Biotechnology in Agricultural Chemistry

379 Pages·1987·7.35 MB·English

by  Homer M. LeBaron

Biotechnology in
Agricultural Chemistry
In Biotechnology in Agricultural Chemistry; LeBaron, H., et al.;
ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1987.
In Biotechnology in Agricultural Chemistry; LeBaron, H., et al.;
ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1987.
334
ACS SYMPOSIUM SERIES
Biotechnology in
Agricultural Chemistry
Homer M. LeBaron, EDITOR
CIBA-GEIGY
Ralph O. Mumma, EDITOR
Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University
Richard C. Honeycutt, EDITOR
CIBA-GEIGY Corporation
John H. Duesing, EDITOR
CIBA-GEIGY Corporation
J. F. Phillips, ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Michael J. Haas, ASSOCIATE EDITOR
American Chemical Society, Washington, DC 1987
In Biotechnology in Agricultural Chemistry; LeBaron, H., et al.;
ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1987.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Biotechnology in agricultural chemistry.
(ACS symposium series; 334)
"Developed from a symposium sponsored by the
Divisions of Agrochemicals, Agricultural and Food
Chemistry, and Fertilizer and Soil Chemistry at the
190th Meeting of the American Chemical Society,
Chicago, Illinois, September 8-13, 1985."
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.
1. Agricultural biotechnology—Congresses
2. Agricultural chemistry—Congresses
I. LeBaron, Homer M. II. American Chemical
Society. Meeting (190th: 1985: Chicago, Ill.)
III. American Chemical Society. Division of
Agrochemicals. IV. American Chemical Society.
Division of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
V. American Chemical Society. Division of Fertilizer
and Soil Chemistry. VI. Title. VII. Series.
S494.5.B563B57 1987 630'.2'4 87-1803
ISBN 0-8412-1019-5
Copyright © 1987
American Chemical Society
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PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
In Biotechnology in Agricultural Chemistry; LeBaron, H., et al.;
ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1987.
ACS Symposium Series
M. Joan Comstock, Series Editor
1987 Advisory Board
Harvey W. Blanch Vincent D. McGinniss
University of California—Berkeley Battelle Columbus Laboratories
Alan Elzerman
Clemson University J. T. Baker Chemical Company
John W. Finley James C. Randall
Nabisco Brands, Inc. Exxon Chemical Company
Marye Anne Fox E. Reichmanis
The University of Texas—Austin AT&T Bell Laboratories
Martin L. Gorbaty C. M. Roland
Exxon Research and Engineering Co. US. Naval Research Laborator)
Roland F. Hirsch W. D. Shults
U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge National Laborator
G. Wayne I vie Geoffrey K. Smith
USDA, Agricultural Research Service Rohm & Haas Co.
Rudolph J. Marcus Douglas B. Walters
Consultant, Computers & National Institute of
Chemistry Research Environmental Health
In Biotechnology in Agricultural Chemistry; LeBaron, H., et al.;
ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1987.
Foreword
The ACS SYMPOSIUM SERIES was founded in 1974 to provide a
medium for publishing symposia quickly in book form. The
format of the Series parallels that of the continuing ADVANCES
IN CHEMISTRY SERIES except that, in order to save time, the
papers are not typese
by the authors in camera-ready form. Papers are reviewed under
the supervision of the Editors with the assistance of the Series
Advisory Board and are selected to maintain the integrity of the
symposia; however, verbatim reproductions of previously pub
lished papers are not accepted. Both reviews and reports of
research are acceptable, because symposia may embrace both
types of presentation.
In Biotechnology in Agricultural Chemistry; LeBaron, H., et al.;
ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1987.
Preface
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ITS APPLICATIONS to agricultural chemistry are
developing at a phenomenal rate. Since 1983, various symposia, including
the one from which this book was developed, have been held to examine
the various technical and applied avenues of research in this burgeoning
field of science.
Although an abundance of literature has been published on biotechnol
ogy and recombinant DNA, no symposium has been published dealing with
the applications of biotechnolog
other publications on the subject have not integrated biotechnology research
with regulatory concerns about this research. This volume deals with state-
of-the-art techniques in biotechnology and integrates this research with a
perspective on regulatory action associated with biotechnology related to
agriculture.
While organizing the symposium from which this book was developed,
we talked with many people, both American Chemical Society (ACS)
members and nonmembers, before and after making selections of topics and
speakers. We tried to provide a balance and a wide range of biotechnology
research areas related to agricultural chemistry. We have not provided an
intensive, exhaustive, or detailed update on any aspect of the subject.
Originally, we considered omitting the legal, social, regulatory, and ethical
aspects, and including only the scientific or methodology issues. However,
in this time and place we simply cannot congratulate ourselves and take
pride in our scientific discoveries and marvelous inventions and ignore their
possible adverse or long-term consequences.
The only place biotechnology can be sold as a science is on the stock
market. Everywhere else, biotechnology is merely a means of developing
tools or products that must be applied in some practical way. Biotechnology
must compete with the performance, ease of use, effectiveness, and
economy of all other methods for doing the same job. It must face the
traditions and biases of the user. We want this book to not only instruct on
advances in biotechnology, but also to open doors of communication and
interactions between chemists, genetic engineers, regulatory agencies,
environmentalists, and professionals in other disciplines.
This book is divided into four sections, each dealing with topics related
to agricultural chemicals, pest control, and crop production. The first
section deals with some of the recent developments in plant cell and tissue
culture. The diversity of methodology presented in this section reflects the
quickly evolving state-of-the-art areas of biotechnology and underlines the
xi
In Biotechnology in Agricultural Chemistry; LeBaron, H., et al.;
ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1987.
axiom that tissue culture is certainly one of the basic foundations for
building agricultural chemical technology through recombinant DNA
techniques.
The second section of this book deals with genetic engineering and
selection techniques related to the development of biotechnology-based
agriculture. The wide range of topics, from the development of single-celled
photosynthetic organisms as a source of herbicide-resistant genes to rapid
detection of Salmonella in food cultures, illustrates the versatility of
biotechnology in the field of agricultural chemical research. The advent of
microcomputer technology is certainly timely for the field of biotechnology,
and the combination of both technologies creates a powerful thrust and
view into what future research may hold for this field.
The third section of thi
tions of biotechnology fo
and microbial systems in degradation of waste pesticides and environmental
hazards offers tools that until the present have not been available. Remedial
environmental hazard cleanup is very costly. Use of microorganisms or
enzymes that detoxify unwanted chemicals holds much promise in this area.
In a report from a biotechnology study group formed to assist the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Martin Alexander and committee
members suggested that the techniques of modern genetics and environ
mental microbiology can aid substantially in reducing the concentration or
totally destroying chemical pollutants in surface and groundwaters,
industrial and municipal waste treatment systems, and possibly in other
circumstances. As the committee concluded, "Microorganisms have the
advantage of providing low-cost, simple, and often highly effective means
for chemical destruction."
Section three also contains a discussion of the use of genetically
engineered microorganisms to produce agricultural chemicals. This area of
research will certainly grow enormously in the future as scaled-up
techniques of chemical production become cost-effective.
The fourth section of the book deals with economic, legal, safety
evaluation, and regulatory issues for biotechnology related to agriculture.
Various areas are covered, including laws governing applications of
biotechnology patents related to agricultural products as well as regulatory
and safety issues for biotechnology. Safety issues for biotechnology are of
prime importance and concern in a field so young. Looking at perspectives,
we see that safety issues of concern occurred late in the development of
other agricultural products such as pesticides. A legitimate request is that
past mistakes should not be repeated and that our society learn from the
past how to produce both timely and safe products of biotechnology.
Several chapters in this book address state-of-the-art biotechnical
safety and regulatory science as of mid-1985 and present the reader with an
accurate historical perspective. At the time of the symposium from which
xii
In Biotechnology in Agricultural Chemistry; LeBaron, H., et al.;
ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1987.
this book was developed, the regulatory situation on biotechnology was
dynamic and evolving rapidly, but has since become more solidified. The
Biotechnology Science Coordinating Committee (BSCC) was established to
serve as a coordinating forum for addressing scientific problems, sharing
information and developing consensus, promoting consistency in the
development of federal review procedures and assessments, facilitating
cooperation among federal agencies, and identifying data gaps in scientific
knowledge. Membership in the committee is composed of senior policy
officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), EPA, Food and
Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The committee reports to the Federal Coordinating Council for Science,
Engineering, and Technology (FCCSET). In addition, a domestic policy
council was established a
working group on biotechnolog
personnel. On May 14, 1986, a Biotechnology Science Advisory Committee
(BSAC) was established to provide expert scientific advice to the adminis
trator at EPA concerning issues relating to risks and other effects of modern
biotechnology applications.
Pieces of legislation pertinent to biotechnology include the Biosafety
Act of 1985 and the Biotechnology Science Coordination Act of 1986. Each
piece of legislation attempts to address the need for regulations and
research to evaluate the risk of biotechnical products. Both bills were tabled
at the time of this writing.
On an international scale, the Organization for Economic Cooperation
and Development (OECD) has taken several initiatives in biotechnology.
These initiatives include the formation of (1) an ad hoc group on safety and
regulations in biotechnology, (2) the Directorate for Science, Technology,
and Industry Committees for Scientific and Technological Policy, and
(3) the Environment Committee to address safety of biotechnology
materials.
Several applications for research and use of biotechnical products
related to agriculture have been presented to EPA. To date, very few field
studies have been performed. Of course, the ice-minus bacteria Pseudom-
onas syringae has been in the forefront of regulatory issues. The interjection
of this issue into the judicial process and subsequent rulings represent a new
approach by critics of biotechnology in that regulatory decisions appear to
be made outside the executive branch of government.
We thank the ACS and our three sponsoring divisions—Agrochemicals
(formerly Pesticide Chemistry), Agricultural and Food Chemistry, and
Fertilizer and Soil Chemistry—for working with us in organizing the
symposium from which this book was developed. We thank the contributors
who gave so generously of their time and experience and who made this
publication a valuable tool for scientists in the field of agricultural
chemistry. We also thank our symposium chairpersons, Michael J. Haas
xiii
In Biotechnology in Agricultural Chemistry; LeBaron, H., et al.;
ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1987.
(USDA), J. F. Phillips (National Fertilizer Development Center), and Gerald
Still (USDA), for their contributions in making this symposium a success.
HOMER M. LEBARON
CIBA-GEIGY Corporation
Greensboro, NC 27419
RALPH O. MUMMA
Department of Entomology
Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA 16802
RICHARD C. HONEYCUTT
CIBA-GEIGY Corporatio
Greensboro, NC 27419
JOHN H. DUESING
CIBA-GEIGY Corporation
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
November 3, 1986
xiv
In Biotechnology in Agricultural Chemistry; LeBaron, H., et al.;
ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1987.