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Tuesday 3 May 2016

The Essential Tips Relating To Transgenic Crops Transgene

By Jason Long


A transgenic plant generally contains genes or DNA that plant breeders have inserted in it rather than that plant acquiring it genes normally via pollination. This inserted gene is sometimes called transgene. Due to the advancement in technology, genes can today be collected from any plant or species which does not necessary have to be related to recipient plant. Transgenic crops transgene is today a technology that is being slowly accepted by many countries.

All the crops that people consume today were genetically modified in one way or the other to become what they are today. This is because these plants were once wild and had to be domesticated through selection, breeding that was controlled and a series of tests that took significant amount of time.

One of the major arguments favoring certain transgenic plant varieties is basically their ability to enhance crop quality and also yield that is in normal cases lost to pests. A breeder actually aims at collecting various gene types and combining them to result to a much healthier and productive crop.

Some of improved qualities that can be inserted in a plant include drought resistance, higher yields, pest resistance, and disease resistance. Reduced maturity period, prolonged ripening period for tomatoes, resistance to cold, tolerance to heat are among other features that can be introduced in a plant. Combining several good genes in one crop may sometimes prove to be a difficult task that may take years to achieve the intended results.

Using traditional techniques, it is very difficult to transfer protein genes from soybean to a different crop like corn. Transgenic technology will make it possible for plant breeder to basically bring together several essential genes from many sources and insert them in one crop. The genes may not necessary be from a plant that is closely related to the recipient plant.

These crops will also require less machine hours hence reducing the amount of carbon dioxide that would have been emitted to the environment. There is less emission of gas from greenhouse which is also a benefit. Since farmers will not require any insecticides they can then save their money instead of buying these chemicals. Some people even think that GMO foods actually taste better and are of good quality.

Engineering is known to remove seeds and also produce longer shelf life hence facilitating safe transit of yields to some countries that may not have such foods full of nutrition. GMO is considered environmental friendly since it uses less very little chemical, less machinery and also less time.

Land required to grow GMO plants is not big thus resulting to minimized environmental pollution, and less gas emission from greenhouse. More land is dedicated to farming by farmers as opposed to real estate.

Some studies have shown that consumption of such foods have increased allergy cases. Mostly for children consuming GMO foods will be affected by allergies. But to conclude, GMO has more benefits than limitations.




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