Developments and Safety Assessments of Transgenic Crop Plants

Abstract

The Recombinant DNA (rDNA) technique is expected to bring about a great progress in the improvement of breeding technology and the development of new plant varieties showing high quality and high yield, such as those with excellent pest and disease resistances, those with environmental stress tolerance, etc. In the USA, a late ripening tomato variety (FLAVR SAVRTM) developed through the rDNA technology was commercialized as the world's first recombinant food in 1994. Seven transgenic crop plants, such as herbicide tolerant soybean and canola, insect resistant corn and potato, were complied the all safety assessments with the guidelines required and they are marketable in Japan.General public, however, are not familiar with rDNA technology, and some seem to feel uncomfortable with biotechnology. It is caused by the difficulty of the technology and lacking of sufficient information. In order to promote agricultural biotechnology, it is important to give precise information about rDNA technology to general public so that they can comfortably accept biotechnology and the products. Because, the rDNA technique is an most important technology to improve world's food supply and global environment in the next century.