental change provide the proper background for the origins of agriculture because it would abolish the buffering capacity of the system. Therefore, farming cannot function as a sustainable ‘buffering mechanism’ to counterbalance climatic instability causing natural resource depletion.     

Comparison of physics-based and data-driven modelling techniques for dynamic optimisation of fed-batch bioprocesses

The development of digital bioprocessing technologies is critical to operate modern industrial bioprocesses. This study conducted the first investigation on the efficiency of using physics-based and data-driven models for the dynamic optimisation of long-term bioprocess. More specifically, this study exploits a predictive kinetic model and a cutting-edge data-driven model to compute open-loop optimisation strategies for the production of microalgal lutein during a fed-batch operation. Light intensity and nitrate inflow rate are used as control variables given their key impact on biomass growth and lutein synthesis. By employing different optimisation algorithms, several optimal control sequences were computed. Due to the distinct model construction principles and sophisticated process mechanisms, the physics-based and the data-driven models yielded contradictory optimisation strategies. The experimental verification confirms that the data-driven model predicted a closer result to the experiments than the physics-based model. Both models succeeded in improving lutein intracellular content by over 40% compared to the highest previous record; however, the data-driven model outperformed the kinetic model when optimising total lutein production and achieved an increase of 40–50%. This indicates the possible advantages of using data-driven modelling for optimisation and prediction of complex dynamic bioprocesses, and its potential in industrial bio-manufacturing systems.     

Modelling predicts that soybean is poised to dominate crop production across Africa

The superior agronomic and human nutritional properties of grain legumes (pulses) make them an ideal foundation for future sustainable agriculture. Legume‐based farming is particularly important in Africa, where small‐scale agricultural systems dominate the food production landscape. Legumes provide an inexpensive source of protein and nutrients to African households as well as natural fertilization for the soil. Although the consumption of traditionally grown legumes has started to decline, the production of soybeans (Glycine max Merr.) is spreading fast, especially across southern Africa. Predictions of future land‐use allocation and production show that the soybean is poised to dominate future production across Africa. Land use models project an expansion of harvest area, whereas crop models project possible yield increases. Moreover, a seed change in farming strategy is underway. This is being driven largely by the combined cash crop value of products such as oils and the high nutritional benefits of soybean as an animal feed. Intensification of soybean production has the potential to reduce the dependence of Africa on soybean imports. However, a successful “soybean bonanza” across Africa necessitates an intensive research, development, extension, and policy agenda to ensure that soybean genetic improvements and production technology meet future demands for sustainable production.     

Land use policies and their effects on Brazilian farming production

For decades Brazil has faced a dilemma based on a perceived dichotomy between natural preservation and economic progress. Since 1988, more than 446,000 km² of native land has been cleared by clearcutting in Brazilian Legal Amazon alone, an area comparable to Sweden. In addition to the biodiversity loss associated with this activity, it is a significant global warming source since more than 72% of gross CO_2e emissions of Brazil come from land use, land-use change, forestry, and agriculture. As such, the national commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 37% by 2025 and 43% by 2030, with respect to 2005 levels, is likely to be at risk. Here, a simulation model has been created to provide decision-makers with knowledge about the future of Brazilian farming production in deforestation, neutral net land-use change, and reforestation scenarios. It has been found that farming demand and capital supply impact farming production significantly more than land availability. If reforestation policies to 2005 natural coverage levels were to be implemented, there would be no significant differences in Brazilian major farming crop production to a reference scenario of continuous deforestation. However, this would be at the expense of secondary crops usually earmarked for the domestic market. For Brazil to preserve its natural coverage, it must also inevitably improve crop productivity, especially in the Northeast region, while also being cognizant of the impact on domestic food prices. Lastly, Brazil needs to have incentives to foster intensive livestock farming. These results provide evidence that can support policies towards the profitable and sustainable scenarios described in the simulations.     

Persistent negative effects of pesticides on biodiversity and biological control potential on European farmland

During the last 50 years, agricultural intensification has caused many wild plant and animal species to go extinct regionally or nationally and has profoundly changed the functioning of agro-ecosystems. Agricultural intensification has many components, such as loss of landscape elements, enlarged farm and field sizes and larger inputs of fertilizer and pesticides. However, very little is known about the relative contribution of these variables to the large-scale negative effects on biodiversity. In this study, we disentangled the impacts of various components of agricultural intensification on species diversity of wild plants, carabids and ground-nesting farmland birds and on the biological control of aphids.In a Europe-wide study in eight West and East European countries, we found important negative effects of agricultural intensification on wild plant, carabid and bird species diversity and on the potential for biological pest control, as estimated from the number of aphids taken by predators. Of the 13 components of intensification we measured, use of insecticides and fungicides had consistent negative effects on biodiversity. Insecticides also reduced the biological control potential. Organic farming and other agri-environment schemes aiming to mitigate the negative effects of intensive farming on biodiversity did increase the diversity of wild plant and carabid species, but – contrary to our expectations – not the diversity of breeding birds.We conclude that despite decades of European policy to ban harmful pesticides, the negative effects of pesticides on wild plant and animal species persist, at the same time reducing the opportunities for biological pest control. If biodiversity is to be restored in Europe and opportunities are to be created for crop production utilizing biodiversity-based ecosystem services such as biological pest control, there must be a Europe-wide shift towards farming with minimal use of pesticides over large areas.     

A guide to the contained use of plant virus infectious clones

Plant virus infectious clones are important tools with wide‐ranging applications in different areas of biology and medicine. Their uses in plant pathology include the study of plant–virus interactions, and screening of germplasm as part of prebreeding programmes for virus resistance. They can also be modified to induce transient plant gene silencing (Virus Induced Gene Silencing – VIGS) and as expression vectors for plant or exogenous proteins, with applications in both plant pathology and more generally for the study of plant gene function. Plant viruses are also increasingly being investigated as expression vectors for in planta production of pharmaceutical products, known as molecular farming. However, plant virus infectious clones may pose a risk to the environment due to their ability to reconstitute fully functional, transmissible viruses. These risks arise from both their inherent pathogenicity and the effect of any introduced genetic modifications. Effective containment measures are therefore required. There has been no single comprehensive review of the biosafety considerations for the contained use of genetically modified plant viruses, despite their increasing importance across many biological fields. This review therefore explores the biosafety considerations for working with genetically modified plant viruses in contained environments, with focus on plant growth facilities. It includes regulatory frameworks, risk assessment, assignment of biosafety levels, facility features and working practices. The review is based on international guidance together with information provided by plant virus researchers.     

Review: Precision livestock farming,automats and new technologies: possible applications in extensive dairy sheep farming

Precision livestock farming (PLF) technologies are becoming increasingly common in modern agriculture. They are frequently integrated with other new technologies in order to improve human–livestock interactions, productivity and economical sustainability of modern farms. New systems are constantly being developed for concentrated farming operations as well as for extensive and pasture-based farming systems. The development of technologies for grazing animals is of particular interest for the Mediterranean extensive sheep farming sector. Dairy sheep farming is a typical production system of the area linked to its historical and cultural traditions. The area provides roughly 40% of the world sheep milk, having 27% of the milk-producing ewes. Developed countries of the area (France, Italy, Greece and Spain – FIGS) have highly specialized production systems improved through animal selection, feeding techniques and intensification of production. However, extensive systems are still practiced alongside intensive ones due to their lower input costs and better resilience to market fluctuations. In the current article, we evaluate possible PLF systems and their suitability to be incorporated in extensive dairy sheep farming as practiced in the FIGS countries. Available products include: electronic identification systems (now mandatory in the EU) such as ear tags, ruminal boluses and sub-cutaneous radio-frequency identification; on-animal sensors such as accelerometers, global positioning systems and social activity loggers; and stationary management systems such as walk-over-weights, automatic drafter (AD), virtual fencing and milking parlour-related technologies. The systems were considered according to their suitability for the management and business model common in dairy sheep farming. However, adoption of new technologies does not take place immediately in small and medium scale extensive farming. As sheep farmers usually belong to more conservative technology consumers, characterized by an average age of 60 and a very transparent community, the dynamics do not favour financial risk taking involved with new technologies. Financial barriers linked to production volumes and resource management of extensive farming are also a barrier for innovation. However, future prospectives could increase the importance of technology and promote its wider adoption. Trends such as global sheep milk economics, global warming, awareness to animal welfare, antibiotics resistance and European agricultural policies could influence the farming practices and stimulate wider adoption of PLF systems in the near future.     

中国四川旱坡地植物篱农作系统能流特征

关于农业生态系统能流特征的研究很多,但关于植物篱农作系统能流特征的研究很少。在四川盆地雨养丘陵农区,2/3的耕地土壤侵蚀严重,为了控制土壤侵蚀和提高耕地生产力,该区域大量栽种了植物篱。该研究通过了解作物与植物篱之间的能流交付作用,通过系统能量投入水平提高与结构优化,建立环境友好的农作系统,最终实现坡地农业的可持续。通过两年田间小区试验,详细记录所有劳力投入、化肥投入、农药投入、农事管理活动以及落叶的数量并折算为标准能量单位。作物收获后所有生物产量的能量根据其各部分的转换值折算为标准能量。系统能流特征及效率通过统计分析完成。通过研究主要获得了以下3个结论:1)“作物-植物篱”系统产出能和输入能的数量和结构变化主要受植物篱子系统类型的影响。与大面积旱坡地传统农作物生产系统比较,植物篱农作系统能有效提高系统光能利用率、人工输入能效率,耕地单位面积总产出能也会增加,坡度越大,相对增幅亦越大;由于能极显著减少无机能施入量,这有利于降低化肥农药使用量,减少对环境的污染和破坏。2)“作物-果树类植物篱”系统输入能总量和有机能输入量大幅度增加,因此有利于优化输入能结构,促进坡地生态系统良性循环和集约高效农业发展。3)“作物-草本植物篱”系统人工辅助能的输入量大幅度下降,由于它所需投入能少,有机能耗和无机能耗均低,人工输入能效率很高而生物产量也较高,并且它们提高了与其间作的其它作物的能量产投比,因此提升了整个系统能量产投比率;由于保水固土的生态功能显著,使它能在四川广大山地、丘陵区退耕还林还草工程中发挥重要作用。     

Transient peak in moth diversity as a response to organic farming

Few initiatives to preserve and enhance biodiversity on farmland have been as thoroughly evaluated and debated as the agri-environment schemes (AES). Yet, little is known how confounding factors co-varying with the specific AES measures may affect species responses. Here, we quantify the influence of one such factor, the time since transition to organic farming, on moth diversity patterns. We found that species richness and abundance of moths were higher on new organic farms (years since transition ≤6) compared to old organic (≥15 years) and conventional farms, indicating a transient diversity peak. This correlates with the abundance patterns of the weed Cirsium arvense, which also reached its highest densities on new organic farms. Weeds such as C. arvense constitute a notorious problem in organic farming. However, they also provide various resources for farmland biodiversity, and our results strongly suggest that the transient weed peak may be important in influencing the parallel peak among the moths. This stresses the problem in balancing out production and conservation values. More generally, our results show that rather than having static effects on the environment, AES can have an important temporal component and result in a dynamic interplay between different trophic levels.