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Date November 2020 Marks available 2 Reference code 20N.3.SL.TZ0.9
Level Standard level Paper Paper 3 Time zone TZ0 / no time zone
Command term Evaluate Question number 9 Adapted from N/A

Question

The chart shows the use of glyphosate and other herbicides on soybeans (Glycine max) grown in the US from 1998 to 2011. Also shown is the trend for the environmental impact quotient (EIQ) which is calculated from the toxicity of herbicides to wildlife and to humans, their persistence in the environment and their other ecological effects.

[Source: Reprinted with permission of AAAS from Perry, E.D., Ciliberto, F., Hennessy, D.A. and Moschini, G., 2016.
Genetically engineered crops and pesticide use in U.S. maize and soybeans. Science Advances, [e-journal] 2(8).
https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1600850. © The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the
Advancement of Science. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License 4.0 (CC BY-NC)
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ Readers may view, browse, and/or download material for temporary copying
purposes only, provided these uses are for noncommercial personal purposes. Except as provided by law, this material may not
be further reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, adapted, performed, displayed, published, or sold in whole or in part,
without prior written permission from the publisher. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1600850]

State the year with the lowest EIQ for herbicides used in soybean growth in the US from 1998 to 2011.

[1]
a.

Using the data from 1998 to 2004, evaluate whether the use of glyphosate has a greater impact on the environment than other herbicides.

[2]
b.

Explain the role of Agrobacterium tumefaciens in introducing glyphosate resistance into soybean crops.

[3]
c.

Markscheme

2006;

a.

a. glyphosate use increased and other herbicide use decreased;

b. during this period there was no increase/decrease in the EIQ
OR
the data shows that there was not much change in environmental impact;

c. data insufficient to reach conclusion;

Both must be mentioned for the mark.

b.

a. (Ti plasmid) modified to include a gene coding for glyphosate resistance;

b. the bacterium inserts a plasmid into plant cells;

c. the Ti plasmid induces tumours in plants;

d. (Ti plasmid) integrates its DNA into the plant genome
OR
plasmid is used as a vector to introduce glyphosate resistance gene;

e. tumour/gall tissue is cultured to form plants with the gene for glyphosate resistance;

c.

Examiners report

[N/A]
a.
[N/A]
b.
[N/A]
c.

Syllabus sections

Option B: Biotechnology and bioinformatics » Option B: Biotechnology and bioinformatics (Core topics) » B.2 Biotechnology in agriculture
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Option B: Biotechnology and bioinformatics » Option B: Biotechnology and bioinformatics (Core topics)
Option B: Biotechnology and bioinformatics

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