Question

What are the advantages of transgenic crops?
1. Tolerant to abiotic stress
2. Nutritional enhancements
3. Increased pest management

• A. only 1
• B. only 2
• C. 1, 2 and 3
• D. only 2 and 3

Answer 1

The correct option is C 1, 2 and 3

The plants generated by introducing foreign DNA into a cell and regenerating a plant from the cell are termed transgenic plants.

Production of transgenic plants enables us to fulfil and cater to the demands of the growing population and hence in the production of more such desirable produce.

Such plants are useful in many ways:
1. They are tolerant to abiotic stresses like temperature, drought, salt
2. Less dependence on the pesticides (pest - resistant crops)
3. Reduced post-harvest losses
4. Better usage of minerals by the plants
5. Enhanced nutritional value

A very good example of a nutritionally enhanced crop is golden rice. Golden rice is a transgenic variety of rice with genes for synthesis of ꞵ - carotene taken from the daffodil plant and inserted into rice. As a result of accumulation of provitamin A (beta-carotene) and xanthophylls in the endosperm of golden rice, it is yellow in colour.

Pest resistant crops include examples like Bt cotton. Bt crops are transgenic crops that produce the same toxin as the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis in the plant cell, thereby, protecting the crops from pests.