b"PARTNER CONTENTAmit Dhingra in the lab.Is Plant Breeding Safe?Innovature Asks A ScientistBy Bethany Shively, VP, Strategic Communications, American Seed Trade AssociationT he process of selecting superior performing plants for food,public. Dhingra refers to plant breeding as a constant, ongoing feed and fiber products dates back more than 10,000 yearsendeavor that has its limitations in terms of being able to keep up and has been substantially refined in the last century.with rapidly evolving diseases and other threats to our food crops.While the perceived risks posed by genetically engineered cropsFor example, he points to the recent fluctuations in our cli-has been extensively addressed, the existing levels of naturallymate. The key question, he says, is whether the crops we started occurring plant toxins in food crops has received far less atten- developing a decade ago will be able to stand up to todays chal-tion. Thats the purpose of a new scientific paper, titled: The rolelenges. We will need to adapt and innovate. Dhingra believes of conventional plant breeding in ensuring safe levels of naturallythere is no single solution. We have to combine all available occurring toxins in food crops. platforms that we have for plant breeding with gene editing, to be Innovature recently sat down with one of the authors, Amitable to rapidly advance our food systems to meet the challenge of Dhingra, professor of genomics and biotechnology at Washingtondemand by the consumer.State University, to learn more. Dhingra, who has a deep passion forThe beauty of gene editing, he says, is that it allows us to take an nutritious food, says his childhood experiences growing up in Indiaexisting variety and make targeted improvements in a matter of few motivated him to pursue a career in crop improvement. years, that otherwise would have taken decades. No matter what There used to be a rationing system in India and I spent manybreeding is used, the entire processfrom development to selec-hours standing in those lines getting access to food. So, I was acutelytionensures that only safe products are ever brought to market.aware, even in my teenage years, that there is some issue. Of course,So what is involved in this process? Everything from perfor-there was an issue of distribution, but also there was the issue ofmance in the field, to color, size, shape and flavor. Its all about food production, being able to generate food sustainably, sayschecks and balances at every stage, says Dhingra. And ultimately, Dhingra. My parents were medical doctors, but I really didn't wantif the consumer doesn't like it, there's no point for the farmer to to go into that field, because I felt we can support people's healthgrow it.better if we make sure that we can grow nutritious food in enough amounts. So that is the motivation why I do what I do right now. ABOUT INNOVATURE:The plant breeding paper, which Dhingra co-authored with aA joint project of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) team of scientists, examines three different crops and the multi- and the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA), Innovature is a tude of rigorous steps that scientists go throughover the coursedialogue about innovationwith a focus on gene editingin food of one, to up to three decadesbefore theyre ever released to theand agriculture. Learn more at innovature.com. JANUARY 2021SEEDWORLD.COM /43"