Genetically modified (GM) crops are often engineered so they are resistant to herbicides. This allows the farmer to spray the whole crop with strong herbicides and the GM crops are not affected.
It also means that all the flowering broad-leaved weeds that used to grow among the crops are killed. Wild life in the form of birds, bees, butterflies and insects used to come to these weeds and eat the seeds and sup the nectar and eat the leaves. Now they can't.
Some species of farmland birds of Western Europe are now only 10% of their numbers 30 years ago, and some have abandoned the farmlands altogether. Populations of bees and butterflies are also much lower in the GM fields.
It depends on how they are genetically engineered. The possibilities are almost endless (given time to research the idea) but there are 2 genetic modifications that seem to be most common. Making a crop easier to grow in harsher climates, or causing the crop to grow faster. There are also drawbacks, such as many genetically engineered crops having lower nutritional value, but scientists are constantly working on overcomming these problems, and most of the genetically engineered crops used today are free of these problems.
It depends on how they are genetically engineered. The possibilities are almost endless (given time to research the idea) but there are 2 genetic modifications that seem to be most common. Making a crop easier to grow in harsher climates, or causing the crop to grow faster. There are also drawbacks, such as many genetically engineered crops having lower nutritional value, but scientists are constantly working on overcomming these problems, and most of the genetically engineered crops used today are free of these problems.
Genetically engineered crops, like corn and soybeans, are examples of biotechnology.
Genetically engineered crops, like corn and soybeans, are examples of biotechnology.
One risk of genetically engineered food is that foods produced from crops that have been engineered to produce a substance that kills insects could have negative health effects on people. Though some believe that is not a possibility, others believe is it not only possible, but probable.
The dangers would be that the genetically engineered plants and crops can become harmful to the environment and society.
They will help the environment by allowing farmers to use fewer pesticides.
Some food staples, such as rice, contain more nutrients.
A lot of people are against genetically modified crops being grown because of potential negative health effects. The effects of altering crops genetically are also not known due to the process being relatively new.
By far the characteristic that is most often genetically engineered into crop plants is resistance to herbicides, with engineering crops to produce a substance that kills insects into the plant itself a close second.
lower pesticide
GM crops are produced much like other crops, except that many that are grown have been genetically engineered to be resistant to herbicides or to produce an insecticide in the plant itself.