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Genetically Modified fruit and Vegetables

Chris Pearce. Genetically Modified fruit and Vegetables. A Simple Guide. What is genetic modification What crops are modified Some of the advantages Prevalence. A Simple Guide to the benefits. What is genetic modification (GM)?. Fast facts

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Genetically Modified fruit and Vegetables

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  1. Chris Pearce Genetically Modified fruit and Vegetables

  2. A Simple Guide • What is genetic modification • What crops are modified • Some of the advantages • Prevalence Almanzora Gardening Club

  3. Almanzora Gardening Club

  4. A Simple Guide to the benefits Almanzora Gardening Club

  5. What is genetic modification (GM)? Fast facts • Genetic modification (GM) is the use of modern biotechnology techniques to change the genes of an organism, such as a plant or animal. • A genetically modified organism (GMO) is a plant, animal or other organism that has been changed using genetic modification. • GM can change the genes of an organism in ways not possible through traditional breeding techniques. Almanzora Gardening Club

  6. Genetic Modification is not • Breeding which can take years • Organic Farming/Gardening • Producing giant fruit and vegetables Almanzora Gardening Club

  7. What can be modified? Almanzora Gardening Club

  8. Crops • Enhanced taste and quality • Reduced maturation time • Increased nutrients, yields, and stress tolerance • Improved resistance to disease, pests, and herbicides • New products and growing techniques • Drought Resistance Almanzora Gardening Club

  9. An example of how food is changed? • People often use the example of the genetically modified tomato. Tomatoes are used in a lot of foods, but they rot quickly and don't always taste nice. So GM tomatoes have been created which last longer, look redder and taste better. Almanzora Gardening Club

  10. Animals • Increased disease resistance, productivity, hardiness, and feed efficiency • Better yields of meat, eggs, and milk • Faster growing fish • Improved animal health and diagnostic methods Almanzora Gardening Club

  11. Environment • "Friendly" bioherbicides and bioinsecticides • Conservation of soil, water, and energy • Bioprocessing for forestry products • Better natural waste management • More efficient processing Almanzora Gardening Club

  12. Society • Increased food security for growing populations • Plants producing new plastics • Food that can deliver vaccines – bananas that produce hepatitis B vaccine Almanzora Gardening Club

  13. Some (not so serious) potential Almanzora Gardening Club

  14. Genetically Modified People Beautiful GM people - better, faster, smarter, stronger, healthier, longer livingGenetically modified beautiful people: GMpeople.com Almanzora Gardening Club

  15. Anything is possible! Almanzora Gardening Club

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  17. Graisins The graisin (or giant raisin) is a raisin which has beengenetically re-programmed to grow far beyond its normal size. It was produced in Japan While they taste exactly the same as small raisins, graisins are sure to make dinner guests stare in awe! Almanzora Gardening Club

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  19. Why not try a Grapple? A cross between a grape and an apple Almanzora Gardening Club

  20. Why settle for boring orange carrots? Almanzora Gardening Club

  21. Lamatos Okay, so a lemon and a tomato aren’t the most natural of pairs, but that didn’t stop Israeli researchers from bringing us the Lemato! It appears that the lemato was solely an experiment to determine if it was possible to make tomatos give off the scent of lemons. Mission accomplished! Almanzora Gardening Club

  22. Pluot Plums and apricots are delicious fruits in their own right, but combined, they form the genetically modified treat known as the pluot. Described as “an intensely flavored fruit”, pluots are heavily fortified with vitamin C and have no sodium or cholesterol. Almanzora Gardening Club

  23. Tangelo Should I have a tangerine or a grapefruit?” No longer need this question be asked! Lovers of each fruit can now get the best of both worlds with this sweet hybrid, which boasts a ton of fiber, vitamin C, and a slightly tart taste! Almanzora Gardening Club

  24. OK Back to the serious stuff What are the benefits? Almanzora Gardening Club

  25. Pest Resistance • Losses from insect pests can be staggering • Financial loss to farmers • Disappointment to gardeners So • Farmers use tons of chemical pesticides • Who wants to eat pesticides? • Run off poisons water Almanzora Gardening Club

  26. Herbicide Tolerance • Physical weed removal is often not practical • Large qualities of herbicide is needed • Harmful to the crop and the environment So • Genetically modification can make crops resistant to herbicides Almanzora Gardening Club

  27. Disease Resistance • Viruses, fungi and bacteria cause plant diseases So • Genetically modified plants can resist these diseases Almanzora Gardening Club

  28. Cold Tolerance • Unexpected frosts can destroy seedlings So • An antifreeze gene from cold water fish has been introduced to some plants to help them resist cold weather Almanzora Gardening Club

  29. Drought Tolerance • Irrigation is expensive So • We create plants that can withstand longer periods of dry conditions (Particularly important in desert conditions) Almanzora Gardening Club

  30. Nutrition • Malnutrition is a major worldwide problem • Rice is the staple diet for many • But does not contain sufficient nutrients on its own So • Golden Rice has been developed with enhanced vitamin A • There is much more potential Almanzora Gardening Club

  31. Allergy Control • Common allergens are able to be eliminated through genetic engineering which helps more people enjoy the great variety of foods out there. Almanzora Gardening Club

  32. Top Eight Genetically Modified Foods Almanzora Gardening Club

  33. Corn: Our number-one agricultural commodity. In 2009, 79.5 million acres of harvested cropland in the U.S. were corn, 25% of which was genetically engineered. 2. Soy: The number-two U.S. agricultural commodity. Sixty percent of processed foods contain soy ingredients, and 82% of edible fats and oils consumed in the U.S. are soy-based. In 2009, 54% of the 74.5 million acres of soybeans grown in the U.S. Was genetically modified Almanzora Gardening Club

  34. 3. Potato: Currently, the only GE potato is a Burbank Russet variety, marketed under the name New Leaf. This Bt-producing plant is lethal to the Colorado potato beetle – and possibly to beneficial insects. 4. Tomato: The first GE tomato was introduced commercially in 1994, but flopped because it proved tasteless. Since then, other varieties, including a cherry tomato, have been genetically engineered to delay ripening and extend shelf life. Almanzora Gardening Club

  35. 5. Canola: Of the 15 million acres of canola grown in the U.S. and Canada annually, 35% is GE, mostly for herbicide-resistance. 6. Cottonseed Oil: In 2000, 61% of the 15.5 million acres of cotton grown in the U.S. was genetically engineered. Every year, half a million tons of cottonseed oil makes its way into salad dressings, baked goods and snack foods. About 1.4 million tons of cottonseed meal is fed to livestock annually. Almanzora Gardening Club

  36. 7. Squash: Several varieties of summer squash have been genetically engineered to resist mosaic viruses. 8. Salmon: Has been engineered with genes from two different fish species so that it grows much more quickly than non-GE. Escaped into the environment, (which is inevitable on fish farms), the GE fish may be larger and more aggressive, eat more food, and mate more often Almanzora Gardening Club

  37. Prevalence • In the USA over 60 plant varieties have been approved by the USDA • Not necessarily whole fruits and vegetables on sale • Widespread in highly processed foods such as vegetable oils and breakfast cereals Almanzora Gardening Club

  38. Are GM foods available in the UK? GM crops have been grown on a few farms in Britain, as an experiment and the government has now allowed GM maize to be grown. But concern over GM foods means that most of the big supermarkets have banned them. • Most items should say on the label if they contain genetically modified ingredients - you can decide if you're happy to eat them or not Almanzora Gardening Club

  39. Very brief outline of current work and potential There are so many potential advantages of genetic modification So what is the problem..........................? There are always two sides to any story. Almanzora Gardening Club

  40. Like anything else, things can go wrong! Almanzora Gardening Club

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  42. Thank you for listening Almanzora Gardening Club

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