Genetically modified crops

Abstract

Genetic engineering is the alteration of the genome of an organism by introduction of one or a few specifi c foreign gene mainly with the help of Agrobacterium or particle gun. The modifi ed organism is described as ‘transgenic organism’. If gene is inserted in plants, they are called as transgenic plants. In this highly sophisticated method of genetic modifi cation of plants, the genetic material or DNA sequence coding for a desirable trait is located in the donor organism by a variety of molecular technique and then cut out from the parental DNA using the ‘molecular scissors’ known as restriction endonucleases. Genetic engineering makes it possible to exchange or introduce the gene of interest, using the modern tools of recombinant DNA (rDNA) techniques, within same or different species or also within kingdoms. Genetically altered foods are made from plants or animals that have had their deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) changed in a way that does not happen naturally. Often, individual genes are transferred from one organism to another, even when the organisms are not related. As the population on earth is expected to rise from 6.7 billion to 9 billion by 2050, this will increase the demand for food; hence, there is a need to increase food to 50 % by 2030. Because of many problems like availability of arable land which has affected due to urbanisation, desertification and environmental degradation. The second big challenge is the availability of water good enough for drinking and farming. Water resources are under severe strain in many parts of the world. Hence, the challenge of food production by 50 % must be tackled on the available land with water scarcity using biotechnology tools. Modifi cation of plants by rDNA technology would be most beneficial. The need for better traits in the plant is the base of GM plants, and the skill and knowledge of transferring gene into plants indorsed the conception that some of the primary transgenic crops like tobacco, tomato, corn, soybean and cotton developed mainly for insect and herbicide resistance with single or multiple gene are under cultivation in different parts of the world. Apart from these qualities, researchers have also proposed on traits like increased vitamin and mineral contents of grains by enhanced amino acid profi les, better vegetable oils by improving nutritional composition of oilseed and crops with increased tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. The production of active medical compounds and industrial enzymes and bioplastics is an important trait for manipulation.