Input traits developed through biotechnology primarily benefit farmers through improved crop production and reduced costs, while output traits aim to benefit processors and consumers by improving the quality of food and feed products. Most commercially grown biotech crops contain input traits like insect or herbicide resistance. Very few output traits providing consumer benefits, like enhanced nutrition, have been approved. Developing output traits for crops in developing countries could help address malnutrition if combined with input traits for improved production, processing, and distribution. Golden rice is an example of a biotech crop developed to address vitamin A deficiency through enhanced nutrition.

1. Input versus Output Biotech Crop Traits:
How Does the Consumer Benefit?
Ed Cahoon
Center for Plant Science Innovation
Department of Biochemistry
ecahoon2@unl.edu

2. Biotech crops are major components of the agricultural economy of the
United States and portions of the developed and developing world
(but not Europe)
United States: Biotech crops—50% of total crop production, 93% of soybean production
Worldwide: Biotech crops-77% of soybean and 50% of cotton production
But where are the improved food and feed products?

3. Biotechnology offers tools that when used together with plant breeding
can improve crop production and qualities of crops
Biotech crops are generated by insertion of genes and/or genetic elements into host plants
The resulting “transgenic” crops are then bred into the top performing germplasm
to achieve optimal production in specific geographic regions.

4. Biotech Crop Traits Are Categorized Largely as Input or Output Traits
Input Traits: Agronomic traits
that improve crop production
and/or reduce production costs
Examples: drought tolerance,
insect resistance, herbicide
resistance.
Primary benefactors: Farmers
Output Traits: Traits that
improve the quality of products
derived from crops.
Examples: enhanced human
and livestock nutrition, improved
industrial properties.
Primary benefactors: Processors
and consumers.

5. Nearly All of the Economically Significant Biotech Crops are
Engineered with Input Traits
Insect Resistance: Crop are typically engineered with
genes for Bt Cry proteins for resistance to
lepidopteran insects, such as European corn borer.
Crops: corn, cotton, rice (China)
Herbicide Resistance: Crop are engineered with
genes for novel essential enzymes that are
resistant to herbicide inhibition or detoxify herbicides.
Crops: soybean, corn, cotton, rapeseed, sugar beet
Virus Resistance: Crop are typically engineered with
genes for virus coat proteins to confer resistance
to specific viruses.
Crops: papaya, squash

6. Nebraska’s Contribution to Input Biotech Traits

7. Do Input Traits Benefit Consumers?
Yes….but not directly.
*Input biotech traits contribute to the maintenance
of a ready source of food at affordable prices.
*Crops engineered for resistance to insects
typically have less pesticide residues.
*Improved environment: Reduced soil erosion
World Vegetable Oil Consumption
from reduced soil tillage with herbicide
resistant crops.
*Reduced impact on natural resources: Reduced
use of fuel for application of pesticides and
cultivation. Future: Reduced fertilizer and
water use.
Lu et al. (2011) Current Op. Biotechnol.

8. Where are the Output Traits
for Consumers?
Flavr Savr
Very few output traits have
received regulatory approval.
Examples:
Amflora Potato
delayed ripening tomatoes
high oleic soybean (healthy oil)
industrial starch potatoes (Europe)
GLA safflower (healthy oil)
Are consumers willing to pay a
premium for biotech nutritionally
enhanced/better tasting foods?
Large companies are reducing investments in output trait development.
An opportunity for small companies/niche markets?

9. Can Input and Output Biotech Traits Improve
the Human Condition in the Developing World?
Little or no
biotech crops
in Sub-Saharan
Africa:
An opportunity
for improved
production and
improved food
quality?
Input Traits: Pest and drought resistance traits can improve crop production.
Do opportunities exist for output traits?

10. Enhanced Nutrition Traits:
The Case of Biotechnology for
Provitamin A Biofortification
Golden Rice 1 Golden Rice 2
Golden Rice
Vitamin A deficiency is prevalent in the developing world and contributes to
blindness and weakened immune systems.

11. Healthy Traits for the Developing World:
Does Plant Biotechnology Have a Role?
Grand Challenges in Global Heath: Challenge 9 (GC9)
Goal: Improve the nutritional status of the major staple crops of the
developing world.
Focus: iron, zinc, provitamin A, vitamin E, and protein biofortification
Target Crops:
Sorghum Cassava
Rice Banana

12. Cassava Biofortification
Cassava (Manihot esculenta) - yucca,
manihot, tapioca
 Most important source of calories in the
tropics after rice and maize
Vegetatively propagated: limited
gene flow
 Grown in 100 tropical countries on a total
of 160 million hectares
Eaten daily by 600 million people
Poor source of micronutrients

13. Cassava As a Balanced Nutritional Crop has Unique Challenges
Not only is it deficient in iron, zinc, provitamin A, vitamin E, and protein……
It is has major production and distribution problems in Africa
*Highly susceptible to viruses
*Roots rot quickly through the process of
physiological post-harvest deterioration (PPD)
*Accumulates cyanogenic compounds
Goal: Combine nutritional traits with traits that enhance the
production and distribution of cassava to improve the
likelihood of acceptance in sub-Saharan Africa

14. Vitamin A Deficiency is a Major Public Health Problem
in Sub-Saharan Africa
Nigeria:
60% of
children
have VitA
deficiency
Goal: Increase provitamin A (β-carotene) concentrations by
10-fold in cassava storage roots.

15. Development of Golden Cassava with Improved Shelf Life

16. Field testing at the
National Root Crops Research Institute
in Umudike, Nigeria
First permit for a confined
field trial of a transgenic
crop in Nigeria
Field testing planned for KARI, Kenya
in late 2010
Next Phase: Product Concept (output + input traits)
Stack of Provitamin A trait with a Second Nutritional Trait in a
Farmer-Preferred Cassava Variety with Virus Resistance