Animal Biotechnology

USES OF RECOMBINANT DNA TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE

• Crop plants have been andcontinue to be the focus of biotechnology as efforts are made to improve yieldand profitability by improving crop resistance to insects and certainherbicides and delaying ripening (for better transport and spoilageresistance).
• Below are the examples of successful applications of recombinant DNA technology in agriculture:
• Golden rice
• It is a recombinant variety of rice that has been engineered to express the enzymesresponsible for β-carotene biosynthesis. This variety of rice holds substantialpromise for reducing the incidence of vitamin A deficiency in the world'spopulation. Golden rice is not currently in use, pending the resolution ofintellectual property, environmental and nutritional issues.
• Herbicide-resistant crops
• Commercial varieties of important agricultural crops (including soy,maize/corn, sorghum, canola, alfalfa and cotton) have been developed whichincorporate a recombinant gene that results in resistance to the herbicideglyphosate (trade name Roundup), and simplifies weed control byglyphosate application. These crops are in common commercial use in severalcountries.
• Insect-resistant crops
• Bacillus thuringeiensis is a bacteriumthat naturally produces a protein (Bt toxin) with insecticidal properties. Thebacterium has been applied to crops as an insect-control strategy for manyyears, and this practice has been widely adopted in agriculture and gardening.Recently, plants have been developed which express a recombinant form of thebacterial protein, which may effectively control some insect predators.
• Producing Genetically Modified Foods
• A widely debatedapplication of recombinant DNA technology is in the production of geneticallymodified foods. Genes can be derived from plants or even other organisms togive plants characteristics that are beneficial to both producers and consumersof agricultural products:
• Delayed fruit ripening for longershelf life during transportation
• Enhanced flavor and nutritionalcontent
• Edible vaccines to preventwidespread diseases in developing countries