How does agricultural biotechnology differ from conventional breeding?
Both biotechnology and conventional breeding share the same goal of increasing the desirable characteristics of a plant or animal, such as increasing the nutritional value of rice or developing a higher protein content in sheep’s milk. However, biotechnology is much more precise in that it carefully selects a specific gene or trait in one living organism and transfers only that gene to another organism. Conventional breeding, on the other hand, pools all the characteristics of both parents, with the hope of finding the desired trait in the new genetic lines. For example, scientists may breed a high-yielding corn variety with a faster-maturing variety. In fact, essentially all foods are derived from living things that have been previously genetically modified through conventional breeding. Both processes result in genetic modification, but agricultural biotechnology is a much more precise and expedient means of producing the desired characteristic in a plant or animal. Another differenc
