Biotic stresses cause substantial yield and quality loses in all crops, especially in developing countries. It would be easier and less costly to prevent those losses by introducing crops with conventional or transgenic disease and pest resistance, rather than implementing more classical agricultural practices (e.g., use of certain types of agrochemicals) in such countries. Immediate implementation should proceed with insect and virus resistance that have received approval in other countries, with continuing research toward developing strategies to adapt relevant technologies to develop local insect and virus resistant crops. Future programs with resistance to pathogenic fungi, bacteria and nematodes should be implemented as available. The pre-condition for the development of all such programs in developing countries is the adoption of regulatory approval laws as well as local public acceptance.

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