Plant breeding and biotechnology: societal context and the future of agriculture / Denis J. Murphy

Incluye bibliografía: páginas 366-410 e índice: páginas 411-423

Preface.. Acknowledgements.. Using this book.. Nomenclature and terminology.. Abbreviations and glossary.. Introduction.. Part I The science of plant breeding.. 1 Origins of plant breeding.. Introduction - the development of agriculture.. Non-intentional selection.. Variation and selection in breeding.. Figure 1.. Pre-scientific empirical breeding.. Scientific breeding.. Beginnings of practical scientific breeding.. Hybrids.. Mutations.. Quantitative genetics.. 2 Creating new genetic variation.. Introduction.. Hybrid crops.. Maize and other intraspecific hybrids.. Intergenic hybrids - triticale, a new manmade crop species.. Induced mutagenesis.. Radiation and chemical mutagenesis.. Somaclonal mutagenesis.. Mutagenesis - an acceptable technology for genetic manipulation?.. Wide crossing.. Wide crosses in rice.. Wide crosses in brassicas.. 3 Modern high-tech breeding.. Introduction.. Tissue culture technologies.. Chromosome doubling.. Mass propagation.. Somatic hybridisation.. Haploids and doubled haploids.. Sterile plant varieties.. Transgenesis.. Comparison with other technologies for variation enhancement.. Screening and selection.. Selecting non-visible traits.. DNA marker-assisted selection (MAS.. New technologies for high-tech breeding.. Part II The societal context of plant breeding.. 4 Rise of the public sector and the US pioneers.. Introduction.. New technologies, old problems.. Agricultural research as a public good.. Emergence of public sector research in the USA.. Morrill and the land grant institutions.. The USDA and its botanisers.. Extension services.. 5 Public sector breeding in the UK.. Introduction.. The UK - a laissez-faire approach.. Rothamsted.. John Innes Centre.. Welsh Plant Breeding Station.. Cambridge Plant Breeding Institute.. Order versus chaos or control versus initiative?.. 6 Breeding goes global: the Green Revolution and beyond.. Introduction.. US philanthropy exported

CIMMYT and wheat in Mexico.. IRRI and rice in the Philippines.. National research organisations.. The Green Revolution.. Wheat.. Rice.. Global impact.. The emergence of CGIAR in the 1970s.. Part III Turmoil and transition: the legacy of the 1980s.. 7 Resurgence of the private sector.. Introduction.. A phoenix reborn.. Favourable regulatory environments.. Patents and breeders' rights.. The problem of broad claims.. Startups and multinationals.. 8 Emergence of a new crop improvement paradigm.. Introduction.. Obsolescence and impoverishment.. Effects on breeding programmes.. Genetic erosion.. Adapting crops to commercial agronomy.. A technology focus based on short-term profitability rather than long-term utility.. The private sector triumphant?.. 9 Decline of the public sector.. Introduction.. Privatisation, integration and globalisation.. The Plant Breeding Institute.. The Agricultural Development and Advisory Service.. Aftermath of the UK privatisations.. 10 Reaping the consequences.. Introduction - privatisation exported.. The Anglosphere.. Europe.. Developing countries.. Academisation of public research.. Academisation and research assessments.. Dangerous liaisons - partnerships with the private sector.. The penny drops.. Part IV The agbiotech paradigm.. 11 Agbiotech: genes and dreams.. Introduction.. The artificial dichotomy of GM and non-GM.. Origins of a false premise.. Spot the difference?.. Gene transfer within and between plant genomes.. Genetic manipulation or manipulation of genomes?.. We are all genetic manipulators.. Agbiotech today - the worst of all possible worlds?.. A headless chicken?.. Rise and fall of the 'life-sciences' biotech business model.. Domination by the 'big four'.. 12 The future of transgenic crops I: improving the technology.. Introduction.. Obsolete technologies?.. Selectable markers.. Transgene insertion.. Biological confinement.. Other technologies

Management, segregation and other challenges.. 13 The future of transgenic crops II: improving the products.. Introduction.. Input traits.. Biotic stress tolerance.. Abiotic stress tolerance.. Output traits.. Enhanced vitamins.. Biofortification with essential minerals.. Improved oils.. Biopharming - the killer app?.. The vision.. Flawed strategies.. Improved strategies.. Part V Increasing global crop production: the new challenges.. 14 Feeding the world - fallacies and realities.. Introduction.. Population, economic growth and food production.. Targeting disadvantaged regions.. Economic growth and sustainability.. Expanding the area of crop cultivation.. Reclaiming abandoned and set-aside land.. South America.. 15 The roles of management, subsidies and breeding in crop improvement.. Introduction.. Improved management.. Case study I: Malaysian oil palm.. Case study II: Ukraine and Vietnam.. Agricultural overproduction and subsidies.. Subsidies and tariffs stifle development.. Improved crop breeding.. What is the role of transgenic crops?.. Part VI Plant breeding in the twenty-first century.. 16 The future of international plant breeding.. Introduction.. Whither CGIAR?.. National research centres.. Participatory plant breeding.. A decade of progress.. Partnerships with farmers.. Projects in India.. Seed banks and germplasm conservation.. National and regional seed banks.. Vulnerability of international seed banks.. UC Davis and the Iranian National Seed Bank.. ICARDA and the Iraqi National Seed Bank.. WARDA in Coˆ te d'Ivoire and Liberia.. Seed banks and reconstruction.. The tsunami of 2004.. Rebuilding agriculture across the world.. The future of gene banks.. International patrimony or restricted property?.. A challenge from the USA.. A way forward?.. 17 Rebalancing our approach to crop improvement.. Introduction.. Revitalising the public sector.. The seductive allure of basic research

Rebalancing plant science research.. Rebalancing the public debate on agriculture.. Why is the UK so anti-GM?.. The UK farm-scale evaluations.. Developing a sense of perspective.. 18 Where do we go from here?.. Introduction.. Empowering and recruiting the private sector.. Diversifying and outsourcing.. A new market-based public sector paradigm.. Solving the IPR problem.. Open access technologies in plant breeding.. Re-entering the marketplace.. Domesticating new crops - an alternative to transgenesis.. Innovative applied R&D - the USA leads (again.. 19 Conclusions and recommendations.. Introduction.. Perspectives from the USA.. Late twenty-first century agriculture.. Recommendations.. Notes.. References.. Index

This comprehensive 2007 survey of modern plant breeding traces its history from the earliest experiments at the dawn of the scientific revolution in the seventeenth century to the present day and the existence of high tech agribusiness. Murphy tells the story from the perspective of a scientist working in this field, offering a rationale and evidence-based insight into its development. Crop improvement is examined from both a scientific and socio-economic perspective and the ways in which these factors interact and impact on agricultural development are discussed, including debates on genetically-modified food. Murphy highlights concerns over the future of plant breeding, as well as potential options to enable us to meet the challenges of feeding the world in the 21st century. This thoroughly interdisciplinary and balanced account serves as an essential resource for everyone involved with plant breeding research, policy and funding, as well as those wishing to engage with current debates. • A free-flowing main text with an extensive series of endnotes and references allowing the reader to go deeper into specific topics of interest to them. • Truly interdisciplinary, covering topics as diverse as agriculture, breeding, economics, biotechnology, plant science, GM issues, politics, corporate affairs and issues of globalization. • Written by a plant biotechnologist, who has spent three decades working in this area and is highly involved with the ongoing debate on genetically modified food and crops, locally and internationally. eng