Plant Science and Crop Breeding: Their role in global food security

Dr Jonathan Snape, Commercial Director

Population of 8.3 billion by 2030 (UN)

Food

50% increase in

demand (FAO)

Energy

50% increase in

demand (EIA)

Freshwater

30% increase in

demand (FAO)

Land

120m ha needed in

developing countries

crop production (FAO)

Soil erosion &

biodiversity loss

The Global Challenge

• 37% EU land is used for agriculture

• 2/3 of agricultural land is used for crop production

• % agricultural land varies considerably between countries

Agricultural land use in Europe

Country % agric. land

Sweden 7%

UK 65%

• Farm sizes vary considerably between countries

Agricultural land use in Europe

Italy is 8% EU agric. land with av. farm size 9ha UK is 9% EU agric. land with av. farm size 60ha

Av. size of agric. land (ha) per

farm(2007)

Intensity of farming in Europe

• High, medium and low intensity farming in EU (2007)

• High intensity: high inputs of labour, fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides to obtain the maximum output

• Europe wants to reduce high intensity farming while maintaining / increasing crop production

*

*

Cereal production in Europe

• 68% crops grown in Europe are cereals

• 47% of cereal production is wheat

World grain supplies and UK wheat prices

Share of main crop in Europe

• Four countries, France, Germany, Poland and UK are responsible for bulk of production

Pest Impacts: Crops that never reach the table

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Wheat Sugar Cane

Millet Potato Maize Rice Global Crop

Pests Weeds Disease

Pre-Harvest Losses

Estimated EU losses

15-20%

2500 BC 2000 BC 1500s 1700s 1900s 1950s 1975s 1980s 1940s

Synthetic pesticides ‘Pesticide Era’

>1,000 active ingredients >20,000 products

Crop protection (chemical) products

2007

• EU is world's largest producer, user, exporter of pesticides. – $10.42 billion = a third of the global market

• Development costs up 117%

• Research costs are up 18%

• Research investment in Europe has fallen from 33% to 7.7%

Crop protection (chemical) products in Europe

• Active ingredients in development have fallen

Crop protection products globally

EU Directives

• The Water Framework Directive (WFD) (2000/60/EEC)

• Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC)

• Directive 2009/128/EC on sustainable use of pesticides

– To achieve sustainable use of pesticides by reducing the risks and impacts on human health and environment and promoting the use of Integrated Pest Management and of alternative approaches or techniques such as non-chemical alternatives to pesticides”.

– Each EU member state must implement an IPM National Action Plan by 2014

Pesticide use in the EU

• Pesticides being taken off the market due to new rules

• Leading to fewer products in EU (ca. >60%)

• Could lead to a 35% reduction in farm profits

• Stricter licensing prevents ‘innovation’

• A fall in the number of patented active ingredients has led to a sharp rise in off-patent generics, particularly in China and India

Crop protection products globally

Research and Development spending

• Global R&D expenditure on seed traits (including GM) has now overtaken that on agrochemicals

Introduction of GM traits

• Introduction of new GM traits since 1995

GM Production worldwide

Since 1995 GM have resulted in a 9% reduction in pesticide use globally

GM successes elsewhere

GM Production in Europe

• Very rigorous licencing to introduce GM crops into Europe

• No ‘opt outs’ for member states on planting GM, so hotly contested area

• Strong anti-GM lobby

• Major companies have moved out of GM production in EU

• Acceptance of new GM technologies has increase steadily since 1999

• BASF has since moved all its plant science research to USA.

GM rule changes in Europe

Scottish farmers welcome genetically

modified crops move Wednesday 14 January 2015

EU changes rules on GM crop cultivation 13 January 2015 EU gives governments more power to restrict or prohibit planting of GM crops.

As ‘opt out’ deadline approaches

Scotland to issue formal ban on genetically modified crops

GM crops ban not based on scientific

considerations, admits Sturgeon

Scottish food was "internationally valued" for being

produced "under clean, green and natural

conditions"

9 August 2015

11 September 2015

International Reaction: Europe turns against science • The faces of the hungry children come to mind every time I

hear European politicians boast about their country's GMO

ban and demand that the rest of the world follow suit -- as

Scotland's minister did in August.

• Meanwhile, hypocrisy rules: Europe imports over 30 million

tons per year of corn and soy-based animal feeds, the vast

majority of which are genetically modified, for its livestock

industry. Imports are preferred to European crops partly

because biotech traits make them cheaper

• Europe becoming a “museum of world farming”

The New York Times October 25, 2015 Sunday MARK LYNAS

Other approaches to pest control

Crop (molecular) breeding

Populations

Disease forecasting Biocontrol

Cultivar selection

Crop rotation

Intercropping Mixtures

Precision agriculture Attractants/repellents Endophytes

Other approaches to pest control

Biofumigation (e.g. mustard)

Suppressive soils

Land use management Field margins

Other approaches to pest control

Resistance elicitors

Pesticides

GM

Other non-chemical alternatives

Now Future

How will Europe protect its crops from pests and diseases in the future?

Other non-chemical alternatives

Biotechnology (GM)

Pesticides

Imports = 1/3 of EU’s utilized agricultural area

Impact from barley research

5.5

6

6.5

7

7.5

8

8.5

9

9.5

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

Yie

ld t

/ha

Year

Spring

Winter

Data derived from analysis of UK NL & RL data (BSPB & HGCA)

Sustainability of Modern Agriculture

There are many challenges inherent in sustainable production •Interaction between human population size and production •Fuelled by unsustainable use of N and P fertiliser •Change in management required to make effective use of nutrient

Critical Functions of Roots

roots acquire water and mineral nutrients

essential for crop yield and quality

roots deliver carbon belowground

and contribute to soil health

roots cope with chemically, physically and

biologically hostile conditions

effective roots reduce environmental

pollution, eutrophication and emissions of

GHG

roots anchor plants and soil

Roots Imaged using transparent soil

roots prevent uptake of toxic elements and

molecules

Food Security = sufficient, safe, nutritious,

environmentally benign

Roots for improved resource capture

Optimisation Algorithm

e0, g0, b0

e1, g1, b1

e2, g2, b2

…

Simulations of Meristematic Envelopeand Resource Capture

Compare

Target RSA

Models of root system ideotype for

resource capture

Crop Improvement Research Club BB/J019631/1

High-throughput (HTP)

root phenotyping screens

Improved Crop Cultivars

Roots that physically manipulate soil

BBSRC - BB/L026058/1

High resolution images of

rhizospheres

Understanding of root hair soil interactions

Develop models of rhizosphere

physical environment

Designed Rhizospheres for Enhanced Function

Rhizosphere Complementarity for

Enhanced Use of Phosphorus

BBSRC (BB/K017047; 2014-2017)

Selection of complementary

rhizospheres

Citrate

Phytase

Pi

Po

Optimised

intercropping

systems Geochemical

models of Organic

P dynamics

Alternative Agronomy

KBBE.2011.1.2-05

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

OSU

05

2O

SU1

44

OSU

03

3O

SU1

07

OSU

12

4O

SU0

35

OSU

06

5O

SU0

53

OSU

09

0O

SU0

51

OSU

01

8O

SU1

37

OSU

07

4O

SU0

40

OSU

02

4O

SU0

15

OSU

08

6O

SU0

61

OSU

06

0H

arri

ngt

on

OSU

10

2O

SU0

38

OSU

12

7O

SU0

12

OSU

04

7O

SU0

44

OSU

01

9O

SU1

05

OSU

01

6O

SU0

48

DTI

20 partners from Europe, USA, Japan and Australia

Roots for Drought Tolerance

Candidate Genes from Wild Barley

Phenotypes for drought

tolerance

Drought Tolerant Cereals

Roots for Physically Hostile Soils

Phenotyping of Root

Response to Soil

Compaction

Development of root

imaging in “soil” Field scale analysis of root

growth and soil physical

conditions

Improved Agronomy/Cultivar Packages

Transparent soil: A model system for studying root

interactions

Translation

Root Ideotypes

Designer Rhizospheres

Improved Crop Cultivars

Improved Agronomy

Packages for Sustainability

SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION

Translation

Environmental Change Field to Region Barriers to Uptake Acceptability

Acknowledgements

• Prof Ian Toth

• Dr Tim Daniell

• Dr Tim George

• Prof Colin Campbell

• Scottish Government