What is “new biotechnology” in reference to food plants, and how does it differ from old biotechnology?
All plant breeding involves genetic manipulation of plants. There are hundreds of new plant varieties introduced every year in the United States, and all have been genetically modified through traditional plant breeding techniques — such as cross-fertilization of selected plants — to produce desired traits. This is “old biotechnology.” The new biotechnology — known variously as gene splicing, recombinant DNA, or genetic engineering — is actually an extension of traditional plant breeding. It involves direct modification of DNA, a living thing’s genetic material. This new technique is more precise, making it possible to direct and predict changes without introducing extraneous, undesirable traits. The new technique also will allow scientists to introduce genes from essentially any organism into a plant. Q: Why do we need these plants and the foods they produce? A: Plant breeders have a limited pool of genes — and, therefore, traits — available for use in improving plants. By looking at
