What are genetically modified crops used for?

Answer 1

"Genetically modified" refers to the genes of the specific crop that have been changed in some way or another, scientifically. Genes are responsible for a particular trait in that person/ animal/plant etc. Eg: we have a gene that is responsible for the colour of our hair. Now in plants they have genes for yield production, for colour of the fruit that is produced etc. Genetically modified crops are therefore crops that have had their genes altered to make them more useful/appealing to us. Eg: The orange tree had been genetically modified to produce more Oranges than the original tree. Therfore they altered the gene that had to do with the tree's production. I have recently heard that they have genetically altered the colour of brussel sprouts to make them more appealing to people - you can now buy purplish-red one's! They obviously altered the gene that dictates the colour of the vegetable. It is extremely interesting and fascinating but very scary and daunting at the same time! - just now they will be genetically altering us humans!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seeds have been modified, genes altered to make them resistant to certain herbicides or insects. Some plants have characteristics that occur naturally. Resistance to herbicides, such as round up, killing all pest plants and leaving the crop has been a practice of many farmers and very affordable.

Answer 2

They have many proposed uses, but so far only two types of genetically modified, or genetically engineered (GE), crops have been commercially widely successful. Bt cotton is used for clothing. Its advantage is the reduced need for applied insecticide because it produces its own insecticide. This insecticide, and the gene that codes for it, comes from bacteria found in the soil, and used in its own right as an insecticide. Bt corn is a food crop which is resistant to several insects. The other major type of engineered gene makes crops immune to herbicides (weed killers), or herbicide-tolerant (HT), and has been inserted into soybeans, cotton, and corn and a few other crops that have not yet been commercialized. In particular, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved the use of this gene for two other crops, alfalfa (lucern) and sugarbeets, but U.S. courts ruled that USDA did not properly uphold U.S, law in its approval process, and ordered these crops off the market.

HT crops are most widely grown, especially HT soybeans. Farmers often like this crop because it reduces labor costs. But weeds are becoming resistant to the herbicide, glyphosate (or Roundup), and now infest several million hectares of U.S. and Argentine crops, requiring increased herbicide use. In fact, more herbicide is now used per hectare, and aggregately, to control weeds in GE HT crops than prior to the advent of these crops. This may be reversing some of the benefits to farmers for these crops. On the other hand, applied chemical insecticide use on Bt crops is generally lower now than before these crops were introduced. Overall, pesticide use is higher (herbicides are pesticides, as recognized by scientists and agencies that regulate pesticides) on GE crops because herbicides are used much more heavily than insecticides.

Other uses of GE--such as drought tolerant or more nutritious crops--have not yet materialized, although they have been in the research pipeline for about 20 years (as of 2009). For example. proponents of GE crops often point Golden Rice, which is enhanced in beta carotene, as a way to help reduce blindness among people in developing countries that have vitamin A deficiencies (beta carotene is converted by the body to vitamin A). However, despite many years of development, it still has not been released. An earlier version of this rice did not produce enough beta carotene to clearly be useful. One prominent nutritionist questions whether it will work, be accepted by farmers (who may not want yellow rice), and point out that it will not solve the overall poor nutrition--which includes other deficits--caused by poverty, and that a better solution would be the production of vegetables by poor farmers. Well over a hundred thousand people go blind from protein deficiency every year. This crop reduce that problem.

There are no GE crops that are frost resistant, and while the first GE crop was a tomato with increased shelf life, it was commercially unsuccessful and quickly taken off the market. Genetic engineers are also working on crops that can be grown in dryer and saltier conditions. These properties are already being addressed through conventional breeding, so it is unclear what GE will offer above these less expensive methods.

Switch grass is being modified to make it easier for yeast to digest to produce fuel. Microbiologists have also worked on designing crops that can fix their own nitrogen, reducing the need for fertilizers. None all these crops are on the market, and there is no guarantee they will be successful.

Animal feed, clothing, and fuel are the primary uses of genetically modified crops, the same as for the conventional versions of these crops.

Answer 3

When most people refer to food as genetically modified, or GMO, they mean foods that are transgenic. That is, a gene is taken from one organism and forced into the DNA of a totally different species. Examples are a gene taken from a bacteria and put into the DNA of corn, soy, cotton, papayas, or other crops.

Answer 4

GMOs are transgenic organisms. They were created in a lab by taking a gene from one organism (often a bacteria) and inserting it into another organism (often corn or soy, but other varieties, too).

Answer 5

for a diet