Plant Molecular Farming [PMF] as a New Source of Income
Soybean farmers must explore new avenues of farming to supplement the income from their current commodity farming enterprise. One such possibility is growing Identify Preserved [IP] varieties that produce a product such as high-oleic soybean oil that is marketed in a manner that isolates its identity from commodity soybean. The IP concept has been accorded greater importance with the introduction and growing of GMO’s.
In an article titled “Identity preserved plant molecular farming offers value-added opportunity for farmers”, authors Kunkler and Gerlt consider how plant molecular farming* can benefit soybean producers by their growing a specialty soybean variety that provides a product that fits a small but unique consumer or commercial market niche. In the article, the authors make the following points.
• Commodity soybean production in the U.S. is often subject to small profit margins and market and weather vagaries.
• Recombinant plants that are grown to produce non-native proteins should be considered as a value-added opportunity for row crop farmers.
• Risk management and agronomic viability are important issues to consider when a farmer decides whether or not to grow a specialty soybean variety in a PMF system.
• Soybeans have a high potential for serving as a platform for PMF because they are naturally high in protein content.
• The familiarity with using genetically engineered soybeans within the research, development, and production soybean areas should facilitate easy introduction of other recombinant traits into the crop.
• When deciding whether or not to grow adapted soybeans in a PMF system, there are economic, environmental, and human health factors that must be considered.
• Crops grown in a PMF system must be produced in strict IP systems to prevent their being comingled with products from bulk commodity farming in order to 1) maintain their value to the producer, 2) maintain market viability and acceptance, and 3) minimize any risks to humans, animals, and the environment.
*Plant Molecular Farming is a term that refers to plants being grown and used to produce economically valuable and biologically active non-native proteins or biopharmaceuticals. Molecular farming is the raising of specialty crop varieties or hybrids that are genetically engineered to create new proteins that are not native to the plant being grown. It is considered a cost-effective technology that relies on a plant-based system for the production of recombinant proteins that can be used to produce biopharmaceuticals.
Composed by Larry G. Heatherly, July 2024, larryh91746@gmail.com