BIOTERRORISM MAY BE THREAT TO CROPS.

• Position: Brief Article

As if drought and floods weren't enough, there is a new potential concern in U.S. agriculture--bioterrorism. What would happen if someone deliberately infected a crop with a pathogen? It hasn't happened yet, but experts think that it can, and they are beginning to look at the risk.

The concern is that a disease-causing pathogen, purposely introduced into a crop, would devastate yields or contaminate the food supply. Agriculture and the economy as a whole would be hurt. Moreover, people might get sick or go hungry.

Larry Madden, professor of plant pathology, Ohio State University, Columbus, maintains that experts need to begin identifying which pathogens would pose the greatest threat to American agriculture if used by bioterrorists. "The idea is, if we can know which pathogens are most likely to be used, those are the ones that regulators can look out for."

What makes a pathogen a risk? Among the factors to consider are how easily it can be produced, how well it would survive and spread in this country, the types of crops that are susceptible, and the amount and type of damage it can cause. Taken together, the factors can be used to compile a "most unwanted" list of plant pathogens.

Soybean rust is an example of a pathogen that could decimate a major crop, Madden indicates. It is not native to the U.S., spreads fast, and ruins yields. That isn't the sole threat. Some crops produce toxins when infected by certain pathogens. Even small amounts of some of these toxins can...