Exam 7: Soil, Agriculture, and the Future of Food

Match the following: -Honeybees are vanishing at an alarming rate because of this

Read the following scenario and answer the question below. Despite the high cost of the technology to design genetically modified (GM) crops, American companies have invested in their development. The first genetically engineered crop was the Flavr Savr tomato, which was created by reversing the function of a normal tomato gene. It was approved by the FDA for sale in the United States in 1994. Its grower, the Calgene Corporation, maintained that it would ripen longer on the vine, taste and ship better, and last longer on supermarket shelves compared to conventional tomatoes. It is no longer marketed because of technical problems and public safety concerns. Today, most engineered crops are modified for insect and herbicide resistance. In 1997, the Monsanto company first marketed GM corn. This Bt corn was engineered using genes from the Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria that made the corn resistant to some pests. In 1999, environmentalists were alarmed when it was reported that pollen from Bt corn could kill monarch butterfly larvae if corn pollen drifted onto milkweed plants that monarchs fed upon. Consumers feared the unknown and were concerned about potential food allergies. Presently, corn, along with soybeans, cotton, and canola dominate the GM food market. These crops are grown and distributed mostly in the United States, Argentina, Canada, Brazil, and China. They are used mostly for animal feed, clothing, or to make oil or other ingredients for processed food, which has helped them gain public acceptance. Although GM crops such as strawberries, potatoes, and lettuce have all been marketed in the United States, GM food field trials involving biotech fruits and vegetables have dropped significantly during the past several years, and the pace of new product introductions has fallen sharply. This narrow range of crops could mean that biotechnology may not realize its full potential in the future. -If GM crops can decrease pesticide use, why are environmentalists still concerned about them?

Green Revolution techniques _______________.

Match the following: -Bacterial component for genetically modified organisms

What are the arguments for and against genetically modified crops? Discuss the scientific, economic, and political issues.

Raising _______________ requires the most land and water.

What is the basic concept of sustainable agriculture?

Use the figure above to answer the following question. -The comparison shown in the figure is environmentally significant because _____________.

What are the dangers associated with pesticide use? How can biocontrol and use of crops with high genetic diversity be used to decrease the amount of pesticides used?

The Conservation Reserve Program pays farmers to _______________.

What is true about GM crops?

Read the following scenario and answer the question below. Despite the high cost of the technology to design genetically modified (GM) crops, American companies have invested in their development. The first genetically engineered crop was the Flavr Savr tomato, which was created by reversing the function of a normal tomato gene. It was approved by the FDA for sale in the United States in 1994. Its grower, the Calgene Corporation, maintained that it would ripen longer on the vine, taste and ship better, and last longer on supermarket shelves compared to conventional tomatoes. It is no longer marketed because of technical problems and public safety concerns. Today, most engineered crops are modified for insect and herbicide resistance. In 1997, the Monsanto company first marketed GM corn. This Bt corn was engineered using genes from the Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria that made the corn resistant to some pests. In 1999, environmentalists were alarmed when it was reported that pollen from Bt corn could kill monarch butterfly larvae if corn pollen drifted onto milkweed plants that monarchs fed upon. Consumers feared the unknown and were concerned about potential food allergies. Presently, corn, along with soybeans, cotton, and canola dominate the GM food market. These crops are grown and distributed mostly in the United States, Argentina, Canada, Brazil, and China. They are used mostly for animal feed, clothing, or to make oil or other ingredients for processed food, which has helped them gain public acceptance. Although GM crops such as strawberries, potatoes, and lettuce have all been marketed in the United States, GM food field trials involving biotech fruits and vegetables have dropped significantly during the past several years, and the pace of new product introductions has fallen sharply. This narrow range of crops could mean that biotechnology may not realize its full potential in the future. -Which of the following was a positive environmental aspect of the Flavr Savr tomato?

Relative to sustainable agriculture, insectsʹ roles are as _______________.

In Queensland, Australia, cactus moths (Cactoblastis cactorum) _______________.

Discuss the practices used by farmers to protect their soils.

The loss of more than 10% productivity in an arid area due to erosion, soil compaction, deforestation or overgrazing is _______________.

Use the figure above to answer the following question. -The figure demonstrates that it requires roughly ______________ times more feed input to produce 1 kg of eggs, compared to 1 kg of milk.

Recombinant DNA _______________.

Use the figure above to answer the following question. -Cows require a high quantity of feed because they _____________.

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following: -Can protect crops from some insect pest-related losses when applied periodically