Agricultural Biotechnology and DNA

Mar 10, 2004

In the past, improvements to crop plants were made through selective breeding using controlled pollination of plants, which is called hybridization. Plant biotechnology allows for the transfer of genetic information in a more precise and controlled manner. This more precise science allows plant breeders to develop crops with specific beneficial traits and can avoid undesirable traits. Specific beneficial traits include the ability to fight plant pests, insects, weeds and disease. Other beneficial traits provide quality improvements such as taste, nutrition, etc.

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) from different organisms is essentially the same - simply a set of directions to make the proteins that are the basis of life. Researches now can transfer specific pieces of DNA from one plant to another using enzymes to cut and paste gene segments. 

Chuck Kabet, Agronomist, Monsanto Corporation