T y p e s o f M o d i f i e d C r o p s
Herbicide Tolerant
Herbicide resistance plants were created in 1995 in South and North America. They are designed to tolerate specific broad-spectrum herbicides, which kill the surrounding flora, but leave the cultivated crop intact.
Insect Tolerant
Insect tolerant crops were first created in the 1990's with the introduction of corn, cotton, and potatoes. These crops contain a gene from Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt, a common bacterium found in soil which is meant to gene help the plants produce proteins that are toxic to certain insects.
Pathogen Resistant
Pathogen resistant crops use a disease induced reaction of their immune system to reduce pathogen growth.This type of resistance lets crops effectively fight diseases, or allows plants to tolerate diseases. Since 26% of all plants are lost to pathogens.
A g r o n o m i c T r a i t s
1. Insect resistant: to keep bugs from eating the plant
2. Herbicide tolerant: to prevent weeds and crops from competing with each other
3. Disease resistance: preventing the pathogens from affecting the plant
4. Water use efficiency: the plants use less water to grow
5. Nitrogen use efficiency: plants use less fertilizer
6. Salt tolerant: plants and crops that have the ability to grow in saltine conditions
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A p p l i c a t i o n s
U.S. Department of Agriculture just approved a newfangled apple with a genetically modified twist: It doesn't turn brown when exposed to air. This technology leads to more people including more sliced apples in kids’ lunchboxes, that’s a good thing. The genetically modified crops and plants like apples will inspire a healthier lifestyle due to the appearance of the fruit. Humans have been proven to be drawn to more colorful and clean items. The most advertised brand of modified apples is called Artic.
The papaya ringspot virus nearly wiped the crop out. The virus first hit Hawaii in the 1940s and by the 1990s had reached almost every area that grows papaya. Production fell 50 percent between 1993 and 2006. Gonsalves, a Hawaiian-born scientist at Cornell University, developed a genetically modified papaya, known as the Rainbow papaya, designed to be resistant to the virus.
By tweaking the genes for the proteins that cause peanut allergies, which isn't easy to do, scientists are experimenting to create an allergy-free version of the popular snack food. This is done because about 3 million Americans suffer from peanut or tree nut allergies, which can cause hives, swelling of the throat and, sometimes, even death.
