Table of Contents

RISK ASSESSMENT

Crop Diversity Delays Evolution of Insect Resistance to Bt Cotton in China
Bruce E. Tabashnik and Yidong Wu

To protect crops from insect pests, scientists have genetically engineered cotton, corn and soybean to produce insecticidal proteins from the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Although Bt crops have helped to suppress pests, rapid evolution of resistance to Bt toxins by pests can diminish or even eliminate these benefits. The primary strategy for delaying pest resistance to Bt crops aims to increase the survival of toxin-susceptible insects with 'refuges' of plants that do not produce Bt toxins and can serve as hosts for the pests. The approach adopted in China is based on the hypothesis that abundant non-Bt host plants other than cotton (such as non-Bt corn, soybean, peanut, and other crops) provide sufficient 'natural refuges' to delay the evolution of resistance in H. armigera.

PLANT RESEARCH

Brachypodium distachyon Provides Insights into Plant Trade-offs Between Growth and Stress Tolerance
Antoine Peraldi, Rachel Goddard and Paul Nicholson

Plant hormones are small signaling molecules that play a central role in orchestrating the complex regulatory mechanisms involved in plant development and in mounting appropriate responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Brachypodium distachyon (Bd) is a monocotyledonous plant with a short physical stature, small genome, and rapid life cycle that makes it suitable as a reference species for plant research. We recently investigated the conservation of defense mechanisms between Bd and barley as a proof-of-concept to demonstrate the potential to transfer insight acquired from the model species to cereal crops.

CONSUMER RESEARCH

Heterogeneous Consumer Preferences for Nanotechnology and Genetic-Modification Technology in Food Products
Chengyan Yue, Shuoli Zhao and Jennifer Kuzma

The application of novel technologies to food, such as biotechnology and nanotechnology, continues to grow rapidly. Given the strong prevalence and interest in food produced using genetic modification and nanotechnology, it is important to understand consumer perceptions of the benefits and risks, as well as to understand how product acceptance is affected by price, labeling, and these risks and benefits. From a policy perspective, our results suggest that the majority of U.S. consumers will not reject these technologies outright, but base their decisions on a complex calculus of benefits, risks, technological comfort, and safety.