How Do Farmers Genetically Engineer Corn?

History

• Author Jack Williamson, the son of a farmer and brother to a rancher who was an expert in genetics and farming, made up the term "genetic engineering" in a book in 1951. In his science fiction novel "Dragon's Island," Williamson predicted the benefits and pitfalls of genetic altering. Today, genetic engineering is controversial, but according to Science Daily, farmers can produce corn with specific traits that have a better environmental impact.

Selective Farming

• Farmers create special breeds of corn with resistance to disease or fungus by planting a small crop of corn and finding specific plants that do not develop the disease or fungus. They take seeds from these selected plants and replant another small crop using only those seeds. They continue this process until they have developed a disease- or fungus-resistant seed.

Natural Genetic Modification

• Nature is selective and usually allows only animals or plants within the same species to reproduce; however, nature makes new gene combinations when animals or plants reproduce. A sheep of one color mated with a sheep of another color may make a sheep of a new color. Gene-splicing actually happens in cells all the time as they divide and repair. According to the Science Clarified website, the cells have to rearrange their components and put them back together as they divide.

Scientific Genetic Modification

• Modern technology allows scientists to shuffle genes from different species and create something entirely new. Genetic engineering manipulates genes in a cloning process and changes the structure of the genes. The genes are cut with a highly specialized tool into a plasmid, a small circular piece of DNA which is mixed with a different gene's DNA. The new DNA information is then re-implanted into a new host, creating a new species.

  Scientists have modified corn using traits from other organisms such as Bacillus thuringiensis, a soil bacterium with insecticidal properties. DNA from the corn and the bacterium is mixed to grow "Bt" corn, an insect-resistant crop that does not usually require spray pesticide.

Considerations

• Most seed companies sell their genetically engineered and patented seeds to farmers with a signed legal agreement that the farmers will not reproduce new seeds from the product they grow.