Commercial considerations in the development of transgenic crops and agrochemicals for crop protection

The introduction of genetic approaches to pest and disease control raises many complex questions: Can agrochemicals be replaced by genes? Can chemical solutions be replaced by genetic solutions? Will genetic control of pests and disease be more long lived (durable or sustainable) than the chemical approach? How can genetic and chemical approaches be handled in integrated programmes to realise the best of both worlds? Will increasing crop value lead to increased demand for perfect crop protection? We address these issues, particularly in relation to fungal and insect control, but anticipate generating more questions than answers. At present, it is possible to speculate and to generate a wide range of scenarios, what is clear is that knowledge of how to integrate the widening range of options will be essential for future success.