Integrated Plant Genetics

IPG's Commitment to Biosafety

Protection from, and control of, plant diseases is currently achieved through a variety of methods, including chemical sprays, natural genetic resistance, sanitation and quarantine. Typically, chemical sprays are methods of last resort, since control through the use of chemicals is costly and in many cases environmentally unsound.

There is a very real risk associated with the use of agricultural chemicals as pesticides. In many cases, there are no alternatives to the use of hazardous pesticides, and limited use is allowed in the U.S. Where there are safer alternatives, more hazardous pesticides, such as lead arsenate and DTT, are banned in the U.S. Such banned pesticides are not necessarily banned by other countries, however, and we may be importing cheaper produce into the U.S. that has been treated with chemicals banned for use here. At IPG, our goal is to make Florida's producers more competitive and their produce safer, by eliminating the need to rely on chemical controls.

Genetic engineering is the process of using recombinant DNA to place a gene or genes of defined characteristics into an organism of interest. As such, it is not a random process of genetic recombination, as breeding is, but is a very precise addition or deletion of genetic materials. The process of genetic engineering allows genes to be transferred from one species to another. There are several pathogens that have been transferring genes more or less randomly since they evolved, including viruses and bacteria such as Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The National Academy of Sciences declared to the U.S. Congress that, "The risks associated with the introduction of genetically engineered organisms are the same in kind as those associated with the introduction of unmodified organisms and organisms modified by other methods".

For more detailed information on the Science Behind Risk Assessment, visit the USDA/ U.F. web site:

Biotechnology Risk Assessment Data

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