Benefits of Genetically Modified Corn

Benefits of Genetically Modified Corn

The world population has topped six billion people and is predicted to double in the next fifty years. Ensuring an adequate food supply for this booming population is going to be a major challenge in the years to come (Burghart). Genetically Modified (GM) corn is extremely beneficial to both farmers and consumers. Genetic engineering is a laboratory technique used by scientists to change the DNA of living organisms. GM corn can benefit farmers by decreasing costs and increasing crop yields. The new super corn can benefit consumers by producing healthier, more nutritious, and more organic corn. Genetic engineers believe that science breakthroughs, like this one, will solve the worldwide dilemma of starvation and hunger.

Farmers began primitive genetic breeding many years ago by selecting seeds from their best plants, replanting them, and gradually improving the quality of successive generations. (Johnson and Raven 238) Science has come along way since that time. Scientists have developed corn that is resistant to insects. Crops that are resistant to insects and do not need to be sprayed with pesticides, many of which can harm the environment, are safer (Johnson and Raven 238). They are safer because the harmful chemicals used to spray the crops will not be introduced into the environment. Biotechnology seems confusing and complicated on the outside, but is actually quite simple.

Biotechnology allows the transfer of only one or a few desirable genes from one organism to another. This precise science allows plant breeders to develop crops with specific beneficial traits and without undesirable traits (Monsanto Agricultural Biotechnology). The function and structure of DNA from different organisms is essentially the same. It is simply a site that gives instructions and directs cells to make proteins that are the basis of life. Whether the DNA is from a microorganism, a plant, an animal, or human, it is made from the same materials (Monsanto Agricultural Biotechnology).

A researcher's first step is to "cut" or remove a gene segment, representing a desirable trait, from a chain of DNA using enzyme "scissors" to cut an opening into the plasmid, the ring of DNA often found in bacteria outside the cell. The researcher then "pastes" the gene segment into the plasmid. Because the cut ends of both the plasmid and the gene are chemically "sticky" they attach to each other. To complete the process, researchers use another enzyme to paste the new one in place. New beneficial traits can include the capability to fight pests that can be devastating to crops. Others provide quality improvements such as tastier fruits and vegetables, processing advantages, and nutritional enhancements (Monsanto Agricultural Biotechnology).

Genetically modified crops are helping to reduce costly farming inputs and to increase yields on a per-acre basis. Insect, weed and disease pressures that can take big bites out of yields are reduced, so are the chemical agents and labor normally used to control them (Biotechnology Industry Organization). When costs come down and yields go up the productivity picture is brighter.

Gm foods promise to meet the needs of a booming population in a number of ways. These ways include pest resistance, herbicide tolerance, disease resistance, cold tolerance, drought tolerance, nutrition and pharmaceuticals (Johnson and Raven 238).

*Pest Resistance- Crop loss for farmers from insect pests can be staggering, resulting in devastating financial loss for farmers and starvation in developing countries. Farmers typically use many tons of chemical pesticides annually. Consumers don't want food that has been treated in such manners because of health hazards. Growing GM goods can help eliminate the application of chemical pesticides (Johnson and Raven 239).

*Herbicide Tolerance- For some crops, it is not cost effective to remove weeds by physical means such as tilling, so farmers will often destroy weeds, a time consuming and expensive process, the requires special care so the herbicide does not harm the crop or the environment (Johnson and Raven 239). The plants will already have the herbicide inside of them. This will save farmers time and money.

*Disease Resistance- There are many types of viruses, fungi, and bacteria that cause plant diseases. Plant biologists are working to create plants with genetically engineered resistance to these diseases (Johnson and Raven 240). Without these diseases to decrease crop yields farmers profits will skyrocket.

*Cold Tolerance- Unexpected frost can destroy sensitive seedlings. An anti-freeze gene from cold water fish has been introduced into plants. With this gene, plants are able to tolerate cold temperatures that would normally kill unmodified seedlings (Johnson and Raven 240-241).

*Drought Tolerance- As the world population grows and more land is utilized for housing instead of food production, farmers will need to grow plant crops that can withstand long periods of drought (Johnson and Raven