Natural Stress - Genetically Modified Plants

Genetically Modified Plants

Plants are most commonly modified to be resistant to specific herbicides or pathogens, but we have the technology to modify plants in order to make them resistant to specific abiotic stressors. Cold, heat, drought, or salt are all factors that could possibly be defended against by genetically modified plants.

Some plants could have genes added to them from other species of plants that have a resistance to a specific stress. Plants implanted with these genes would then become transgenic plants because they have the genes from another species of plant in them. Scientists first have to isolate the specific gene in a plant that is responsible for its resistance. The gene would then be taken out of the plant and put in to another plant. The plant that is injected with the new resistant gene would have a resistance to an abiotic stressor and be able to tolerate a wider range of conditions (Weil, 2005).

This process of creating transgenic plants could have a huge impact on our nation’s economy. If plants could be genetically engineered to be resistant to a wider variety of stress, crop yields would skyrocket. With the expansion of town and cities there is a decreasing number of farm acres. Although the farm acres are being built on, the number of people consuming agriculture products is going up. Ethanol is also responsible for using much more of the corn that is grown here in the U.S. The production of this fuel has put a strain on the corn market. Prices of corn have gone up and this price is having a negative impact on the people who feed animals using corn. The combination of reduced acres of farmland and a higher demand on crops have left producers and consumers in a severe dilemma. The only solution to this problem is to keep getting higher and higher yields from the cropland that we have left.

Genetically modified plants are a good answer to the problem of not enough crops to go around. These plants can be engineered to be resistant to all types of abiotic stress. This would eliminate crop yield loss due to extreme temperatures, drought, wind, or salinity. The consumers of crops would enjoy a little bit lower prices because the demand on them would be a little lower.

The Midwestern U.S. is experiencing a severe drought. Farmers are being limited on how much they can irrigate due to the shortage of water. There is also very little rain during the growing season so the crops do not yield very well. This problem could be solved by genetically modifying plants to become more drought resistant. If plants could use less water and produce yields that are superior or equal to current ones, it would be better for the people and also the environment. People would enjoy an abundance of crops to consume and export for a profit. The environment would be able to have more water in its aquifers and rivers throughout the country.

Another environmental factor that would be improved would be the amount of land left for wildlife. Crops modified to be resistant to abiotic stress and other factors that decrease yields would require less land use. Producers would be able to grow enough crops on less acres if the plants were modified to produce very high yields. This would allow some of the cropland that is in use today to be set aside for wildlife. Instead of farming “fence line to fence line” farmers would be able to create large buffers in their fields. These buffers would provide a great habitat for plants and animals.

A lot of people do not like genetically modified organisms. People opposed to these modified plants often claim that they are not safe for the environment or for human consumption. There are many videos and reports in circulation that discredit the safety of genetically modified organisms. King Corn is one video that claims that corn is bad for humans to consume.

There are strict regulations and protocols that go along with genetically modifying plants. A company that specializes in producing genetically modifying organisms must put their plants through a huge variety of tests to ensure the safety of their product. Each of these tests must be passed by the product in order to produce more of the plant seeds.

When seeds are mass produced, the fields that they are grown in have to meet specific criteria. They must have no vegetation zones around them to prevent the spread of the modified plants into the native population. The plots must be carefully labeled and marked so that the company knows exactly what is planted in the field. All of these protocols are in place to ensure the safety of the consumers and also of the environment. Because genetically modified plants are given stress resistant genes or high yielding genes they are better for the environment. They only help create more land to be put back into natural habitats for plants and animals.