Most Useful GMO In Agriculture-Examples Explained

What are GMOs?

GMO crops are plants that have been genetically modified using engineering techniques. These crops are sometimes referred to as “transgenic” crops. GMO crops have had specific changes introduced into their DNA, using techniques that are not possible with traditional breeding methods.

The first GMO crop was created in 1983. It was a tobacco plant that had been modified to be resistant to herbicides. Since then, many other GMO crops have been developed and commercialized. The most common GM crops in the United States are soybeans, corn, cotton, and canola.

In this article we will discus about Most Useful GMO In Agriculture-Examples Explained with factual figures.

GMO crops are grown using the same methods as conventional crops. However, because they contain foreign genes, they must be carefully monitored to ensure that they do not harm the environment or human health.

Crops:

GMO crops are those that have been genetically modified to produce a desired outcome. For example, some GMO crops have been modified to be resistant to herbicides or pests. Other GMO crops have been modified to produce more food. There is a lot of controversy surrounding GMO crops, but they are widely used in the United States.

Maize:

Maize is grown all over the world and it has very high economical value as compared to the other crops. But the insect pests and weeds can damage the yield and cause economic loss to the farmers. That is why the effective control of these pests is very important to gain the maximum yield.

With use of resistant genes the control of these pests can be ensured. The protein which is produced by inserting the gene is Bt. This protein damages the digestive system of the insect pests such as Fall Armyworm which is a very crucial pest of maize. 

The produced protein has no harmful impact on the beneficial insects or other organisms of the environment. This method is highly specified and so does not cause damage to the other living organism.

Alfalfa:

Alfalfa is mostly used as a feed source for the farm animals. This crop has very high market value. But an attack of weed can damage the production and make it unusable for the farmers.

The USA introduced HT alfalfa which was sown in the USA. In 2013, approximately 18 million acres of alfalfa with a production value of over $10.7 billion were harvested in the United States. Alfalfa is the fourth-largest American crop in terms of acreage and production value behind only corn, soybeans, and wheat.

Rice:

Genetically modified rice contains vitamin A, pest resistance, weed resistance. They all have high nutritional value which is required in developing countries where growing food is very difficult (Africa) or places where population is growing at a high rate.

For insect resistance Bt proteins play a huge role in controlling the rice borers and other harmful insects by releasing endotoxins. This will reduce the cost of pesticide application which is done about 4-5 times and the saved revenue from this can be used by farmers and will be cost effective for the framing community.

Allergy resistant rice varieties have been developed by Japanese researchers which help to reduce the cedar allergy. The developed rice varieties have been tested on the monkeys and results have shown a positive attitude. The symptoms of cedar allergy are the itchy eyes, sneezing and severe allergic reactions.

Soybean:

Soybeans have also been under the genetically modified program for a long time. Monsanto released genetically modified soybean varieties in 1996 and in 2014 more than 90.7 million hectare area was sown using the GM soybean and considering worldwide status of GM soybean it was about 83%.

Soy has been genetically modified to improve the quality of the oil made from soybeans. Soy oil has a high-oleic acid and low-linolenic acid composition that makes it prone to oxidation, which is why it is largely undesirable compared to other types of soybean oil. Genetic modifications increase the levels of oleic acid and stearic acid and decrease the levels of linoleic acid.

Potato:

A genetically modified potato is a potato that has had its genetics modified, using genetic engineering. Different aims of alteration include introducing insect resistance, increasing the concentrations of chemicals produced by the potato, preventing bruising, and expediting the ripening process after harvest.

Industrial varieties that have been altered to produce high amounts of starches may be approved only for commercial purposes.

You can learn more deeply about “How Crops Are Genetically modified”?

Livestock:

Testing outcomes have led to multiple forms of livestock improvements, with a focus on growth-rate, meat quality, milk composition, disease resistance, and survivability. Livestock have been modified so that they’re stronger, healthier, and more capable of resisting diseases. These modifications have also improved the population of sheep and the udder health of cows.

Scientists have developed genetically modified goats that can produce milk via spiderweb like silk proteins. The gene sequence has been modified, using freshly extracted umbilical cords originating from infants, to place code for the human enzyme lysozyme. Researchers sought to modify the milk produced by goats, to contain lysozyme so as to treat diarrhea in humans.

In October 2017, Chinese researchers used CRISPR gene editing technology to transform the new breed of pigs, leading to their being more fit and reducing the amount of body fat by approximately 24 percent. 

Scientists have developed many organisms, including some mammals, with GFP (Green fluorescent gene) reporting genes for research use. GFP and other types of reporting genes allow visual marketing and placement of the results of genetic modification.

History of GM crops:

Since the early days of genetic modification, there has been a continuous debate on the ethicality and morality of the technology. Some believe that it is a way to improve the human race while others believe that it is playing with God’s work. However, there has been no denying the potential benefits of genetic modification.

Early genetic modification experiments were conducted on bacteria and viruses in order to make them more resistant to antibiotics or more virulent. These experiments showed great promise for the future of genetic modification.

In 1973, Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen created the first genetically modified organism by inserting a gene from one bacterium into another. This was a major breakthrough in the field of genetic engineering and opened up new possibilities for modifying other organisms.

Since then, there have been many advances in the field of genetic modification.

Need for GMOs:

GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, are created when a gene from one organism is inserted into another organism in order to give the second organism a desired trait. GMOs are used in agriculture and food production to make crops more resistant to pests and herbicides, to improve taste and nutrition, and to increase yield.

There is much debate over whether GMOs are safe for human consumption and for the environment. Proponents of GMOs argue that they are safe and have been extensively tested, while opponents argue that there is not enough data to know for sure whether they are safe.

So why do we need GMOs? There are a few reasons. First, as the world population continues to grow, we need to find ways to increase food production in order to feed everyone. GMOs can help us do that by increasing yields and making crops more resistant to pests and disease.