09-23-2013, 12:11 PM
The main intention of the plant breeders is to develop plant varieties with excellent agronomic quality. In conventional method of plant breeding there are fewer chances of obtaining the desired gene combination from the millions of crosses that are carried out. The reason behind this is that the genes of both the parents utilized in crossing are re assorted and mixed randomly in the offspring so that the unwanted genes can be transferred along with the desired gene and also there of chances of gaining one desired gene and loosing the other. These inconveniences restrict the improvements that the conventional plant breeders can achieve.
In comparison with the conventional breeding, genetic engineering facilitates direct gene transfer of the genes of interest among the distantly or closely related organisms to attain the desired agronomic quality. Genetic engineering techniques are not only concerned with inserting the desired DNA, it also involves altering the plant itself by switching off or removing their own genes.
Genetic engineering techniques are performed to introduce a trait in a crop plant that is not present in its germplasm. Crops that are developed with the aid of genetic engineering techniques are referred to as GM (genetically modified) crops or transgenic crops. Modern plant breeding involves coordinated and multi-disciplinary procedure, in which a huge number of elements and tools of conventional breeding methods, molecular genetics, bioinformatics, genetic engineering, biotechnology and molecular biology and are used and integrated.
From the year 1996 to 2012 there is a steady increase in area planted with the transgenic plants worldwide. During the recent year 2011-2012, an area measuring about 160 million hectares are planted with transgenic crops of great market value such as cotton, maize, canola and soybean that are herbicide tolerant; potato, cotton, maize and rice that are insect resistant; papaya and squash that are virus resistant and so on. Transgenic crops with the combined traits are also available commercially since with the aid of genetic engineering techniques, more than one desired traits can be incorporated into the crop plants.
In comparison with the conventional breeding, genetic engineering facilitates direct gene transfer of the genes of interest among the distantly or closely related organisms to attain the desired agronomic quality. Genetic engineering techniques are not only concerned with inserting the desired DNA, it also involves altering the plant itself by switching off or removing their own genes.
Genetic engineering techniques are performed to introduce a trait in a crop plant that is not present in its germplasm. Crops that are developed with the aid of genetic engineering techniques are referred to as GM (genetically modified) crops or transgenic crops. Modern plant breeding involves coordinated and multi-disciplinary procedure, in which a huge number of elements and tools of conventional breeding methods, molecular genetics, bioinformatics, genetic engineering, biotechnology and molecular biology and are used and integrated.
From the year 1996 to 2012 there is a steady increase in area planted with the transgenic plants worldwide. During the recent year 2011-2012, an area measuring about 160 million hectares are planted with transgenic crops of great market value such as cotton, maize, canola and soybean that are herbicide tolerant; potato, cotton, maize and rice that are insect resistant; papaya and squash that are virus resistant and so on. Transgenic crops with the combined traits are also available commercially since with the aid of genetic engineering techniques, more than one desired traits can be incorporated into the crop plants.
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