Genetic modification in crops a natural process of survival

By Isaac Ongu

Naturally, living organisms with certain adaptable traits survive the harsh environment conditions to reach the reproductive stage and pass on their traits to the next generation. The organisms that cannot survive the unfavourable conditions gradually reduce in frequency and may eventually get wiped out from that population. This is a phenomenon that Darwin called the survival of the fittest.

The organisms and in this case plants or crops that survive, do so by chance and for their own continuity not for man’s. Some of the crops that cannot withstand the environment conditions are useful to man. This was compounded when man isolated these crops from the wild and made them lose competitive advantages over their wild counterparts. For example, wild Cassava has a very high and lethal level of Cyanide that makes it resistant to pest and diseases compared to the domesticated ones.

 Most sweet and palatable varieties that we have today are as well palatable to pests and disease causing microorganisms. In order to preserve the crops with traits suitable for human beings, farmers weed, prune, and at times spray with insecticides. Scientists have also been practicing selective and cross breeding.

 Selective breeding is when one favours certain individuals based on the traits that he or she wants. Plants or crops with these traits are helped to reproduce or propagate at the expense of others. Some crops when left alone cannot compete well and yet they possess what man needs in grains, tubers, and fruits. A very good example is Vanilla where a farmer does the pollinating in order to get more yields.

For organisms to adapt to changing environment, they at times undergo genetic modifications. Naturally, this occurs through gene mutation which involves alterations, insertions or deletions of genes. The resultant change can then be passed from one generation to the next incase it takes place in the gametes. Mutation is a random process that results in some traits, which may be lethal, less desirable or neutral.

Modern biotechnology that involves genetic engineering helps to bridge the gap between the unpredictable mutation and the predictable mutation. That is, from gene mutating randomly for its own survival to man mutating genes for his survival. This process brings about genetically modified organisms.

 Modern Biotechnology shortens this process and makes even certain traits that would be difficult to transfer through cross breeding possible. For example, some banana varieties are sterile and sexually isolated from others and they can only be propagated vegetatively. Gene transfer through genetic engineering is, therefore, a good option of improving bananas.

Biotechnology is only an additional method; it is suitable in situations which outstretch conventional means. For example, in the fight against Bacterial wilt in bananas, Brown streak disease in cassava, striga menace in sorghum and drought resistance in maize.

Other methods of crop protection like planting clean materials and use of insecticides are still vital. Some varieties which are susceptible to diseases are still preferred to those that are resistant. For example, red beauty variety of groundnut that is susceptible to rusts and rosettes is preferred by farmers for making tasty sauce to the rosette resistant serenut. Red beauty costs much more than serenut. Farmers should always have options where they can select from to meet the market demands.

Biotechnology is, therefore, a targeted method of addressing key challenges in crop pathology and crop agronomy. The commercial opportunity it provides globally in agriculture and other industries should be embraced by Ugandans and this needs a regulatory framework that is currently before Parliament.

The writer is an agriculturist