There were several panels related to agricultural biotechnology on the second day of the BIO Convention focusing on a variety of issues including high-performing energy crops, emerging standards for stewardship in agriculture, private public partnerships to promote agricultural development and increasing drought tolerance in plants.

We had the opportunity to interview Michael Metzlaff of Bayer CropScience, the moderator of the “Breakthroughs in Plant Stress Tolerance Technologies” who spoke of the advances in research in drought tolerant crops.

We also talked with Daniel Mataruka of African Agricultural Technology Foundation, who spoke on the “Public-Private Partnerships in Agricultural Biotechnology: Going Beyond Development Impact” panel. Dr. Mataruka spoke of the political resistance to ag biotech in Africa and the efforts to overcome the opposition.

BIOtechNOW Blog wrote about the “The Value Proposition for Next-Generation Energy Crops: Value Chain and Business Model Considerations” panel:

Food & Ag sessions got off to an interesting start this morning as three companies told their very different tales of sailing turbulent economic waters over the past two years in search of profitable harbors.

With oil at $140/barrel, it looked like a game almost anybody could play. With oil at $50/barrel things are a lot more competitive.

Aaron Schuchart (Mendel BioTechnology) described Mendel’s approach to the challenges of making and selling improved seeds to serve farmers seeking to provide feedstock for biomass energy and fuels. When a 10 percent increase in yield can improve producer margins by 114 percent, it’s a market worthy of attention. Mendel is working with a variety of materials including sugarcane and, Miscanthus, testing a broad variety of germplasm in search of the best material to adapt to regional markets.

The Corn Farmers Coalition recently published a “Corn Fact Book” full of great stats on farming and corn production. Some of my favorites:

• By 2005, the U.S. was the world’s biggest grower of biotech crops with more than half. It’s thought that global farming would have been $5 billion less without these crops. The biggest gains have been in soybeans and cotton. However, corn boosted farm income by more than $3 billion in 2005.

• Thanks in part to ag biotech, it takes 40% less land and 50% less energy to produce a bushel of corn than it did in 1987.

• Farmers grow five times as much corn as they did in the 1930s — on 20 percent less land.

• Reduced tillage and other farm management practices have reduced soil erosion 43% in 20 years.

• A farmer can save as much as 3.5 gallons of fuel an acre from no-till farming, which is possible with some biotech crops.

• The Federal Bureau of Labor statistics say that most farms employ only the farmer and perhaps a family member or a hired hand or two.

• The US produces enough corn that we can afford to export one in every five rows of corn each year and still have enough for domestic needs.

• Individuals or families own 82% of American corn farms. Another 6% are family held corporations; 11% are owned by partnerships; and the remaining handful — less than 4,000 — are owned by other types of corporations or estates, trusts and institutions.

• The average corn farm has fewer than 250 acres. Only 8% are bigger than 2,000 acres according to government statistics.

We had the opportunity to chat with Sonny Tababa of CropLife Asia and presenter on the Global Product Stewardship panel at BIO about ag biotech outreach efforts in Asia and stewardship in plant biotech.

1. What is the status of ag biotech adoption in Asia?

Adoption of biotech crops in Asia remains vibrant which is reflective of the multiple benefits derived by millions of small-farmers.  In 2008, 10% of the total global area for GM crops or 12 million hectares have been planted to different biotech crops in Australia, China, India, and Philippines.  With functional regulations in place, different Asian countries– notably Korea, China, Japan, and Taiwan– continue to import huge amounts of corn and soybeans from countries that planted biotech corn and soybeans.

2. What are the challenges faced by farmers in Asia?

Access to appropriate production and post-production technologies is a major constraint.  However, there are other non-technological factors like access to credit and markets, infrastructure like farm-to-market roads, access to basic services like health, etc.  Our farmers are resource-challenged and every bit that we can feasibly do to help them improve their situation in life must be done.

3. Rosalie Ellasus, a farmer from the Philippines and a panelist at BIO 2009, said that if Asian countries adopt agriculture biotechnology, it “will boost the economy of each country.” How do you think ag biotech can contribute to the economies of Asian countries?

There are many progressive farmers, like Ms. Ellasus, who tried the new technology-biotech crops and continue to adopt it to this day.  With better protection against insect pests and weeds, yields are much higher by at least 20-30%.  For Bt corn, dramatic increases are observed when there is higher incidence of corn borer in the farms.  This in turn, translates to higher incomes and opportunities to invest in other small businesses by farmers.  For instance, farmers can have ‘extra’ income that they can use to buy small farm implements, or buffalos for hire, or to start a small piggery business.  Or, use some amounts for home improvement, or to support the continuing education of their children.  With a bit more purchasing power in farming communities, benefits domino to local or community businesses. 

4. In your panel description you discuss the “importance of stewardship in plant biotechnology and the industry’s lifecycle approach to stewardship.” What do you mean by “stewardship” in plant biotechnology and what is its importance?

Stewardship is taking care of what is entrusted.  The plant science industry commits to develop high quality plant biotechnology products and promote its safe and responsible use.  Lifecycle approach to stewardship means an ‘inception to a life beyond’ approach of ensuring that our pledge of commitment is being met.  For instance, during the gene discovery phase, our scientists examine the source of each gene and the potential for allergenicity and toxicity.  Many of these genes do not see commercial light if found too risky.  Also, all of our member-companies support and comply with biosafety rules and regulations of importing and cultivating countries.  We support farmers and their responsible use of the technology during provision of technology via integrated pest and weed management and even after when technology has been provided so that the longevity of the technology can be maintained.  We work with farmers and regulators in insect resistance and weed resistance management programs.

Several stories here and here on a collaboration of scientists in Canada, the United States and Spain who report that they have found an elusive group of proteins that help plants survive drought, cold and heat. One of the researchers,  Julian Schroeder, Professor at the University of California at San Diego is on this year’s BIO Convention panel “Saving Harvests, Lives & Livelihoods: Breakthroughs in Plant Stress Tolerance Technologies.”

From the San Diego Tribune story:

By focusing on a plant’s natural defense mechanisms, University of California researchers believe they have cracked an elusive genetic secret – a discovery that someday could help farmers produce more food with less water.

Their prize is a protein molecule that relays signals to cells that help plants cope with environmental stress, such as drought.

“It has indeed been a holy grail,” said Julian Schroeder, a biologist at UC San Diego who was part of the research team.

The San Diego Tribune story quotes Dr. Michael Metzlaff, senior scientist for Bayer BioScience:

“The discovery from Schroeder and Cutler may open new routes for breeding new crop, fruit and vegetable varieties which can be grown in dry areas, (such) as California,” Michael Metzlaff, senior scientist for Bayer BioScience based in Belgium, said via e-mail.

“This would open novel routes in crop breeding and commercial agriculture. . . . The amount of water needed for irrigation could be cut down without loss of harvests. This would mean a substantial cost saving for farmers and the whole of California.”

Last year at the BIO Convention Dr. Metzlaff, Group Leader, Crop Productivity Research at Bayer CropScience stated, “The increased tolerance of crops to major environmental stresses and the enhancement of productivity will be critical as water scarcity and the world population grows. We must continue to develop plants that withstand short term stresses, increase yield stability and allow planting in high stress areas.”

Dr. Metzlaff returns to the BIO Convention this year as a moderator on the “Saving Harvests, Lives & Livelihoods: Breakthroughs in Plant Stress Tolerance Technologies” panel.

The New York Times Green Inc covers the three-day Princeton University conference — “Feeding a Hot and Hungry Planet: The Challenge of Making More Food and Fewer Greenhouse Gases.“  The use of corn, cotton and soybean crops that are genetically modified to be resistant to certain pests or herbicides is already widespread in many parts of the world, so all the big issues were on the table — including whether genetically modified crops are “sustainable.”  Dr. Wayne Parrott, who spoke at the BIO International Conference  this year, is at Princeton for the conference and is quoted in the Green Inc piece.

Excerpt from the story:

Meanwhile, Carl Pray, a professor in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics at Rutgers University, presented findings that show the use of cotton engineered to contain a gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis — known as Bt cotton — has resulted in significantly reduced pesticide use in China, and dramatically increased yields in India. (The modified cotton is pest-resistant.)

But others at the conference said that, in the bigger picture, genetically modified crops have failed to live up to their early promise. “The benefits have not yet been that great from the environmental standpoint, or even from a production standpoint,” according to Tim Searchinger, a research scholar at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. “At least from published studies, Bt cotton is it.”

Others experts, including Wayne Parrott, a plant genomics researcher at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, called for patience. “We’re in the era of the first black and white television,” Mr. Parrott said. “We haven’t gotten to color televisions, and we’re nowhere near a flat-screen yet.”