Genetic modification crop plants

There is much controversy, at least in Europe, concerning genetic modification of plants. The three major crops affected so far are maize, soyabean and rapeseed. All of these, in addition to their other uses, are sources of oil. The reasons for modification in all these cases are related to herbicide tolerance and resistance to insects. For the varieties generally available at present, there is no known difference from non-modified strains with respect to fatty acid composition, oil yield, tocopherol level, or the level of any other minor oil constituent. 

Finally, we tested the particle bombardment method, a biolistic approach that was shown before to work when other approaches have failed. In particular, particle bombardment has allowed the generation of transgenic plants such as crop species, which are not susceptible to Agrobacterium tumefaciens or cannot be regenerated from protoplasts. Furthermore, particle bombardment has facilitated organelle transformation in intact cells and the genetic modification of cultured cells that were not accessible to other transfection techniques. 

Substantial yield increases can also be achieved by exploiting the full genetic potential of seeds, whether by modern breeding technologies or genetic modification. Hundreds of new seed varieties with improved characteristics are introduced every year. Over the past 30 years, the yield of major field crops such as com, soya, wheat, and rice has increased by 60 to 80 percent and further increases are forecasted. Appropriate treatment of those seeds with crop protection chemicals before planting has proven to increase plant vigor overall. 

Many consumers also wish to be made aware of any genetic modification to the crop. Genetic modification might be beneficial for cocoa butter production as the characteristics of the butter could be modified in the growing bean, and also resistance to pests and diseases might be introduced to the plant. Analytical methods are required to detect such modification, in both the raw materials and the processed product. 

Finally, genes required for particular aspects of fatty acid and triacylglycerol biosynthesis can be identified in appropriate sources, cloned, and transferred to other plants. Rapeseed has proved to be particularly flexible in this respect, and its fatty acid composition has been modified in several ways, some of which have now reached or are very close to commercial application (Section 9.4). Genetic modification procedures are also applied to soybean and other oilseed crops. 

Improving natural pigments by genetic modification of crop plants... 

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