Transgenic Sunflower - Genetics, Genomics and Breeding of Crop Plants - page 285

2008-09 (USDA 2009a, b). On the other hand, soybean provides 53% of the
total oilseed production, while wheat, corn, and rice each contributes more
than 20% of cereals. Corn hardly competes with sunflower for land usage,
and 48% of total corn production comes from only four of the world's big
producers, which have accessed GM varieties. Among them, insect resistant
(IR) GM corn varieties have been adopted in Argentina and South Africa,
being herbicide tolerant (HT) GM corn is preferred by the farmers in US and
Canada (Brookes and Barfoot 2006; James 2008).
Soybean competes with sunflower not only for land usage but also for
oilseed markets; 84% of the production comes from six countries that have
accessed GM technology, adopted for 99% of acreage in Argentina, 93% in
the US and Paraguay, 60% in Canada, and 40% in Brazil. Rapeseed (canola)
and cotton also compete with sunflower for oil markets and both show a
high adoption of GM varieties, representing 95% and 74% of acreage in the
US and Australia, respectively (Brookes and Barfoot 2006).
The increment in GM crop technology adoption in 25 countries reached
15% annually during the last 12 years, raising acreage to more than 125
million hectares. This technology has economically benefited soybean, corn,
rapeseed (canola), and cotton farmers, allowing them to produce two crops
a year (as wheat-soybean, or wheat-corn) and save insecticide applications
(James 2008). However, GM technology has not determined the increment
in cereal and some oilseed world production. The countries that contribute
mostly to the total production of sunflower (three countries, 51%), wheat
(four countries, 52%), rapeseed (three countries, 55%), rice (eight countries,
80%), and corn (eight countries, 76%) raised the total yield independently of
GM technology access in the latter part of the past century ( Fig. 9-1 a, b ) .
However, soybean world production greatly increased only in those
countries, which have adopted GM technology ( Fig. 9-1 b ).
Sunflower oil is light in taste and appearance and supplies more vitamin
E than any other vegetable oil (Chapter 1). It is a combination of
monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats with low saturated fat levels
(NSA 2009 ). The versatility of this healthy oil is recognized by cooks
internationally. Sunflower oil is valued for its light taste, frying performance,
and health benefits. There are three types of sunflower oils which are
available, NuSun, linoleic and high oleic sunflower oil (Jan and Seiler 2007).
Even though sunflower does not command the high prices of other
edible oils, for which there is a greater demand in most select markets, its
price is remarkably higher than that of its competitors ( Fig. 9-2 ) . In Argentina
—the main world contributor for the 2003-08 lapse providing 31% of total
production (NSA 2009)—both edible oils moved up, but the refined sunflower
oil quoted 17% over soybean, reaching up to US$1090 per ton as differential
price (Obschatko et al. 2006; BCBA 2009). The increment in crop-derived
biofuel use (bioethanol and biodiesel) also raised the international prices in