Goal of the Symposium

Although controversy has surrounded the use of field crops that express insecticidal toxins of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), the area grown to them has increased from 0.9 million ha. (1996) to greater than 14 million ha. (2002). Similar biotechnology exists for vegetable crops. In contrast to field crops, however, development, commercialization, and deployment of biotech vegetable crops has taken dramatically different trajectories, including sharp declines in acreage, differential trajectories for fresh- and processing markets, and successful deployment of cultivars aimed at insect-transmitted pathogens.
Significant advances both in the US and internationally suggests that biotechnology could dramatically affect pest management in a variety of vegetable crops in the near future. Although Bt corn and cotton are used for processed foods, mainly as oils or sweeteners, fresh and processed biotech vegetables will present a broader range of foods for consumers and the food system. Biotech vegetables will present new challenges and opportunities for those involved in crop protection, marketing and consumption of insect- and insect-vectored pathogen-protected plants. Much has already been learned about food safety, environmental and regulatory issues, and influence of adoption on pesticide use patterns from work with Bt corn, cotton, and potato, and from biotech papaya and squash. This may help pave the way for the development and deployment of biotech insect- or insect-vector pathogen - protected vegetables. This symposium will bring together a multidisciplinary list of speakers to examine the potential and some of the most important environmental, food safety and social issues affecting present and future IPM in vegetable crops relevant to cultivars that are bioengineered for management of insects and insect-vectored pathogens.