Gene Editing Coupled with GMO's

In May of 2022, an updated White Paper titled “GEC’s vs. GMO’s” was posted on this website. The subject of the article is to explain how gene edited crops (GEC’s) differ from genetically modified crops (GMO’s). The intent of the article was to provide insight into how both are used differently to genetically modify crop plants to improve their productivity and/or quality.

Now comes a new direction in crop modification that combines the two. This is briefly covered in a FarmProgress article titled “Gene editing can ramp up plant traits” authored by Willie Vogt. The subject of the article is how gene editing can be used to enhance an already-available GMO trait by “stacking” a gene edited improvement on top of an existing GMO trait.

There is a U.S. company that is working toward this achievement. YIELD10BIOSCIENCE is teaming with Rothamsted Research in England to combine the two genetic modification techniques to produce an enhanced trait in the camelina plant. They are doing this by using CRISPR gene editing technology to improve an already-existing GMO trait in the species.

It is likely that this new stacking technology can be used to genetically improve a GMO trait or traits in soybean, especially since there are already numerous GMO traits in the soybean genome. Hopefully, this technology can and will soon be used to do that so that further enhancement of soybean genetic resistance to pests will be forthcoming. This is especially important since many soybean pests have already and will continue to develop resistance to current pesticides and practices that are presently used to control them. As stated previously in numerous articles on this website, it is likely that the most effective long-lasting resistance to the myriad soybean pests will be accomplished through manipulation of the soybean genome using current and forthcoming genetic technologies.

Composed by Larry G. Heatherly, June 2022, larryh91746@gmail.com