Chapter 1
The Potential of Allelochemicals Opportunities for the Future Orville G. Bentley
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U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250
How to deal with pests that attack cultivated plants is a continuing challenge to the food and agricultural production system. Natural resistance or tolerance to pests has proven to be one of the safest and least costly ways to protect plants. As we identify the specific plant components involved and their actions, it will be easier to incorporate into the plant the capacity to produce the desired chemical. There is the further possibility of identifying additional natural chemicals that may be useful as pest control materials, through the use of natural products or products of industrial synthesis patterned after the natural products. It is clear that allelochemicals are involved in these complex processes and they hold promise for even greater applications. Expanded research in the new biotechnologies offers great potential for further development of allelochemicals. I a p p r e c i a t e the o p p o r t u n i t y to make the opening p r e s e n t a t i o n at t h i s o u t s t a n d i n g symposium on a l l e l o c h e m i c a l s and t h e i r r o l e i n a g r i c u l t u r e , f o r e s t r y and e c o l o g y . It involves multiple d i s c i p l i n e s , i t s r e c e n t advances have been f a c i l i t a t e d by modern i n s t r u m e n t a t i o n , and i t i s moving i n the f u l l continuum from b a s i c m o l e c u l a r b i o l o g y through to p r a c t i c a l a p p l i c a t i o n s . I t i s an i m p o r t a n t emerging a r e a . I commend t h e American C h e m i c a l S o c i e t y and the D i v i s i o n o f A g r i c u l t u r a l and Food C h e m i s t r y f o r p u t t i n g t o g e t h e r t h i s i m p r e s s i v e s e t o f r e v i e w s , t e c h n i c a l r e p o r t s , and p o s t e r s e s s i o n s . One cannot h e l p but be i m p r e s s e d by r e a d i n g t h r o u g h the program t h a t r e s e a r c h i n a l l e l o c h e m i c a l s i s coming i n t o i t s own. I would f i r s t l i k e to g i v e my p e r c e p t i o n o f the c o n c e p t u a l s e t t i n g f o r food and f i b e r i n the U n i t e d S t a t e s t o d a y . In the h i s t o r y o f t h e E a r t h t h e r e has never been a s p e c i e s so s u c c e s s f u l as Homo s a p i e n s i n e s t a b l i s h i n g and m a i n t a i n i n g i t s e l f . M e e t i n g the e s s e n t i a l r e q u i r e m e n t s o f e v e r i n c r e a s i n g numbers o f human b e i n g s b o t h i n t h i s c o u n t r y and now g l o b a l l y has been an u n r e m i t t i n g challenge f o r a g r i c u l t u r a l research f o r decades. You a r e a l l T h i s chapter not subject to U.S. copyright. P u b l i s h e d 1987 A m e r i c a n C h e m i c a l Society
Waller; Allelochemicals: Role in Agriculture and Forestry ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1987.
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f a m i l i a r w i t h how w e l l the c h a l l e n g e has been met: fewer people on the l a n d f e e d i n g more Americans than ever b e f o r e , h i g h e x p o r t l e v e l s of a g r i c u l t u r a l p r o d u c t s , and the p r o v i s i o n o f l i f e s a v i n g food to l e s s f o r t u n a t e people around the w o r l d . It c o u l d not have been done w i t h o u t advances i n knowledge t h r o u g h r e s e a r c h . A successful, c o m p e t i t i v e i n d u s t r y i s dependent upon s u s t a i n e d , h i g h q u a l i t y r e s e a r c h and the development o f new and i n n o v a t i v e t e c h n o l o g y . In such a s e t t i n g the t r a n s f e r and the r a t e o f a d o p t i o n o f new t e c h n o l o g y takes on g r e a t s i g n i f i c a n c e . T h i s means t h a t the p r i v a t e s e c t o r - u n i v e r s i t y - F e d e r a l l a b o r a t o r y i n t e r f a c e must be dynamic and responsive. Now to some g e n e r a l comments on a l l e l o p a t h i c c h e m i c a l s . I n t e r a c t i o n s among p l a n t s and o t h e r organisms have l o n g been r e c o g n i z e d and d e s c r i b e d . F o r example, g a r d e n e r s l o n g ago observed t h a t tomatoes do p o o r l y under b l a c k walnut t r e e s . Sorghum p l a n t r e s i d u e s i n h i b i t the growth of many weeds. Pyrethrum and neem p l a n t s have d e f i n i t e i n s e c t i c i d a l p r o p e r t i e s . C e r t a i n v a r i e t i e s of c r o p p l a n t s e x h i b i t r e s i s t a n c e to i n s e c t s and d i s e a s e s . We now know t h a t many such r e l a t i o n s h i p s i n v o l v e c h e m i c a l s , known as a l l e l o c h e m i c a l s , produced by the p l a n t s or o t h e r o r g a n i s m s . On a c h e m i c a l and m o l e c u l a r b a s i s , we are now b e g i n n i n g to u n r a v e l why these i n t e r a c t i o n s among v a r i o u s organisms o c c u r . B a l a n d r i n e t a l . (J_) have p r o v i d e d us w i t h an i m p r e s s i v e sampling o f the wide a r r a y o f chemical constituents i n p l a n t s . T h e i r main i n t e r e s t i s i n f i n d i n g u s e f u l p l a n t p r o d u c t s , and one must be impressed by b o t h the number and the c o m p l e x i t y of c o n s t i t u e n t s p r e s e n t . Some of these have i d e n t i f i a b l e f u n c t i o n s i n the p l a n t or e f f e c t s on o t h e r o r g a n i s m s . We a r e l i k e l y to l e a r n t h a t more of these c o n s t i t u e n t s have as yet u n r e c o g n i z e d and s o p h i s t i c a t e d i n t e r a c t i o n s b i o c h e m i c a l l y and p h y s i o l o g i c a l l y i n b i o l o g i c a l systems. D r . Putnam's r e v i e w i n C&E News two y e a r s ago (_2) p r o v i d e d an e x c e l l e n t s u r v e y of where we were i n t h i s a r e a and I am p l e a s e d to see t h a t he w i l l be g i v i n g the 1985 S t e r l i n g B . H e n d r i c k s Memorial L e c t u r e l a t e r t h i s week. From the a b s t r a c t s f o r the p r e s e n t a t i o n s t h a t f o l l o w t h i s m o r n i n g , I know t h a t o u t s t a n d i n g speakers w i l l p r e s e n t an e x c e l l e n t r e v i e w o f the s t a t u s of knowledge and of e x c i t i n g developments i n t h i s emerging a r e a . How to d e a l w i t h the p e s t s t h a t a t t a c k p l a n t s under c u l t i v a t i o n i s a c o n t i n u i n g c h a l l e n g e to the food and a g r i c u l t u r a l p r o d u c t i o n system. N a t u r a l r e s i s t a n c e or t o l e r a n c e to p e s t s has proven to be one o f the s a f e s t and l e a s t c o s t l y ways to p r o t e c t p l a n t s . As we i d e n t i f y the s p e c i f i c p l a n t components i n v o l v e d and t h e i r a c t i o n s , i t w i l l be e a s i e r to i n c o r p o r a t e the c a p a c i t y to produce the d e s i r e d c h e m i c a l i n t o the p l a n t of i n t e r e s t . There i s the f u r t h e r p o s s i b i l i t y to i d e n t i f y a d d i t i o n a l n a t u r a l c h e m i c a l s t h a t may be u s e f u l as pest c o n t r o l m a t e r i a l s . The l a t t e r might be t h r o u g h the use o f n a t u r a l p r o d u c t s or i t might be p r o d u c t s of i n d u s t r i a l s y n t h e s i s p a t t e r n e d a f t e r the n a t u r a l p r o d u c t s . It i s c l e a r that a l l e l o c h e m i c a l s are i n v o l v e d i n these complex p r o c e s s e s and they h o l d promise f o r even a g r e a t e r r o l e . B e t t e r u n d e r s t a n d i n g of a l l e l o c h e m i c a l s i n p l a n t p o p u l a t i o n dynamics i n ecosystems w i l l p r o v i d e a b a s i s f o r improved management d e c i s i o n s f o r managers of r a n g e l a n d s and f o r e s t s . T h i s w i l l be e s p e c i a l l y s i g n i f i c a n t f o r ecosystems undergoing d r a s t i c changes such as a f o r e s t t h a t has burned or has been h a r v e s t e d .
Waller; Allelochemicals: Role in Agriculture and Forestry ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1987.
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ALLELOCHEMICALS: ROLE IN AGRICULTURE A N D FORESTRY
H i g h performance l e v e l s f o r s p e c i f i c crops a t t a i n e d i n some s i t u a t i o n s are o f t e n d i f f i c u l t to reproduce even though a l l r e c o g n i z e d c o n d i t i o n s are d u p l i c a t e d . There may be answers to some of the unknowns i n a l l e l o c h e m i c a l s . P r e v i o u s c r o p s and s o i l m i c r o o r g a n i s m s are p o s s i b l e s o u r c e s o f such d i f f e r e n c e s . Another major b e n e f i t t h a t w i l l flow from the more b a s i c r e s e a r c h o f a l l e l o c h e m i c a l mechanisms i s an improved b a s i s f o r u n d e r s t a n d i n g and d e a l i n g w i t h e n v i r o n m e n t a l i s s u e s t h a t are a l s o a concern of a g r i c u l t u r e . As we have become more s o p h i s t i c a t e d i n our view o f the i n t e r a c t i o n s o c c u r r i n g i n the n a t u r a l environment we have a l s o become more s e n s i t i v e to p o s s i b l e s i d e e f f e c t s from p r o d u c t i o n p r a c t i c e s i n a g r i c u l t u r e and f o r e s t r y . This i s p a r t i c u l a r l y true for the use of a g r i c u l t u r a l c h e m i c a l s . The study o f a l l e l o c h e m i c a l s i s h e l p f u l b o t h i n p r o v i d i n g new knowledge about p l a n t and pest i n t e r a c t i o n s and a b a s i s f o r u s i n g s p e c i f i c c h e m i c a l s that produce d e s i r e d r e a c t i o n s w i t h a minimum o f u n d e s i r a b l e s i d e e f f e c t s . Improving knowledge o f the f u n c t i o n s of a l l e l o c h e m i c a l s i n b i o l o g i c a l systems c o n t r i b u t e s to development i n an i n c r e a s i n g l y i m p o r t a n t a r e a : r i s k assessment and r i s k management. The c o n c e p t s of r i s k assessment and r i s k management are e s s e n t i a l elements i n d e v e l o p i n g sound e n v i r o n m e n t a l p o l i c y but i n p r a c t i c e t h e r e has been f r u s t r a t i o n due to l a c k o f adequate d a t a and proven methodology. The c o n c e p t s are s t i l l a t t r a c t i v e and w i t h more complete knowledge t h e y w i l l become l e s s f r u s t r a t i n g and more u s e f u l . I t h i n k i t i s a p p r o p r i a t e i n t h i s s e t t i n g to d i s c u s s the e x c i t i n g p o s s i b i l i t i e s opened up by new developments i n m o l e c u l a r b i o l o g y and f r e q u e n t l y r e f e r r e d to i n terms o f the new biotechnologies. The a p p l i c a t i o n o f the s c i e n c e o f g e n e t i c s t o a g r i c u l t u r e i s not new, but c o m p a r a t i v e l y r e c e n t d i s c o v e r i e s have c a t a p u l t e d our u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f the h e r e d i t a r y a p p a r a t u s o f l i v i n g organisms i n t o a new e r a . The t r a n s f e r o f g e n e t i c m a t e r i a l from one organism to a n o t h e r t h a t i s not even c l o s e l y r e l a t e d to the o r i g i n a l donor i s now commonplace. Recombinant DNA t e c h n i q u e s now f a c i l i t a t e gene identification, characterization, splicing, replication, regulation, and t r a n s f e r , a l l unknown " a r t s " a g e n e r a t i o n ago. The p u r s u i t o f p r o m i s i n g l e a d s may r e q u i r e the e x p e r t i s e o f m i c r o b i o l o g i s t s , p h y s i o l o g i s t s , and b i o c h e m i s t s who may have to c o l l a b o r a t e w i t h plant p a t h o l o g i s t s , entomologists, agronomists, h o r t i c u l t u r i s t s , f o r e s t e r s , and g e n e t i c i s t s . Expanded r e s e a r c h i n the new b i o t e c h n o l o g i e s i s moving ahead w i t h s u p p o r t from many s o u r c e s . P r i v a t e i n d u s t r y has shown a v e r y s i g n i f i c a n t i n t e r e s t t h r o u g h a number of new s p e c i a l i z e d companies as w e l l as o l d e r e s t a b l i s h e d f i r m s . Many S t a t e s a r e p u t t i n g up funds to e s t a b l i s h biotechnology centers. A p a r t of the new s u p p o r t comes from an i n i t i a t i v e by the L a n d - G r a n t U n i v e r s i t i e s t h a t was c a r r i e d forward by USDA f o r a new program i n the c o m p e t i t i v e r e s e a r c h g r a n t s program f o r b i o t e c h n o l o g y . We a r e i n the f i n a l award s t a g e s f o r the f i s c a l y e a r 1985 program. N e a r l y $20,000,000 o f new f u n d i n g was made a v a i l a b l e f o r f i s c a l year 85 i n t h r e e broad program a r e a s : m o l e c u l a r b i o l o g y , m o l e c u l a r and c e l l u l a r mechanisms o f growth and development ; and g e n e t i c and m o l e c u l a r mechanisms c o n t r o l l i n g r e s p o n s e s to p h y s i c a l and biological stress. A p p r o x i m a t e l y 890 p r o p o s a l s were s u b m i t t e d , o f
Waller; Allelochemicals: Role in Agriculture and Forestry ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1987.
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which 165 can be funded from the funds a v a i l a b l e . Our 1986 budget i s not y e t f i n a l , but we a n t i c i p a t e a s i m i l a r program f o r next y e a r and p l a n to have an announcement p u b l i s h e d i n the F e d e r a l R e g i s t e r i n the near f u t u r e . The new t e c h n i q u e s a v a i l a b l e i n g e n e t i c e n g i n e e r i n g , m o l e c u l a r b i o l o g y , t i s s u e c u l t u r e , and so f o r t h o f f e r g r e a t p o t e n t i a l f o r i d e n t i f y i n g a l l e l o c h e m i c a l s and t h e i r f u n c t i o n . They a l s o o f f e r o p p o r t u n i t i e s to more r e a d i l y i n c o r p o r a t e the c a p a c i t y to produce s p e c i f i c a l l e l o c h e m i c a l s into given plants for a desired e f f e c t . One a s p e c t o f g e n e t i c e n g i n e e r i n g t h a t i s not y e t r e s o l v e d i s the q u e s t i o n o f a p p r o p r i a t e p r e c a u t i o n s and g u i d e l i n e s f o r recombinant DNA e x p e r i m e n t s . In p a r t i c u l a r , t h e r e i s c o n t i n u i n g d i a l o g r e g a r d i n g the r e l e a s e o f p r o d u c t s of recombinant DNA i n t o the environment. D i s c u s s i o n s at the symposium on e n g i n e e r e d organisms i n the environment o r g a n i z e d by the American S o c i e t y f o r M i c r o b i o l o g y l a s t June and the r e c e n t exchange o f l e t t e r s between W. J . B r i l l O ) and R. K. C o l w e l l (4_) p r o v i d e a good sense of the concerns and r e s p o n s e s to them. The r e l e a s e i s s u e has i m p l i c a t i o n s f o r a g r i c u l t u r e b r o a d l y , and p l a n s to use recombinant DNA t e c h n i q u e s f o r a p p l i c a t i o n o f a l l e l o c h e m i c a l r e s e a r c h r e s u l t s would be a f f e c t e d . Because much o f the r e l e a s e i n q u e s t i o n i s o f d i r e c t c o n c e r n to a g r i c u l t u r e , the a g r i c u l t u r a l r e s e a r c h community has developed a proposed assessment system t h a t would supplement e x i s t i n g r e g u l a t o r y and o v e r s i g h t programs. It would i n s u r e t h a t adequate s a f e t y and e n v i r o n m e n t a l c o n s i d e r a t i o n s are f u l l y addressed b e f o r e m o d i f i e d organisms a r e r e l e a s e d i n t o the open e n v i r o n m e n t . Before I get i n t o the d e t a i l s of the p r o p o s a l , I want to r e v i e w the background of how we got where we a r e t o d a y . There has been f o r many y e a r s a v e r y h e a l t h y , open debate on e t h i c s and s a f e t y q u e s t i o n s r e l a t e d to experiments i n v o l v i n g recombinant DNA. S i n c e i t s c r e a t i o n i n 1974, the N a t i o n a l I n s t i t u t e s o f H e a l t h Recombinant DNA A d v i s o r y Committee (NIH-RAC) has been the p r i m a r y forum f o r t h i s d e b a t e . Guidelines for recombinant DNA r e s e a r c h developed by the NIH-RAC became b i n d i n g on a l l F e d e r a l l y s u p p o r t e d r e s e a r c h and i n p r a c t i c e have guided a l l r e s e a r c h i n the U n i t e d S t a t e s . In the USDA, an A g r i c u l t u r a l Recombinant DNA R e s e a r c h Committee (ARRC) has been i n p l a c e f o r many y e a r s i n c l o s e a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h the NIH-RAC and has a s s i s t e d the NIH-RAC i n i t s h a n d l i n g of a g r i c u l t u r a l l y r e l a t e d p r o p o s a l s . The NIH-RAC g u i d e l i n e s have e v o l v e d as new knowledge has become a v a i l a b l e and they have served the c o u n t r y w e l l . However, r e s e a r c h and e x p e r i m e n t a t i o n have p r o g r e s s e d from c o n t a i n e d f a c i l i t i e s to the p o i n t t h a t t r i a l s i n the open environment are a p p r o p r i a t e and p r o d u c t s f o r commercial use are at hand. For a c o o r d i n a t e d approach t o the r e g u l a t i o n and o v e r s i g h t o f recombinant DNA p r o d u c t s and a c t i v i t i e s , a government-wide C a b i n e t C o u n c i l Working Group on B i o t e c h n o l o g y was e s t a b l i s h e d t h r o u g h the P r e s i d e n t ' s O f f i c e o f S c i e n c e and Technology P o l i c y . The Working Group p r e p a r e d a p r o p o s a l f o r a c o o r d i n a t e d framework f o r r e g u l a t i o n of b i o t e c h n o l o g y t h a t was p u b l i s h e d i n the F e d e r a l R e g i s t e r (5) f o r p u b l i c comment. A r e v i s e d d r a f t t a k i n g i n t o account the v a r i o u s r e a c t i o n s and comments i s i n p r e p a r a t i o n . I p o i n t out these a c t i v i t i e s to l e t you know t h a t we are working w i t h i n a c o o r d i n a t e d o v e r a l l framework. Now I want to go back to the p r o p o s a l t h a t i s p a r t o f our b i o t e c h n o l o g y i n i t i a t i v e and g i v e some d e t a i l s on the proposed
Waller; Allelochemicals: Role in Agriculture and Forestry ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1987.
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ALLELOCHEMICALS: ROLE IN AGRICULTURE A N D FORESTRY assessment system and what i t would a c c o m p l i s h . The proposed system i s r e f e r r e d t o as the N a t i o n a l B i o l o g i c a l Impact Assessment Program. It w i l l not assume a r e g u l a t o r y r o l e , but i s i n t e n d e d to complement e x i s t i n g r e g u l a t o r y and o v e r s i g h t a c t i v i t i e s . It i s a r e s e a r c h - b a s e d program, u s i n g the e x i s t i n g n a t i o n a l network of e x p e r t i s e and e x p e r i e n c e i n l o n g - t e r m assessments o f a g r i c u l t u r a l biota. And the e x i s t i n g n a t i o n a l network I am r e f e r r i n g to i s the S t a t e A g r i c u l t u r a l Experiment S t a t i o n System and the f i e l d l o c a t i o n s o f the A g r i c u l t u r a l R e s e a r c h S e r v i c e . The program w i l l e v a l u a t e the impacts o f b i o l o g i c a l changes o c c u r r i n g i n our N a t i o n , i n c l u d i n g the needs brought on by the new b i o t e c h n o l o g y r e s e a r c h i n a g r i c u l t u r a l systems. C u r r e n t l y , we a s s e s s the impact o f p l a n t , a n i m a l , and m i c r o b i a l b i o t a i n a g r i c u l t u r e i n a wide range of c r o p p i n g and animal p r o d u c t i o n systems. T h i s i s done through growth chambers, greenhouse s t u d i e s , and r e s e a r c h p l o t s i n the f i e l d . In the case o f a l l major c r o p s , a wide range of p r o c e s s e s are used i n which new v a r i e t i e s and s p e c i e s are a s s e s s e d f o r t h e i r i m p a c t . The need to know the impact o f b i o l o g i c a l changes o c c u r r i n g i n our N a t i o n has i n c r e a s e d v e r y s u b s t a n t i a l l y s i n c e the development o f recombinant DNA and c l o s e l y r e l a t e d t e c h n i q u e s i n the e a r l y 1 9 7 0 s . It a l s o has changed c o n s i d e r a b l y i n c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s s i n c e those discoveries. On the one hand, recombinant DNA t e c h n i q u e s r e q u i r e e n t i r e l y new concepts of a s s e s s m e n t , w h i l e on the o t h e r they p r o v i d e w h o l l y new t o o l s f o r a s s e s s m e n t s . A r e s e a r c h - b a s e d system i s e s s e n t i a l f o r s u c c e s s f u l involvement o f the e x p e r t i s e , f a c i l i t i e s , and i n s t r u m e n t a t i o n t h a t are now a v a i l a b l e i n the s c i e n c e and e d u c a t i o n system n a t i o n a l l y . F o r t u n a t e l y , the emergence of t h i s need can be s u p p o r t e d by a r a p i d l y growing system of new h i g h - s p e e d e l e c t r o n i c assessment and p r o c e s s i n g t e c h n i q u e s , which are e s s e n t i a l t o the development and a p p l i c a t i o n o f b i o t e c h n o l o g y i n a g r i c u l t u r e and f o r e s t r y . A g a i n , I want to emphasize t h a t the N a t i o n a l B i o l o g i c a l Impact Assessment Program w i l l not assume a r e g u l a t o r y role. However, i t w i l l p r o v i d e e x p e r t i s e and t e c h n i c a l backup to the r e g u l a t o r y a g e n c i e s . For m a t e r i a l s produced by the modern b i o t e c h n o l o g i e s such as recombinant DNA, t h e r e w i l l be a n a t i o n a l system o f p r o j e c t s f o r a s s e s s i n g the p o t e n t i a l impact of these m a t e r i a l s i n a s t e p - b y - s t e p manner p r i o r to t h e i r r e l e a s e i n t o the e n v i r o n m e n t . We w i l l draw h e a v i l y on the NIH-RAC g u i d e l i n e s and the l o c a l i n s t i t u t i o n a l b i o s a f e t y committees. The program w i l l o p e r a t e as a h i g h l y p a r t i c i p a t o r y system t h a t w i l l a p p r a i s e b i o l o g i c a l changes o f importance t o a g r i c u l t u r e , f o r e s t r y , and n a t u r a l r e s o u r c e s . There w i l l be c o n t i n u o u s c y c l i n g o f d a t a as assessments are made. The program w i l l m a i n t a i n a r o s t e r o f knowledgeable s c i e n t i s t s to a s s i s t i n r e v i e w i n g b i o t e c h n o l o g y p r o p o s a l s f o r s a f e t y and e f f i c a c y , i n f o r m a t i o n on s a f e t e s t s i t e s , and an i n v e n t o r y and ongoing assessment of m a t e r i a l s under t e s t . The t h i n g s I have been t a l k i n g about are a l l p a r t o f the " b i g p i c t u r e " f o r the food and a g r i c u l t u r a l s c i e n c e s . In r e c e n t y e a r s we have devoted more a t t e n t i o n to s t a n d i n g back from time to time to view the l a r g e r p i c t u r e so t h a t we can expect to do a b e t t e r j o b of i d e n t i f y i n g the c r i t i c a l elements of the system and t h e r e b y " f i t " them t o g e t h e r i n t o an e f f e c t i v e comprehensive program. This i n v o l v e s b e t t e r a r t i c u l a t i o n among the F e d e r a l - S t a t e p a r t n e r s and f
Waller; Allelochemicals: Role in Agriculture and Forestry ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1987.
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BENTLEY
The Potential of
Allelochemicals
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the p r i v a t e s e c t o r r e s e a r c h . Much more needs to be done. The Congress o f the U n i t e d S t a t e s encouraged us i n t h i s d i r e c t i o n and i n the 1977 Farm B i l l c a l l e d f o r e s t a b l i s h m e n t o f a J o i n t C o u n c i l on Food and A g r i c u l t u r a l S c i e n c e s to f o s t e r c o o r d i n a t i o n o f the r e s e a r c h , e x t e n s i o n , and t e a c h i n g a c t i v i t i e s o f a l l p u b l i c and p r i v a t e o r g a n i z a t i o n s and i n d i v i d u a l s . The 1981 Farm B i l l c a l l e d on the J o i n t C o u n c i l to do a comprehensive needs assessment f o r food and a g r i c u l t u r a l s c i e n c e s , which was p u b l i s h e d i n J a n u a r y 1984.(6) The 1981 Farm B i l l a l s o c a l l e d f o r an annual p r i o r i t i e s r e p o r t to promote c o o r d i n a t i o n and j o i n t p l a n n i n g . The e d i t i o n f o r FY 1987 (7) l i s t s the f o l l o w i n g broad p r i o r i t i e s : 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
I n c r e a s e a g r i c u l t u r a l p r o f i t a b i l i t y t h r o u g h management. Improve water q u a l i t y and management. Expand b i o t e c h n o l o g y e f f o r t s on p l a n t s , a n i m a l s , and m i c r o b e s . Develop n e c e s s a r y s c i e n t i f i c and p r o f e s s i o n a l human c a p i t a l . Improve human n u t r i t i o n and the u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f d i e t / h e a l t h relationships.
B r i n g i n g the e n t i r e system t o g e t h e r i n a s e t of p r i o r i t i e s p r o v i d e s a framework f o r a l l o f us and demonstrates t o our s u p p o r t e r s t h a t we can make statements about what we t h i n k i s i m p o r t a n t .
Literature Cited 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Balandrin, M. F.; Klocke, J. Α.; Wurtele, E. S.; Bollinger, W. H. Science 1985, 228 (4704), 1154-60. Putnam, A. R. Chemical and Engineering News 1983, 61, 34-45. Brill, W. J. Science 1985, 229 (4709), 115-17. Colwell, R. K.; Norse, Ε. Α.; Pimentel, D.; Sharpies, F. E.; Simberloff, D. Science 1985, 229 (4709), 111-12. Federal Register 1984, 49 (252), 50856-50907. "Summary: Needs Assessment for the Food and Agricultural Sciences," Joint Council on Food and Agricultural Sciences, U.S. Department of Agriculture, January 1984. "FY 1987 Priorities for Research, Extension, and Higher Education," Joint Council on Food and Agricultural Sciences, U.S. Department of Agriculture, June 1985.
RECEIVED December 17,1985
Waller; Allelochemicals: Role in Agriculture and Forestry ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1987.
