What is genetic manipulation? How is it useful in agriculture practices?
Genetic manipulation is a process where the gene for a particular character is introduced inside the chromosome of a cell. When the gene for a particular character is introduced in a plant cell, a transgenic plant is produced. These transgenic plants exhibit characters governed by the newly introduced gene.
e.g. Assume there is a wild plant that produces small fruits. If the gene responsible for a larger fruit size introduced in this plant, this plant becomes transgenic, and starts producing large fruits. Similarly genes for higher yield, disease resistant etc. can be introduced in any desirable plant. Therefore, gene manipulation plays an important role in agricultural practices. It helps in improving the crop variety. It ensures food security and insect resistant crops. It also improves the quality and yield of crops.