Genetically Modified Crops
Improved nutrition
The GM oilseed crops on the market today offer improved oil profiles for processing or healthier edible oils.[58] The GM crops in development offer a wider array of environmental and consumer benefits such as nutritional enhancement and drought and stress tolerance. GM plants are being developed by both private companies and public research institutions such as CIMMYT, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre.[59] Other examples include a genetically modified cassava with lower cyanogen glucosides and enhanced with protein and other nutrients,[60] while golden rice, developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), has been discussed as a possible cure for Vitamin A deficiency.[61] An international group of academics has generated a vitamin-enriched corn derived from South African white corn variety M37W with 169x increase in beta carotene, 6x the vitamin C and 2x folate – it is not in production anywhere, but proves that this can be done.[62]
Stress resistance
Plants engineered to tolerate non-biological stresses like drought,[63][64] frost,[65][66][67] high Soil salinity,[68] and nitrogen starvation[69] or with increased nutritional value (e.g. Golden rice[70]) were in development in 2011.
Herbicide resistance
Tobacco plants have been engineered to be resistant to the herbicide bromoxynil.[18] And many crops have created that are resistant to the herbicide glyphosate. As weeds have grown resistant to glyphosate and other herbicides used in concert with resistant GM crops, companies are developing crops engineered to become resistant to multiple herbicides to allow farmers to use a mixed group of two, three, or four different chemicals.[71]
Pathogen resistance – insects or viruses
Tobacco, and many other crops, have been generated that express genes encoding for insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).[19][72] Papaya, potatoes, and squash have been engineered to resist viral pathogens, such
The GM oilseed crops on the market today offer improved oil profiles for processing or healthier edible oils.[58] The GM crops in development offer a wider array of environmental and consumer benefits such as nutritional enhancement and drought and stress tolerance. GM plants are being developed by both private companies and public research institutions such as CIMMYT, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre.[59] Other examples include a genetically modified cassava with lower cyanogen glucosides and enhanced with protein and other nutrients,[60] while golden rice, developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), has been discussed as a possible cure for Vitamin A deficiency.[61] An international group of academics has generated a vitamin-enriched corn derived from South African white corn variety M37W with 169x increase in beta carotene, 6x the vitamin C and 2x folate – it is not in production anywhere, but proves that this can be done.[62]
Stress resistance
Plants engineered to tolerate non-biological stresses like drought,[63][64] frost,[65][66][67] high Soil salinity,[68] and nitrogen starvation[69] or with increased nutritional value (e.g. Golden rice[70]) were in development in 2011.
Herbicide resistance
Tobacco plants have been engineered to be resistant to the herbicide bromoxynil.[18] And many crops have created that are resistant to the herbicide glyphosate. As weeds have grown resistant to glyphosate and other herbicides used in concert with resistant GM crops, companies are developing crops engineered to become resistant to multiple herbicides to allow farmers to use a mixed group of two, three, or four different chemicals.[71]
Pathogen resistance – insects or viruses
Tobacco, and many other crops, have been generated that express genes encoding for insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).[19][72] Papaya, potatoes, and squash have been engineered to resist viral pathogens, such