GES Colloquium, 10.17.2017 Presented by Professor Keith Edmisten ABSTRACT: Cotton producers - both in North Carolina and across the U.S. - were early adopters of biotech. The cotton industry has widely employed the use of insect resistant and herbicide tolerant varieties, evolving the variety of traits and management strategies along the way. Producers have experienced both pros and cons in this evolution. Dr. Edmisten will present some of the issues producers have faced, and some of the solutions industry and growers have adopted. He will also discuss why growers embraced the technologies in such a wholesale manner, and why they continue to use them. Learn more at https://research.ncsu.edu/ges/events/colloquiums/

1. The Adoption of Biotech in
Cotton Production
GES Colloquium
Raleigh, NC
Keith Edmisten Professor of Crop and Soil
Sciences & Extension Cotton Specialist

2. First 20 years of GMO cotton production
BXN Cotton - 1995
Variety Post herbicices # lint/a Mike UHM
BXN47 Buctril
Buctril
700 b 5.1 a 1.04 b
BXN47 Cotoran
Bladex
718 b 5.0 a 1.03 b
LA887 Cotoran
Bladex
822 ab 5.2 a 1.08 a
DLP51 Cotoran
Bladex
892 a 4.7 a 1.08 a

3. BXN Cotton - 1995
• Low yield potential
• Poor fiber quality
• Limited weed spectrum

4. BXN Cotton - 1995
• Low yield potential
• Poor fiber quality
• Limited weed spectrum

5. 1996

7. Relative Amount of B.t. Needed to
Control Certain Cotton Pests.

10. non-Bt Bt
two-toxin
Bt
two-toxin
+ Vip
VIP = vegetative insecticidal protein
Simultanteous vs Sequential Gene Deployment

11. Secondary insects

12. Dynamic threshold for stink bugs in cotton

14. U.S. Insecticide use in Cotton
(M lbs) of active ingredient)
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

16. 1997

17. DP 458BRR-UNT DP 458BRR-4 lf
POST
DP 458BRR-4 lf
POST & 8 lf PD

18. CP4-EPSPS Enzyme in
Cotton Tissues
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
ugCP4-EPSPS/mgtissue
Leaf
Ovary
Stigma
Anther
a
a
b b

19. Flower from non-treated
plant--Good pollen deposition
Flower from glyphosate-treated plant--
pollen deposition only on low stigma
Pollen from glyphosate-treated plantPollen from non-treated plant

21. 300
400
500
600
700
800
75 80 85 90 95 100 105
YEARS AFTER 1900
LINTYIELD
Yield changes since introduction of
RR cotton

23. Quality changes since introduction of RR cotton
VARIETY YIELD UHM S.L.
STV 4691B 1371 ** 1.09
FM 958 1343 * 1.13
PSC 355 1332 * 1.1
PM 1218 BG/RR 1331 * 1.05
STV BXN47 1294 * 1.06
STV 4892 BR 1289 * 1.05
PM 1560 BG 1271 * 1.1
ST474 1253 1.06
DPL 425 RR 1242 1.09
SG 747 1228 1.11
SG 105 1227 1.12
SG 501 BR 1226 1.07
SS Condor 1215 1.06
STV 4793 R 1215 1.04
PSC GA 161 1211 1.14
DPL 436 RR 1197 1.11
DPL 451 B/RR 1191 1.11
SS Gav ilan 1190 1.09
DPL 20 B 1188 1.1
DP 428 B 1183 1.11
SG 125 R 1181 1.08
AP 9257 1178 1.06
SG 125 BR 1175 1.05
DPL 420 RR 1163 1.08
DPL 51 1151 1.11
AP 1500 RR 1147 1.11
AP 7115 1114 1.06
DPL 422 B/RR 1110 1.07
DPL 388 1106 1.09

24. Quality changes since
introduction of RR
cotton
33
33.5
34
34.5
35
35.5
36
75 80 85 90 95 100
YEARS AFTER 1900
UHM(32nd/IN)

25. 0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
DP 90 NuCOTN 33 B
PM 1218 BG/RR DP 555 BG/RR
DP 444 BG/RR
Speed to Market
Source – Dr. Tom Kerby DPL

27. Reduced erosion & labor

28. Superweeds

30. Multiple modes of
herbicide resistance

31. http://modernfarmer.com/2017/07/dicamba-drift/

34. My Background with Biotechnology

35. Difficult, slow, time
consuming
Fast, easy, efficient

37.  All these issues (pollination problems, bollworm
control, yield drag) were addressed with improved
technology and GE new varieties
 98% of farms in NC are family farms and good labor
is a huge issue
 Convenience is as important to farmers as the public

40. CS590 Intro to Regulatory Affairs
Greg Jaffe
Director of Biotechnology, Center
for Science in the Public Interest
202 Poe Hall – 3-5:30 Monday,
October 23