BIOL1010 Biological Sciences: Selectively Bred Corn Plants
Scenario
As a technician in an agricultural laboratory you have been asked to investigate different ways of breeding plants and how these can be used in production of food crops. You must compile a portfolio of your internet and practical investigations.
Task 1:
Produce a short report, with diagrams, that explains each of the how plant-breeding techniques are used to:
- How selective breeding can be used to produce improved crop plants (e.g. corn) How genetic engineering can be used to produce new varieties of plants
Task 2
Add a section to your report for Task 2 that discusses and explains what you think are the advantages and disadvantages of the different methods of breeding plants.:
Answer:
Task 1
- Selective breeding involves choosing the parent crop plants with desired characteristics for breeding to produce offspring with more improved characteristics and give better yields. Improved corn plants can be produced by choosing kernels that have the ability to grow in diverse climate and soil types. If such kernels are used than in future favoured kernels will be reproduced repeatedly. It is because the offspring of the selectively bred corn plants will inherit similar traits and DNA (DU et al. 2010, Landrigan and Benbrook 2015). The same technique can be used to produce plants with desired characteristics such as tall plants, insect resistance plants and many other characteristics.
(Diagram of selective breeding of maize corn crops-https://infograph.venngage.com/)
- Genetic engineering is also called as the genetic modification involves the principle of biotechnology to manipulate the specific plant’s gene to change the genetic makeup by transfer of genes and produce novel plant organism. For instance, the corn plants can be genetically cloned, by introducing the pest resistance gene (taken from bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis) and gene for herbicide tolerance from other organism of different species’, a process called transgenesis. Bacillus thuringiensis produces toxins called Bt toxin that kills insects. The gene from this organism when introduced into Corn plant using a vector called plasmid DNA of Agrobacterium tumefaciens carrying BT gene. The corn cells are grown into culture until formation of callus. On further treatment with hormone, these cells develop into transgenic corn plants with integrated bacterial DNA. Therefore the corn cells are resistance to infection by Agrobacterium responsible for the crown gall disease (Grierson 2013).
(Diagram of plant genetic engineering, https://www.yeoldejournalist.com)
Task 2
The advantages of different types of breeding are-
|
Selective breeding (Landrigan and Benbrook 2015) |
Genetic engineering (Lawlor 2012) |
|
Eliminating plant diseases- control diseases like crown gall disease by selective breeding |
Safe for environment- reduce the need of herbicide and pesticide |
|
Improve crop yield and high profit |
Disease resistance gives high yield |
|
New varieties of crops and high quality in shorter period of time |
Sustainability of crops- to feed ever growing population |
|
No issues of safety due to naturally evolutionary process of plants |
Improved flavour and nutrition- alteration of genes for better flavour |
|
Positive influence on food production – sustainable food chain due to availability to grow plants previously unable. |
Affordable and longer shelf life due to yield of more crops |
The disadvantages of different types of breeding are-
|
Selective breeding (Landrigan and Benbrook 2015) |
Genetic engineering (Lawlor 2012) |
|
Similar genetics passed onto offspring- inheritance same strengths and weakness |
High chance of cross contamination- development of super weeds that may have same resistance properties as the crops |
|
Vulnerability same disease |
Risk of allergies on consumption- Increasing incidence of allergies on consumption of genetically modified foods |
|
Little genetic variation- Loss of species variety |
Less effective antibiotic priority. Antibiotic property may be less effective after consumption |
|
Loss of original traits and emergence of new ones- hamper the evolution proves |
Need of more intense research and testing for high use of the foods |
References
DU, Z.H., ZHANG, F.Y., PING, J.A., GUO, J.W. and LU, X., 2010. Silage Corn Breeding Research Progress and Development Trend in China [J]. Journal of Shanxi Agricultural Sciences, 2, p.025.
Grierson, D., 2013. Plant genetic engineering. Springer Science & Business Media. Retrieved from: https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=56rsCAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=plant+genetic+engineering&ots=gwWK8bsdTi&sig=D4SPUYl5t7fVsWx8qME6VKJpAgM#v=onepage&q=plant%20genetic%20engineering&f=false
Landrigan, P.J. and Benbrook, C., 2015. GMOs, herbicides, and public health. New England Journal of Medicine, 373(8), pp.693-695.
Lawlor, D.W., 2012. Genetic engineering to improve plant performance under drought: physiological evaluation of achievements, limitations, and possibilities. Journal of experimental botany, 64(1), pp.83-108.
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