1. Transgenic crops are of great significance to increase crop production, increase farmers' income and sustainable agricultural development in China.
Increasing grain production, increasing farmers' income and food security are the important foundations of China's economic and social development. Since the reform and opening up, China's agricultural production has made great achievements and successfully solved the problem of food and clothing for our people. However, with the growth of population, the increase of investment and the shortage of environmental resources, some restrictive factors in China's agricultural production are further aggravated, and the dragon exhibition of agriculture is facing new severe challenges: (1) The pests and diseases of major crops are getting worse year by year, and spraying a large number of pesticides every year not only increases the burden on farmers, but also seriously damages human survival. (2) In most areas of China, the amount of fertilizer applied by crops has exceeded the carrying capacity of the land. In addition to increasing the burden on farmers, soil degradation and eutrophication of rivers, lakes and oceans also pose a serious threat to the sustainable development of agriculture and environment. (3) Frequent droughts and large drought-affected areas. In addition to the long-term water shortage in northwest China and frequent droughts in north China, the frequency of droughts in the Yangtze River basin has also increased greatly in recent years. According to statistics, China's agricultural water consumption accounts for about 70% of the country's total water consumption, while rice water consumption accounts for almost 70% of the whole agricultural water consumption, and the contradiction of water shortage is increasingly prominent. (4) There is a large area of saline-alkali land in the northern and coastal areas of China, and the tropical and subtropical areas in the south are generally acidic soil. These unfavorable environments have great restrictions on crop planting and yield potential. (5) The quality of main crops in China is poor, which can not meet the requirements of improving people's living standards, but also affects farmers' enthusiasm because of low selling prices, and needs to be improved urgently. (6) In recent twenty years, the yield of various crops has been hovering, and the yield potential of newly bred varieties has not been greatly broken. In recent years, due to various reasons, the yield per unit area of various crops has declined.
In recent years, a lot of new achievements have been made in transgenic research at home and abroad, including: (1) using transgenic technology to cultivate cotton, corn and rice with strong insect resistance. Insect-resistant cotton has been planted in large areas at home and abroad, and insect-resistant corn has been planted in large areas abroad. Their popularization has greatly reduced the dosage of pesticides. Insect-resistant rice is unique to China, and has completed the production test, which is suitable for industrialization. (2) Transgenic wheat with high nitrogen use efficiency, transgenic tobacco and rice with significantly improved phosphorus use efficiency were cultivated, and some genes related to nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiency were identified and isolated. Applying these genes to crop improvement will effectively improve the fertilizer utilization efficiency of various crops and reduce the fertilizer consumption. (3) Many genes have been obtained to regulate the water state of plants and make them drought-tolerant, and these genes are being used to cultivate drought-tolerant crop varieties; (4) Good progress has been made in the molecular biology research of saline-alkali tolerance and aluminum toxicity tolerance, and transgenic plants with saline-alkali tolerance and aluminum toxicity tolerance have been cultivated respectively. (5) The storage-resistant and fresh-keeping tomatoes cultivated by transgenic technology have been approved for commercial production for the first time at home and abroad. (6) Cultivating rice with obviously reduced amylose content and obviously improved cooking and eating quality; Because of its scientific and political significance, the "golden rice" rich in vitamin A cultivated by transgenic technology has caused a sensation in the world in the past five years. (7) The productivity per plant of rice with delayed leaf senescence cultivated by transgenic technology was significantly improved, which indicated that the application of transgenic technology to transform the physiological and biochemical metabolic pathways of plants could greatly improve crop productivity and yield potential. These results show that the development and application of transgenic technology is leading a new revolution in agricultural science and technology.
The planting of transgenic crops in China has produced great social and economic benefits. According to the investigation and analysis of the Agricultural Policy Research Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences, during the three years from 1999 to 200 1, China planted about 2.7 million hectares of insect-resistant cotton, * * * used less pesticides123,000 tons, increased cotton production by 9.6%, and the benefit per hectare was nearly 2,000 yuan. In recent years, the trial planting of insect-resistant rice in Hubei, Fujian and other places shows that the yield of insect-resistant rice can be increased by 12% without spraying pesticides in the whole planting season, which not only creates an economic benefit of 900- 1200 yuan per hectare, but also greatly alleviates the contradiction that strong cattle are short of labor force due to going out to work, and is very popular among farmers.
To sum up, the cultivation and application of transgenic crops plays an irreplaceable role in continuously increasing crop yield and solving major problems in agricultural production in China (such as water shortage, environmental pollution, high investment, etc.). ), to ensure the sustainable development of agriculture in China, let farmers out of poverty. Actively promoting the research, development and industrialization of genetically modified crops should quickly become the concerted action of the government, scientific and technological workers and farmers.
Second, the research and industrialization of genetically modified crops are developing rapidly, and its trend is irreversible.
1983 The successful cultivation of the first transgenic plant in the world marks the beginning of improving crops by transgenic technology. 1986 transgenic crops were allowed to enter the field test in the United States, 1994 transgenic tomatoes cultivated by Calgene Company in the United States were allowed to be commercialized. In recent ten years, the R&D and industrialization of genetically modified crops have developed rapidly, and the planting area has increased rapidly. From 65438 to 0996, the global planting of genetically modified crops10.7 million hectares increased to 67.7 million hectares in 2003, of which the planting area of genetically modified soybeans, corn, cotton and rape has reached 25% of the total area of the four crops in the world; The number of countries planting transgenic crops increased from 6 in 1996 to 8 in12002, and the planting area of transgenic crops in developing countries also showed a trend of rapid increase year by year. This growth trend reflects that farmers in industrialized and developing countries are gradually accepting genetically modified crops.
The research and development of genetically modified crops in China has made great achievements with the support of national policies, especially with the direct support of the national "863" plan and the "National Special Project on Research and Industrialization of Genetically Modified Plants". At present, the overall level of agricultural biotechnology in China is in a leading position in developing countries, and some areas have entered the international advanced ranks: China is the second country in the world to independently develop insect-resistant cotton technology after the United States; The development of transgenic rice in China is at the leading level in the world. As of August 2003, China accepted a total of 777 applications for safety assessment of genetically modified organisms 1044. In 2003, the planting area of genetically modified crops in China reached 2.8 million hectares. At present, there are more than 200 research institutions involved in agricultural biotechnology in China, initially forming an innovation system that connects and promotes each other from basic research, applied technology research to product development.
It is worth noting that while the research and industrialization of genetically modified plants are developing rapidly, the attitudes and policies of many countries towards genetically modified crops are also being adjusted and changed. For example, India, Brazil, South Africa, the Philippines and other countries that have rejected GM crops for many years have also approved the commercial production of GM crops in recent years. In particular, Brazil came from behind. In 2003, the planting area of genetically modified crops jumped to 3 million hectares, replacing China's fourth place in the world for many years, while China's planting area fell to fifth place. In addition, in 2003, the European Commission adopted the Proposal of Principles on the Planting of Genetically Modified Crops, which clearly stipulated that its member states were not allowed to set up "genetically modified crop-free zones". Britain and Germany also recently agreed to the commercial production of genetically modified crops. It is expected that these policy adjustments will further promote the development of genetically modified crops.
Three, several major problems affecting the development and industrialization of genetically modified crops in China
According to many surveys, the following problems are seriously affecting the industrialization of genetically modified crops in China.
1. National policy orientation is not clear.
We believe that in recent years, China's policy and strategic orientation in R&D and the industrialization of genetically modified crops are still unclear. On the one hand, the government of China has maintained and increased its investment in research and development of genetically modified crops and plant genome research, which has effectively promoted the research work in related fields in China to the international advanced level. On the other hand, in recent years, China has imposed very strict restrictions on the commercial production of genetically modified crops: since 1999, no new commercial production of genetically modified crops has been approved for five consecutive years, and none of the genetically modified plants that have been approved for commercial production are food (feed) crops. As a result, many genetically modified crops developed in China have not been applied in time. Due to the timeliness of crop varieties, some genetically modified crops cultivated in China have missed the best application period, leading to the waste of research results. This situation not only affects the possible contribution of transgenic technology as a productive force to China's economic construction, but also violates the strong demand of Chinese farmers for new technologies.
In order to change this situation, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the China Academy of Sciences and the China Academy of Engineering have organized many discussions among relevant experts in recent years. While expressing a very positive and optimistic attitude towards the development of transgenic technology in China, experts also expressed concern about the policy orientation of the China government in the industrialization of genetically modified crops, and put forward many positive suggestions. However, due to various reasons, these opinions have not been well concentrated and provided for national decision-making.
2. Management methods need to be improved.
From 65438 to 0993, the former State Science and Technology Commission promulgated the Measures for the Safety Management of Genetic Engineering, which provided a basic framework for the safety management of genetically modified organisms in China. According to this basic framework, the Ministry of Agriculture promulgated the Measures for the Safety Management of Agricultural Bioengineering (hereinafter referred to as the Measures) in 1996, and issued the Notice on Implementing the Measures for the Safety Management of Agricultural Bioengineering in 1997. In the same year, the Agricultural Bioengineering Safety Committee and the Agricultural Bioengineering Safety Management Office were established. The drafting process of the Measures lasted for six years, and 120 scientists participated in the discussion or expressed their opinions, which fully absorbed the advantages of management laws and regulations of various countries at that time and better embodied the principle of scientific management based on risk. The practice of the "Measures" in recent years shows that the "Measures" have well adapted to the current administrative system in China and promoted the healthy development of R&D and industrialization of genetically modified crops in China.
However, as the strategy of China's accession to the World Trade Organization, the State Council promulgated the Regulations on the Safety Management of Agricultural Genetically Modified Organisms in 20001year, and the Ministry of Agriculture successively promulgated the Measures for the Management of Agricultural Genetically Modified Organisms Labeling in 2002. Now, it seems that these regulations have problems such as too long management time, too wide control scope and too strict scale. In addition, in recent years, the examination and approval operation is not standardized and the management cost is high, which limits the development of research and industrialization of genetically modified crops in China. In addition, the industrialization process of genetically modified crops involves many administrative departments, such as the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Commerce, the Environmental Protection Bureau and the Patent Office. However, the country lacks an effective management mechanism to coordinate the management of various departments, which also greatly affects the management efficiency.
3. There are few independent intellectual property rights genes, and the development of genetically modified crops is insufficient after research and development.
Generally speaking, China's progress in research technology of genetically modified crops is basically in step with international progress, and it is in a leading position among developing China countries. However, compared with the international advanced level, our gap is still very large, mainly because there are few genes with independent intellectual property rights, and the research and development of genetically modified crops lacks stamina. The main reason is that the basic research of plant molecular biology and agricultural biotechnology in China is relatively weak, with less investment, small talent team and insufficient innovation ability. In addition, the management restrictions of commercial production of genetically modified crops also affect the participation of researchers and enterprises and the enthusiasm of investors.
Four, some suggestions on the research and application of transgenic in China
1. straighten out the management system and implement unified leadership.
In a sense, one of the main obstacles affecting the development of agricultural biotechnology in China is the disunity and disharmony of the current management system, so it is urgent to establish a unified, coordinated and rapid decision-making management system. As this problem involves many departments, research institutions, a large number of consumers and farmers in the State Council, it is suggested to set up an authoritative leading group for agricultural biotechnology research and development and industrialization at the national level to promote the development of this industry and ensure the convergence of all aspects. This leading group should not only undertake management responsibilities, but also carry out research on R&D and industrialization strategy of genetically modified crops, formulate medium-and long-term plans for the overall development of agricultural biotechnology in China, and highlight the key issues to be solved in the future10-kloc-0/5 in China's agricultural biotechnology research and industrial development, as well as major issues such as strategic countermeasures, priority development areas, industrialization and operation management mechanism.
2. Choose the right breakthrough and actively and strategically promote the industrialization of transgenic technology.
It is suggested that the industrialization of genetically modified crops in China should be promoted on the basis of weighing the advantages and disadvantages according to the technical maturity and international competition situation. It is suggested that the industrialization of transgenic insect-resistant rice should be promoted while continuing to expand the planting of insect-resistant cotton. The reason is: (1) The transgenic insect-resistant rice in China has obvious advantages in the world, and the commercial production of transgenic insect-resistant rice can seize the opportunity to occupy the China market and have a great impact in the world. (2) China's rice planting area is about 450 million mu. According to the data of China Association for Science and Technology, the average loss per mu caused by rice borers is above 30 yuan. The popularization of transgenic insect-resistant rice in China will bring obvious benefits for farmers to increase their income and improve the ecological environment. (3) There is little rice export in China, so planting transgenic rice will not bring adverse effects on foreign trade. On the contrary, the reduction of production costs may also increase the competitiveness of rice and its products in the international market and have a positive impact on foreign trade. (4) Rice is the most important clothing crop in China, and the industrialization of transgenic crops will strongly promote the formation of agricultural biotechnology enterprises in China. (5) Bt gene is used for transgenic insect-resistant rice. Genetically modified corn, cotton, etc. It has been commercialized at home and abroad for many years, and it is safe for people and livestock as food and feed. Scientists in China have done a lot of research on the food and environmental safety of transgenic insect-resistant rice. The results show that transgenic insect-resistant rice is not only safe to eat, but also beneficial to the survival and reproduction of natural enemies of pests and the ecological environment because of using little or no pesticides. So far, there is no evidence that genetically modified rice has safety risks. (6) According to the current safety management measures in China, the safety evaluation procedures and experimental links of transgenic insect-resistant rice 1999 have been completed in Hubei, Fujian and other provinces, which has been quickly accepted by farmers in the experimental area and has the conditions for regional commercial production. Therefore, it is suggested to approve the commercial production of transgenic insect-resistant rice in the above areas as soon as possible, and strengthen the safety monitoring and research in the process of commercial production, so as to form a scale within 4-5 years.
3. On the basis of scientific analysis, revise the Regulations on Safety Evaluation and Management of Genetically Modified Organisms.
It is suggested that scientific problems should be separated from administrative strategies in management. Summarizing the experience of safety evaluation and management in China since 1997, it is suggested to classify the safety evaluation and approval of genetically modified crops in China: (1) For genetically modified crops with unpredictable risks and low risks, simplify the procedures of safety evaluation and management, reduce the current five stages to 3-4 stages, and simplify the requirements for relevant biological background and safety information in the approval procedures according to domestic and foreign practices and experimental data that can be used for reference. (2) Adjust the current practice of applying for safety approval according to "one variety and one province" to "transformation event"; For the approved transformation event, its derivative products do not need to apply for security review. (3) Learn from the practice of "new drug certificate" and "drug production number" in China's medical examination and approval system, and implement the dual-certificate system of "safety certificate" and "commercial production license certificate" for genetically modified crops.
As a "technical barrier" of administrative strategy, we can consider that all genetically modified crops (referring to the combination of specific genes and crops) that have obtained safety certificates in China can also obtain safety certificates of similar genetically modified crops developed abroad after completing the same experimental and evaluation procedures; For genetically modified crops that have not issued safety certificates in China, genetically modified crops developed abroad need to complete various safety experiments and evaluation processes in China before issuing safety certificates. In short, GM crops developed in China can borrow foreign technical data to apply for safety certificates, while GM crops developed abroad can only apply for safety certificates according to domestic data. This can at least ensure that genetically modified crops developed in China take the lead in commercial production in the domestic market.
4. Continue to increase investment in scientific research to ensure the sustainable development of genetically modified crops and agricultural biotechnology.
In recent years, the Chinese government's investment in science and technology has increased significantly compared with the past, which has provided a strong guarantee for the rapid development of agricultural biotechnology in China, but there is still a big gap compared with developed countries. At present, the research funds of agricultural biotechnology in China are not even comparable to that of a multinational company in developed countries. Therefore, we should continue to increase investment from various sources.
It is suggested to set up a "National Major Science and Technology Project on Plant Functional Genome Research" to support the functional genome research of rice, wheat, corn, cotton, soybean, rape and other crops. The research foundation of plant molecular biology in China is weak as a whole, and there is a big gap between China and the world in the separation of functional genes, and there are few genes with independent intellectual property rights. At present, according to the results of sequence analysis, there are 40,000-60,000 genes in the crop genome, and these genes will be gradually isolated and cloned and registered as intellectual property rights in the next 8- 10 years. Therefore, the next 10 year will be a crucial period for international competition of genetic property rights. In recent years, China has launched the rice functional genome research plan and established the corresponding research center. The study of rice functional genome has formed a great advantage in the world and should be supported emphatically. In the genome research of wheat, corn, cotton, soybean and rape, China has also established a good working foundation, and should strengthen its support and form its own characteristics. The establishment of a major project of plant functional genome research will ensure that China can obtain the intellectual property rights of functional genes in batches, and make China gain an international position commensurate with the agricultural power in plant functional genome research.
It is suggested to continue to set up a "national special project on research and industrialization of genetically modified crops" to support the research and development and industrialization of genetically modified crops. The "National Special Project on Research and Industrialization of Genetically Modified Crops" approved by the State Council 1998 has greatly promoted the R&D and industrialization of genetically modified crops in China. Transgenic cotton has formed a scale, and significant progress has been made in the research of transgenic crops such as rice, corn, rape and tomato. Support should continue to be strengthened. It is suggested to support the research and development of agricultural life sciences with new development concepts. China's five-year plan model is not suitable for agricultural life science research and has many disadvantages. It is suggested that the above two major projects should be formed into major scientific and technological projects supported by the central government for a long time, and the projects should be evaluated regularly during the implementation process, and the objectives and contents should be updated in time to ensure the long-term and stable development of agricultural life sciences in China.