Agbiosafety

Genetically Engineered Crops

The Growing World of New Farming

Background on Genetic Engineering Crops

For thousands of years farmers have bred crops that have desirable traits. Those traits were combined to make more sustainable crops with less disease, failure and larger harvests.

The whole process took upwards of 60 years to reach the final product of the crop with all the combined traits that were needed.

Genetically engineering crops has streamlined this process and made it possible to achieve the final variety of the crop in just a small fraction of that time(about 5 years).

Crops that have been genetically engineered offer higher yields, enhanced nutritional value, longer shelf life, and resistance to drought, frost, or insect pests.

The Process

The actual process of genetic engineering is quite fascinating and takes place within 5 steps. It is very versatile and not held by the limitations of traditional plant breeding.

Genetic engineering removes DNA from one organism and transfers the gene for a gene in another. This removes many limitations previously found in the past.

The amazing thing about this method is that because of the ability to remove single traits, any trait from a living organism can be transferred into a plant.

The actual process of genetic engineering is quite fascinating and takes place within 5 steps.(Fernandez-Cornejo)

Step 1- DNA Extraction

The first step to genetically engineer a crop is to perform a DNA extraction which allows the scientists to take the DNA from the organism so they can begin to work with it. (AgBiosafety)

Steps 2 and 3 – Gene Cloning and Design

The second step can take place which is gene cloning. The gene that holds the desirable trait is separated from the whole DNA and hundreds of copies are made of it. Once the gene has been separated and cloned the third step can begin.

Gene design happens in a test tube where the gene is cut apart, and designed in a way that it works in a different organism.(AgBiosafety)

Step 4 - Transformation

Transformation starts the final two steps of the process. Since the scientists can’t insert the new gene into every cell of the plant, they insert them into some of the cells.

The transformed plant cells are regenerated into transgenic plants that will produce a seed with the inherited trait. This concludes the scientists involvement and the seed is given to a plant breeder for the final step.(AgBiosafety)

Step 5 – Backcross Breeding

The final step is backcross breeding. In the fifth step the plant breeder continuously cross breeds his plant with the original seed until all of his yield contains that specific gene. Once that is complete the new hybrid plant is ready for the production fields.(AgBiosafety)

Why Genetically Engineer Crops?

There are many different reasons and types of genetically engineered crops.

From avoiding insects to improving health deficiencies, there are many ways why GE crops would benefit everyone globally.

Nutrition Advantage

Nutritionally enhanced GE crops can help with allergies to gluten with wheat free varieties, and higher vitamin contents being placed in vegetables and rice are created to help lower deficiencies.

Many developing countries struggle with deficiencies in many vitamins and minerals, farming GE crops is a huge plus for their social and economic markets.

Weeds Be Gone!

Herbicide tolerant traits are being added to many crops to help control weeds in the fields more effectively. This way the crops won’t die with the herbicide used and only the weeds will no longer be able to live.

No More Bugs!

Insect resistant traits are being added by genes from soil that produces a protein that is toxic to insects. Majority of the plants with this added are corn and cotton, one of the most used crops in the world.

Health Benefits

Higher nutrient content

Reduced pesticide exposure and residue

Less vitamin deficiencies

Higher number of readily available crops due to high yield rates(Touyz)

Environmental Benefits

Environmental benefits are less farm runoff that pollutes the water systems, reduced spraying of toxic herbicides and less mechanical weeding helps keep topsoil longer. These all help us reduce our giant footprint on the earth’s fading ozone layer.

Economic Benefits

The economic benefits are that the new technology produces a higher yield of crop for the farmers. This often leaves the farmers with excess and that means lower prices for consumer. The lower prices and more crop means they need more equipment to supply the demand, thus increasing the sales of agriculture materials, snowballing into many other industries(ie gas, oil, labor, electricity, water, heat).

New Traits

New traits in organisms that are beneficial to other crops are being found every day. With the race to keep more and more crops alive, we might be eating a genetically engineered plant that otherwise wouldn’t have made it to our table. Most of the crops that have been redesigned in the past are the big money crops, (corn, cotton, soybeans and canola) but now more and more crops are taking on traits that will help further harvests continue to be productive and keep the prices of crops lower.

Sustainability

The newly genetically engineered crops are very sustainable. Able to withstand droughts, frost and have longer shelf lives, these crops far surpass crops of past generations. These crops also protect the soil which allows for more efficient planting, less “rest” time for the soil to settle and much longer longevity of the soil before having to replace it from soil erosion. This creates a much more sustainable environment for farmers and they are able to maximize their land and up the production. Using less water and less land to harvest more crop than ever before will help the increasing need for food the world has.(Key)

Health concerns

Concerns about safely eating and digesting are not proven in negative lights. All the crops are filled with DNA we usually digest and messing with one or two genes will not impact human health at all. All the nutrients added to the crops helps rates of malnutrition and nutrient deficiencies all around the world. With new breeds coming into production every day, you will soon see things like a pink pineapple with added lycopene, an added pigment that occurs in tomatoes and has cancer fighting properties. (Touyz)

International growth

Not just the United States is growing their cultivation of genetically engineered crops; globally many countries are buying in.

Last year a total of 40 countries have already harvested or have begun harvesting genetically engineered crops.

In 2014 there were 181.5 hectares planted or 448 million acres. More and more crops are being grown in developing countries, trying to help poverty and economic states.(Pocket K No 16)