Ecology of Transgenic Crops.ppt

Ecology of Transgenic Crops Ecology of Transgenic Crops 鄭先祐 (Ayo) 台南大學 環境與生態學院 教授 .tw/~hycheng 紐西蘭「反對食品與環境基因工程」的媽媽團體 2003/10/3 自由時報 No 基因轉植 Ecology of Transgenic Crops Genetically engineered plants might generate weed problems and affect non-target organisms, but measuring the risk is difficult. 資料取自： Marvier, M. (2001) Ecology of transgenic crops. American Scientist 89(2):160-167. 基因轉植的問題 On May 20, 1999, a short article in Nature called attention to a potential ecological problem with a genetically engineered, or transgenic, crop. Losey and his colleagues at Cornell Univ. reported that a variety of transgenic corn could kill the larvae of monarch butterflies. Fig. 1. Monarch caterpillars feed on a milkweed leaf dusted with pollen from corn that was genetically engineered to resist pest. Plant breeders can transfer a gene from a bacterium called Bacillus thuringiensis into corn, which causes it to produce an insecticidal compound, commonly called Bt toxin. 反對者 vs. 贊成者 Opponents of transgenic crops help up the report as evidence of the potentially devastating environmental impact. Proponents largely dismissed this laboratory-based research as unrepresentative of conditions on real farms. 基因轉植的威力 Genetic engineering makes it possible to transfer genes from virtually any species – animal, bacteria, plant or virus – into almost any other species, no matter how unrelated the two species might be. 如此可以創造出 將水母的發光基因轉植入植物，有各種顏色的草(Monsanto 公司)。 基因轉植的農作物：利與害 利益：增加生產量、增進味道和營養成分，以及抗病力(減少農藥的使用)。 害處：對人體健康有過敏原(allergens)和致癌因素(carcinogens)。對環境而言，產生新的pests，對non-target species的傷害，disruption of ecosystem processes。 然而，對這些可能的害處，學術界的研究卻是很有限。 基因轉植的農作物：激增！ In 1996，商業栽植基因轉植的農作物的農地面積有430萬公頃。 In 1998，農地面積激增至 6,950萬公頃。 With such rapidly in creasing use of transgenic crops, scientists and society must weigh whether the potential benefits outweigh the potential risks. 基因轉植，more than 育種？ Do transgenic crops pose different risks from those common to crops created through t