Applications of Genetic Engineering in Agriculture

Genetic engineering contributes to overall crop production growth by increasing medicinal and nutritional value. It assists scientists in designing plants that can withstand dangerous diseases and harsh climatic conditions. We can use genetic engineering in agriculture in a variety of ways, including:

Crop Improvement

One of the most significant benefits of genetic engineering in agriculture is increased crop production. Scientists can use genetic engineering to increase crop yields, lower food costs, improve food quality, food security, and medicinal value. All of this is possible with genetic engineering in agricultural crops, as scientists can change the genes of crops to meet all of the above requirements. Thus, genetic engineering is important in crop improvement.

Herbicide Resistance

Herbicide is a substance that is toxic to plants and is primarily used to destroy undesirable plants. The ability to survive herbicide exposure is referred to as herbicide resistance. Herbicides are essential in modern agricultural practice, and there is a strong desire to develop less toxic substances. So developing herbicide-resistant plants is a major goal of genetic engineering, and here are a few reasons why:
• Herbicide resistance can be achieved by transferring a single gene to plants. This is critical because the transfer of more than one gene to plants remains an unsolved problem. 
• The use of herbicide resistant plants provides additional benefits to framers by reducing and simplifying the use of herbicides.
Herbicide resistance plants are not new to farmers, but their use is becoming increasingly popular. However, their application is limited. In today’s world, genetic engineering is also assisting scientists in the transfer of resistance to non-herbicide plants.

Insect Resistance

In India today, a greater percentage of agricultural losses are attributed to crop damage caused by insects. We can use genetic engineering to introduce a new sequence of DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) into plants, making them more resistant to insects. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) crops, for example, are genetically engineered crops that contain bacterium crystal toxins that make them more resistant to other insects. Thus, genetic engineering can be used to create plants or crops that are resistant to insects.

Virus Resistance

Plant virus disease control has involved a variety of agricultural implementations and strategies, with varying degrees of success. Fortunately, with the advancement of genetic engineering, scientists are now able to produce more promising results in terms of virus resistance in plants. The expression of a coat protein sequence in plants with a protein gene is currently the most successful virus resistance method in plants. Plants responded positively to the virus using this method. More research is being conducted to develop a more simplified method of introducing the protein gene into plants in order to make them more resistant to viruses.

Delayed Fruit Ripening

Fruit ripening is another major issue in the agricultural sector. Fruit ripening can be delayed using genetic engineering. To delay the ripening of the fruit, it is best to store it in cold temperatures, preferably in freezers. To delay the fruit ripening with genetic engineering, the enzyme ACC oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of ACC to ethylene, the final step in the ethylene biosynthetic pathway. Down regulation of the ACC oxidase gene via anti-sense technology results in suppression of ethylene production, delaying fruit ripening.

Frost Resistance

We know that plants can withstand a certain temperature, and that if the temperature falls below that threshold, the plant dies. For example, a normal seed plant can withstand temperatures as low as -1 degrees Celsius; however, if the temperature drops below -4 degrees Celsius, the plant freezes and dies. We can use genetic engineering to change the genes of plants so that the seed plant can withstand negative temperatures, giving the plant the ability to withstand even harsh climatic conditions.

Genetically Engineered Foods

It is very likely that we are now eating a greater proportion of genetically engineered foods such as corn, potato, soybean, canola, and so on. Because corn crops are more susceptible to insect attack, most corn crops are genetically modified to withstand insect attack. Another advantage of genetically modified corn is that pesticides are not used to kill the insects, resulting in more natural and clean corn yields. Potatoes have also been genetically modified to resist insects and viruses. A few potatoes are also engineered to be resistant to browning that occurs when the potatoes are packed. Genetically modified canola oil is widely used in cooking, and the seeds can be fed to animals. The majority of genetically modified canola oil is herbicide resistant, allowing farmers to easily control weeds.

Genetic Engineering in Agriculture: Genetic engineering in farming is like a high-tech tool that helps us make crops better, so they can handle tough weather, bugs, and diseases while producing more food. There are a number of applications of Genetic Engineering in Agriculture that are now regarded as the backbone of agricultural crop enhancement. Genetic engineering is quickly replacing conventional plant breeding programs. Because genetic engineering makes it possible to quickly boost crop yields and prevent natural calamities like droughts, it is transforming the way we produce food. In addition to enhancing crop productivity, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are decreasing the need for pesticides. Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMOs, are living organisms that have had their genes changed via genetic engineering.