HOW WILL BIOTECHNOLOGY AND TRANSGENIC CROPS IMPACT UPON CLASSICAL BIOLOGICAL CONTROL?

摘要

The changes in the genetic composition of organisms made possible by biotechnology can be considered under two headings, those that are made to the biological control organism and those that are made to the plant, which is being damaged. Changes thatwould be advantageous to the genome of a biological control organism include resistance to an insecticide used to control members of the pest complex to which it belongs; and increased cold tolerance, leading to a longer period of activity against the pest. Although it may drop dramatically in the future, the current cost of introducing such changes mitigates strongly against this course of action for classical biological control agents. This is because, once established, they are self-sustaining. Thereis no profit incentive for business to become involved and thus governments or crop industry bodies are the only possible sources of funding. The funding situation is somewhat more favourable for biological control organisms which are mass-produced andreleased inundatively (e.g. Trichogramma wasps) on a repetitive basis. They are in effect being used as a biological insecticide and they do not survive for more than a generation or two. Here industry has a profit incentive to become involved in the construction and sale of a repetitively used, effective product.