Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T03:15:38.356Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Environmental Concerns with the Development of Herbicide-Tolerant Plants

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2017

Rebecca J. Goldburg
Rebecca J. Goldburg*
Affiliation:
Environmental Defense Fund, 257 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Development of herbicide-tolerant plants is the focus of considerable research. Some projects aim to increase herbicide use or promote use of particularly environmentally damaging chemicals, and thus may lead to environmental degradation. Other projects aim to develop herbicide-tolerant plants that allow substitution of newer less environmentally damaging chemicals for older more damaging ones. To the extent they divert research dollars from development of other weed control strategies, these projects may also jeopardize environmentally sound weed control. The paper concludes with policy recommendations concerning a) public sector research priorities, b) planting of herbicide-tolerant trees in forests, and c) regulation of herbicide-tolerant crops.

Keywords

Forestryfood safetyresearch priorities
Type
Symposium
Information
Weed Technology , Volume 6 , Issue 3 , September 1992 , pp. 647 - 652
Copyright
Copyright © 1990 by the Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

1. Anonymous. 1988. Smarter ways to fight pests. New York Times, editorial, 14 Nov., p. A18.Google Scholar
2. Benbrook, C. and Moses, P. 1986. Engineering crops to resist herbicides. Technol. Rev. 89:54–61, 79.Google Scholar
3. Benbrook, C. and Moses, P. 1986. Herbicide resistance: environmental and economic issues. p. 27–54 in Proc. BioExpo '86, Butterworth, Boston.Google Scholar
4. Bormann, F. H. and Likens, G. E. 1979. Pattern and Process in a Forested Ecosystem. Springer Verlag, New York.Google Scholar
5. Brosten, D. 1988. Low-dosage resistance. Agrichemical Age 32:12,28.Google Scholar
6. Doyle, J. 1985. Altered Harvest. Viking Penguin, Inc., New York.Google Scholar
7. Duke, S. O. 1988. Glyphosate. p. 1–70 in Kearney, P. C. and Kaufman, D. D., eds., Herbicides-Chemistry, Degradation, and Mode of Action. Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York.Google Scholar
8. Duke, S. O., Christy, A. L., Hess, F. D., and Holt, J. S. 1991. Herbicide-Resistant Crops. Council on Agricultural Science and Technology, Ames, IA.Google Scholar
9. Federoff, N. 1987. Impending genetic engineering. New York Times, opinion page, 2 Sept., section I, p. 27.Google Scholar
10. Folmar, L. C., Sanders, H. O., and Julin, A. M. 1979. Toxicity of the herbicide glyphosate and several of its formulations to fresh and aquatic invertebrates. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 8:269–278.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11. Gianessi, L. P. and Puffer, C. A. 1989. Regulatory policy, new technology, and mother nature. Resources 97:8–10. Resources for the Future, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
12. Gliessman, S. R. 1987. Species interactions and community ecology in low external-input agriculture. Am. J. Altem. Agric. 2:160–165.Google Scholar
13. Goldburg, R., Rissler, J., Shand, H., and Hassebrook, C. 1990. Biotechnology's Bitter Harvest. Biotechnology Working Group, Washington, DC. 73 p.Google Scholar
14. Granatstein, D. 1988. Reshaping the bottom line: on-farm strategies for a sustainable agriculture. Land Stewardship Project, Stillwater, MN.Google Scholar
15. Harvard School of Public Health, Program on Risk Analysis and Environmental Health. 1990. The Weight of the Evidence on the Human Carcinogenicity of 2,4-D. Boston, MA.Google Scholar
16. Hinkle, M. K. 1983. Problems with conservation tillage. J. Soil and Water Conserv. 38:201–206.Google Scholar
17. Hodgson, J. 1990. Growing Plants & Growing Companies. Bio/Technology 8:624–628.Google Scholar
18. Hunn, J. B., Multer, E. P., and DeFelice, M. S. 1989. Fish and agricultural chemicals: safeguarding your pond. Agricultural Guide, Univ. Mo., Ext. Serv., Columbia, MO.Google Scholar
19. Keeney, D. 1989. Guest editorial: biotechnology and sustainable agriculture: the issue of “misguided resistance.” Iowa Groundwater Assoc. Newsletter 2(8):1,3.Google Scholar
20. Mazur, B. J. and Falco, S. C. 1989. The development of herbicide-resistant crops. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. Plant Molec. Biol. 40:441–470.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
21. McAnelly, L. 1989. Chemically dependent crops? Grassroots. Texas Dep. Agric. 1 (summer):19–22.Google Scholar
22. Melloan, G. 1987. Biotech has goodies for environmentalists, too. Wall Street Journal, 21 Jul., p. 31.Google Scholar
23. Menzel, D. B. and Amdur, M. O. 1986. Toxic responses of the respiratory system. p. 349–352 in Klaassen, C., Amdur, M., and Doull, J., eds., Casarett and Doull's Toxicology, 3rd ed. Macmillan Publishing Co., New York.Google Scholar
24. Moses, M. 1989. Glyphosate Herbicide Toxicity. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 261:2549.Google Scholar
25. Mott, L. and Snyder, K. 1987. Pesticide Alert: a Guide to Pesticides in Fruits and Vegetables. Natural Resources Defense Council, San Francisco, CA.Google Scholar
26. Murphy, S. D. 1986. Toxic effects of pesticides. p. 519–581 in Klaassen, C., Amdur, M., and Doull, J., eds. Casarett and Doull's Toxicology, 3rd ed. Macmillan Publishing Co., New York, NY.Google Scholar
27. National Research Council. 1987. Regulating Pesticides in Food: the Delaney Paradox. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
28. National Research Council. 1989. Alternative Agriculture. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
29. Nelson, L. R. and Haissig, B. E. 1986. Herbicide stress: use of biotechnology to confer herbicide resistance to selected woody plants. p. 191–215 in Hennessey, T. C., Dougherty, P. M., Kossuth, S. V., and Johnson, J. D., eds., Stress Physiology and Forest Productivity. Martinus Nijhoff Publisher, Boston, MA.Google Scholar
30. Nielsen, E. G. and Lee, L. K. 1987. The magnitude and costs of groundwater contamination from agricultural chemicals: a national perspective. U.S. Dep. Agric., Econ. Res. Serv., Agric. Econ. Rep. No. 576.Google Scholar
31. Oxtoby, E. and Hughes, M. A. 1990. Engineering herbicide tolerance into crops. TIBTECH 8:61–65.Google Scholar
32. Smith, R. P. 1986. Toxic responses of the blood. p. 227 in Klaassen, C., Amdur, M., and Doull, J., eds., Casarett and Doull's Toxicology, 3rd ed. Macmillan Publishing Co., New York, NY.Google Scholar
33. Streber, W. R. 1990. Additional Comments on Transgenic Plants Resistant to 2,4-D by Streber. Rice Biotechnol. Q. 1(2):36.Google Scholar
34. Streber, W. R. and Willmitzer, L. 1989. Transgenic tobacco plants expressing a bacterial detoxifying enzyme are resistant to 2,4-D. Bio/Technology 7:811–816.Google Scholar
35. Sun, M. 1986. Engineering crops to resist weed killers. Science 231:1360–1361.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
36. Tsalaky, T. 1985. Farmers file lawsuit: herbicide blamed for crop damage. Capital Press, Salem, OR, 6 Dec., p. 11.Google Scholar
37. Tschirley, F. H. 1987. Weed control. p. 228–234 in Regulating Pesticides in Food: the Delaney Paradox. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
38. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. 1989. Agricultural resources: inputs, outlook and situation report. AR-13. Washington, DC.Google Scholar
39. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 1989. Report of the Forest Service, fiscal year 1988, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
40. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Joint Council on Food and Agricultural Sciences. 1989. Fiscal year 1991 priorities for research, extension, and higher education: a report to the Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
41. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. 1990. Toxicological Profile for 2,4-Dichlorophenol, Atlanta, GA.Google Scholar
42. U.S. Department of Interior, Geological Survey. 1988. National water summary 1986: hydrologic events and ground-water quality. USGS Water Supply Paper 2325. U.S. Govt. Printing Office, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
43. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pesticide Programs. 1988. Pesticide industry sales and usage: 1987 market estimates, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
44. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pesticide Programs. 1988. Regulation of pesticides in food: Addressing the Delaney paradox policy statement. Federal Register 53:41104–41123.Google Scholar
45. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances. 1987. Agricultural Chemicals in Ground Water: Proposed Pesticide Strategy, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
46. Wigle, D. T., Semenciw, R. M., Wilkins, K., Reidel, D., Ritter, L., Morrison, H. I., and Mao, Y. 1990. Mortality study of Canadian male farm operators: non-Hodgkin's lymphoma mortality and agricultural practices in Saskatchewan. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 82:575–582.Google Scholar
47. Williams, W. M., Holden, P. W., Parsons, D. W., and Locker, M. N. 1988. Pesticides in groundwater data base, 1988 interim report, U.S. Environ. Prot. Agency, Office Pestic. Prog., Washington, DC.Google Scholar
48. Zahm, S. H., Weisenburger, D. D., Babbitt, P. A., Saal, R. C., Vaught, J. B., Cantor, K. P., and Blair, A. 1990. A case-control study of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) in eastern Nebraska. Epidemiology 1:349–356.Google Scholar