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Science Lecture Explores Genetically Modified Crop Challenges

Elmira, NY (11/06/2018) — The second lecture in this year's "Lecture Series in the Sciences" features Peter Gregory, Ph.D. of Cornell University, on Thursday, November 8, at 6:00 p.m. in Peterson Chapel.

Gregory, who will be discussing "GM Crops as catalysts for Global Development," states that "the extent to which genetically modified (GM) crop technologies can catalyze global development, especially as related to the needs of poor and hungry people, is potentially enormous. But success depends on how effectively the global scientific communities, including both the public and private sectors, can safely harness a broader choice of GM crops for a wider range of developing countries. Most commercialization to date has focused on internationally traded commodities such as maize, soybean, cotton and canola in industrialized countries. The major traits that have been transferred into these crops include herbicide tolerance (to facilitate improved control of weeds and reduce tillage) and insect resistance (to reduce the need for chemical pesticide applications while improving pest control) and, to a lesser extent, delayed ripening, and disease resistance. But a much wider range of crop/trait combinations could be harnessed by developing countries."

According to Gregory, "Cornell University addressed this issue by leading the Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project II (ABSPII), a pioneering USAID funded initiative comprising an extensive consortium of public and private partner institutions in Asia, Africa, USA and Europe. The goal of the project was to develop, during almost a decade and a half, new GM crop varieties for which there was a demand from developing countries, especially in cases when conventional plant breeding methodologies or agronomic innovations were not feasible. The seminar highlights how ABSPII has achieved its successes. It also addresses the political, social and scientific challenges that are encountered by such work."

The "Lecture Series in the Sciences" is free and open to the public. The annual series highlights various topics ranging from plant sciences, forensic science, marine biology, and bacteria.

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The second lecture in this year’s “Lecture Series in the Sciences” features Peter Gregory, Ph.D. of Cornell University, on Thursday, November 8, at 6:00 p.m. in Peterson Chapel.

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