A tree or an agricultural crop whose DNA has been altered through genetic engineering methods is referred to as a genetically engineered tree (GM tree, genetically modified tree, GE tree, or transgenic tree) or genetically modified crop. Plant genomes can be modified physically or by transferring sequences contained in T-DNA binary vectors using Agrobacterium. The goal is typically to give the plant a new characteristic that does not develop naturally in the species. Examples in food crops include resistance to specific pests, illnesses, environmental factors, a decrease in spoilage, resistance to chemical treatments, or a better crop's nutrient profile. Examples of non-food crops used for bioremediation for the production of pharmaceuticals, biofuels, and other products with industrial use. This article will explain to you about G.E Trees and G.M crops which will be helpful in preparing the Environment Syllabus for the UPSC Civil Service exam.

Historical Background

• In Belgium, the first field tests of GE trees were launched in 1988 as scientists worked to create faster-growing, herbicide-resistant poplar trees.
• China started commercial GE poplar tree planting in 2002 as a response to the problem of deforestation.
• GE trees were first planted on 300 hectares, but today China has adopted the technology widely and integrated it into the forestry industry.
• Brazil and Argentina are pioneering GM food crops in Latin America, and they are also developing GE trees to increase pulp and paper production.
• Tobacco was the first crop plant to undergo genetic engineering, according to a study from 1983.
• It was created by joining an antibiotic-resistant gene to the T1 plasmid from Agrobacterium through the creation of a chimeric gene.

Genetically Modified Crops - Purpose

The following is a list of the various objectives of genetically modified crops.

• Greater yields.
• An improved nutritional value.
• Greater longevity.
• Enhancement of drought resistance.
• Enhancement of pest and bug resistance.
• Increment in herbicide resistance.

GE Trees/ GM Crops - Methods

• Genes are introduced to or removed from crops or trees that have undergone genetic engineering utilizing methods that originally included gene guns, electroporation, microinjection, and agrobacterium.
• CRISPR and TALEN: Recently, considerably more accurate and practical editing methods have been made available via CRISPR and TALEN (gene editors).
• Gene Guns: Target genes are "shot" (directed high energy particles or radiations against plant cells using gene guns, sometimes referred to as biolistics.
• It is the most typical approach. DNA is attached to minute gold or tungsten particles, which are then fired under high pressure into plant tissue or individual plant cells.
• The membranes and cell walls are both penetrated by accelerated particles.
• Inside the plant's nucleus, the DNA dissociates from the metal and is incorporated into the plant's DNA.
• Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated Transformation: Many cultivated crops, especially monocots like wheat or maize, for which transformation using Agrobacterium tumefaciens has been less effective, have been successfully transformed using this approach.
• This is another typical method of transformation mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
• The main drawback of this technique is the potential for severe cellular tissue damage.
• Natural plant parasites called agrobacterium exist. Another engineering technique is provided by their innate capacity to transmit genes.
• These Agrobacterium implant their genes into plant hosts to produce a favorable environment for themselves, leading to a proliferation of altered plant cells close to the soil surface (crown gall).
• A movable, circular DNA fragment carries the genetic code for the development of tumors (plasmid).
• This T-DNA is transferred to an undetermined location in the plant genome when Agrobacterium infects a plant.
• In genetic engineering, the desired foreign gene is substituted for the bacterial T-DNA in the bacterial plasmid. The bacteria serve as a vector to introduce foreign genes into plants.
• Dicotyledonous plants like potatoes, tomatoes, and tobacco respond very well to this technique.
• Crops like wheat and maize are less susceptible to agrobacterium infection.
• Electroporation: When plant tissue lacks cell walls, electroporation is performed.
• DNA enters plant cells using this method through tiny pores that are momentarily created by electric pulses.
• Foreign DNA can be injected into cells directly using microinjection.

GM Crops - Modifications

Transgenic Plants

• Transgenic plants have genes from different species injected into them.
• The inserted genes may originate from species within the same kingdom (plant to plant) or from species outside of the same kingdom (for example, bacteria to plant).
• The inserted DNA frequently needs to be slightly altered in order for it to be accurately and effectively expressed in the host organism.
• Herbicide-resistant genes, antibodies, cry toxins from B. thuringiensis, antigens for vaccines, and other proteins are expressed in transgenic plants.
• Transgenic plants have been altered in the lab to boost photosynthesis (which is now only about 2% for most plants, compared to the theoretical potential of 9–10%).
• This can be accomplished by altering the rubisco enzyme (converting C3 plants into C4 plants), encapsulating the rubisco in a carboxysome, including CO2 pumps in the cell wall, or altering the shape or size of the leaf.
• Electric lighting may one day be replaced by plants that have been genetically modified to produce bioluminescence.

Cisgenic Plants

• Genes from the same species or close relatives are used to create cisgenic plants.
• In contrast to normal plant breeding, cisgenic plants are created utilizing genes from the same species or a closely related one.
• Some breeders and researchers contend that cisgenic alteration is advantageous for plants that are challenging to crossbreed through conventional methods (such as potatoes) and that cisgenic plants shouldn't be subject to the same regulatory scrutiny as transgenics.

Subgeneric Plants

• Changing a plant's genetic makeup without introducing genes from other plants creates subgeneric plants.
• This is done by employing gene knockdown or gene knockout techniques to create genetically engineered plants.
• The development of a variety of wheat that is resistant to powdery mildew was the subject of patent applications in 2014 by Chinese scientist Gao Caixia.
• Genes encoding proteins that suppress the body's defenses against mildew are absent in the strain.

Genetically Engineered Trees in India

• The rubber tree created by the Rubber Research Institute in Kerala served as the subject of the first genetically modified tree experiment.
• The GE rubber is more resistant to drought and has a higher tolerance for environmental stress.
• This will make it easier to establish rubber in untraditional locations with unfavorable weather.
• Ironically, the then-environment minister permitted the field tests for GE rubber trees (Mr. Jairam Ramesh).
• The Ministry claimed that compared to food crops, genetically modified trees constituted less of a concern.
• Because rubber tree seeds are fed to cattle and enter the food chain through milk, this belief is unfounded.
• Kerala is another region that makes a significant amount of rubber honey from rubber plantations.
• Kerala, a GM-free state, has expressed its concern about biosafety risks and the effects of GE rubber on biodiversity.
• Maharashtra is currently testing out rubber trees.
• These achievements demonstrate the supremacy of western forestry science, which emphasizes the use of forests as a source of wood and pulp for commercial purposes.
• By eliminating numerous species and producing monocultures with a commercial value, diverse woods were streamlined.
• Millions of hectares of monoculture teak and eucalyptus plantations have already marred the country's scenery.
• The ecosystem, biodiversity, and the local indigenous population have all suffered as a result of this strategy.
• With the construction of GE tree plantations, the same trend will be encouraged, resulting in additional destruction of the natural ecosystem and forests.

GM Crop Regulation in India

• The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) is India's highest biotech regulatory body.
• The Environment Protection Act of 1986 of the Ministry of Environment & Forests establishes the committee as a legislative entity (MoEF).
• The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee was its previous name.
• According to the EPA's 1986 "Rules for Manufacture, Use, Import, Export, and Storage of Hazardous Microorganisms/Genetically Engineered Organisms or Cells," the GEAC is in charge of approving the commercial release of biotech crops as well as experimental and extensive open field studies.
• Additionally, the Rules of 1989 specify five competent organizations, namely the Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBSC), Review Committee of Genetic Manipulation (RCGM), Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), State Biotechnology Coordination Committee (SBCC), and District Level Committee (DLC), to handle various aspects of the rules.

What is GEAC?

• The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) is a statutory organization.
• The Environmental Protection Act of 1986's notification of the "Rules for the Manufacture, Use, Import, Export, and Storage of Hazardous Microorganisms/Genetically Engineered Organisms or Cells, 1989" created it.
• The Special Secretary/Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, GOI, serves as the committee's chair.
• The GEAC's functions are detailed as follows.
• It is in charge of evaluating the environmental impact of activities involving the extensive use of potentially harmful microorganisms and recombinants in research and industrial production.
• The GEAC also evaluates requests for the release of genetically modified foods and creatures into the environment, including requests for experimental field tests.
• The body also considers proposals for the import or production of recombinant pharmaceutical goods that involve living modified organisms that fall under risk categories III and up, or for recombinant pharmaceutical products where the final product is a modified living organism.
• According to the Environment (Protection) Act, the Committee has the authority to penalize individuals or organizations.
• Before genetically modified organisms and the products made from them can be utilized commercially, the GEAC must approve them.

GM Crops - Global Cultivation

• In 2015, GM crops were cultivated on 179.7 million hectares in 28 nations, which is seven times the area of the UK and more than 10% of the world's arable land.
• The top three producers are the USA, Brazil, and Argentina. Although scientists are doing controlled studies, there aren't any GM crops being cultivated commercially in the UK at present.
• Commercially cultivated GM crops included potatoes, squash/pumpkins, alfalfa, aubergines, sugar beet, papaya, oilseed rape, maize (corn), soya beans, cotton, and sugar beet in the United States, Canada, and four other nations (15 countries).
• Soybeans, maize, cotton, and canola were the GM crops that were planted the most in 2019. Despite a % decrease in the amount of transgenic soybean planted, it still accounted for 91.9 million hectares, or 48 %, of all GM crops worldwide.
• In 2019, % of the world's total soybean production came from this region.

GM Crops - Advantages

• Socio-economic Condition: About 17 million farmers, largely from developing nations, adopted biotech crops over a 23-year period (1996-2018), which in turn enhanced their socioeconomic condition.
• Sustainable Development: Utilizing GM crops has not only benefited the economy but has also improved food security, sustainable development, and climate change mitigation.
• The advantages are as follows:
• Biodiversity: It preserved biodiversity by preserving 231 million hectares of land;
• Crop Productivity: It boosted crop productivity by 822 million tonnes;
• Safer Environment: By preventing the release of 776 million kg of pesticides into the environment, GM crop adaptation has made the environment safer.
• Reduction in CO2 Emissions: As of 2018, GM crops have helped reduce CO2 emissions by 23 billion kg, which is the same as removing 15.3 million cars from the road for a year.
• Poverty Reduction: They have also assisted in reducing poverty by improving the economic standing of 16–17 million small farmers and their families, totaling more than 65 million people (2018).

GM Crops - Technical Advantages

• The developed world technically benefits from the use of GM crops in the following ways:
• Increased Crop Yields
• Lower Farm Expenses
• Higher Farm Profit
• Safer Surroundings, Better Food.
• It has been demonstrated that first-generation crop characteristics, such as insect resistance and herbicide tolerance, can reduce farm-level production costs.
• Increased nutritional and/ or industrial qualities are characteristics of second-generation GM crops.
• These crops provide consumers with more immediate advantages.
• Non-browning apples are an example of a marketable second-generation crop.
• Potatoes with little acrylamide and no bruising.
• Types of maize with higher levels of vital amino acids and less phytic acid.
• Healthier soybean and canola oils.
• Rice fortified with iron, vitamins A and E, and lysine are a few additional GM crops that are being researched and/or regulated.
• Potatoes that contain inulin and more starch.
• Eggplant with insect resistance.
• Vaccines that are edible in potatoes, bananas, and corn.
• Nuts without allergens.

GM Crops - Disadvantages

• Increased Antibiotic Resistance: Antibiotic resistance has increased as a result of scientists adding extra genes for specific changes when making genetically modified crops.
• An extra gene that confers antibiotic resistance is inserted into plant cells at the same time as new DNA.
• Any plant cells that failed to successfully incorporate the new DNA are then eliminated using an antibiotic.
• Allergic Reactions: People may experience allergic reactions to genetically modified crops.
• Since the DNA of other organisms is present in genetically modified crops, the new DNA is likely to cause allergy reactions in people who ordinarily would not be sensitive to the same food.
• Toxin Production: Toxin production in crops modified through genetic engineering may have escalated to levels that are hazardous to humans.
• These toxins are either created when a gene is integrated into the DNA of another plant and suffers damage, or they are created when the organism that receives the gene rejects it. As a result, eating these items could be harmful to one's health.
• Reduced Nutritional Value: According to certain reports, some genetically modified foods have no nutritional value at all.
• Genetic engineering frequently neglects the nutritional value, which compromises it, in favor of enhancing and growing production, prolonging the lifespan of such crops, and eliminating pests.
• While increasing a crop's insect resistance, it is also shown that the antioxidant phytochemicals are reduced.

Are GE Trees Safer than GM Crops?

Positive Perspectives

• The technology's proponents assert that GE trees are safer and that there is no reason to worry about unfavorable outcomes.
• As part of the clean development process of the Kyoto Protocol, GE tree plantations have already received UN approval.
• With this endorsement, other nations would wish to use the technology and start GE plantations.

Negative Perspectives

• According to environmentalists, this technology poses an even greater hazard than GM crops.
• Perennial trees have a lifespan greater than that of agricultural crops.
• Since trees are wild and undomesticated, their metabolisms may alter for many years after they are planted.
• Because of this, it is challenging to predict how the inserted gene will behave in its natural environment.
• This fact suggests that GE trees pose much bigger ecological dangers than agricultural crops.
• Additionally, it has been established that tree pollen travels more than 600 kilometers.
• Threats to the ecological balance and current richness of tropical forests in the global south may result from the likelihood that GE tree pollen would contaminate broad swaths of native forests with a variety of damaging features.
• Pollination in the wild and on agricultural crops may suffer as a result of the tainted pollen posing a threat to honey bees.

Who is behind Developing GE Trees and Why?

• Oil firms including British Petroleum and Chevron are investing in this technology through ArborGen, a Monsanto subsidiary.
• For these companies, GE trees present a practical replacement for fossil fuels since they can create ethanol, a green fuel.
• Companies see a bright future in non-food cellulose feedstock like GE trees as the ethanol made from food stocks has come under fire.

Conclusion

The debate over how genetically modified (GM) crops affect the environment is becoming more complicated, intense, and profoundly emotional. Numerous aspects must be taken into account when evaluating the environmental impact of GM crops. While some scientists emphasize the possible advantages of GM crops, certain scientists concentrate on the potential hazards. Prior to their distribution, GM crops are assessed for any potential environmental and ecological issues. In order to identify and reduce potential dangers and to guarantee that GM crops remain safe after their release, appropriate agricultural systems and post-approval monitoring must also be in place. The relative dangers and advantages of using GM crops will be highlighted by comparisons between GM, traditional, and alternative agricultural approaches, such as organic farming.

FAQs

Question: What are Genetically Engineered (GE) Trees and Genetically Modified (GM) Crops?

Question: What are the benefits of Genetically Engineered (GE) Trees and GM Crops?

Question: What are the environmental concerns regarding GM Crops and GE Trees?

Question: How does the regulation of GM Crops and GE Trees differ globally?

Question: What is the future of GM Crops and GE Trees in agriculture?

MCQs

1. What is the primary goal of creating GM crops?

A) To make crops more susceptible to pests

B) To increase crop yield and resistance to pests

C) To make crops non-edible

D) To reduce the nutritional value of crops

2. What is one environmental concern related to GM crops?

A) They contribute to increasing biodiversity

B) They could lead to gene flow into wild populations

C) They cause increased pollination

D) They eliminate all pests

3. How can GM crops help reduce environmental impact?

A) By increasing the need for pesticides

B) By reducing the need for pesticides and improving crop yields

C) By eliminating soil health concerns

D) By creating more chemical waste

4. Which of the following is a potential benefit of Genetically Engineered (GE) trees?

A) They grow slower than natural trees

B) They can be engineered to grow faster and resist diseases

C) They do not require water

D) They only grow in specific climates

5. What regulatory body is responsible for approving GM crops in the United States?

A) World Health Organization (WHO)

B) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

C) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

D) Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

GS Mains Questions and Model Answer

Q1: Discuss the potential benefits and risks of Genetically Modified (GM) crops in addressing food security and environmental challenges.

Answer: GM crops enhance food security by increasing yield, reducing pesticide use, and improving resilience to climate change. However, risks include biodiversity loss, gene flow, and pest resistance, necessitating cautious adoption and regulation.

Q2: Evaluate the role of genetically engineered (GE) trees in environmental conservation and potential risks.

Answer: GE trees aid conservation by enhancing growth, disease resistance, and carbon sequestration. However, concerns about gene flow, ecological imbalance, and long-term impacts require careful regulation and monitoring.

Q3: Discuss the regulatory challenges and global debate surrounding Genetically Modified (GM) crops and Genetically Engineered (GE) trees.

Answer: Regulation varies globally, with debates on safety, ethics, and biodiversity. While technologies like CRISPR improve precision, public skepticism and differing policies hinder widespread adoption.

Previous Year Questions on  G.E Trees and G.M crops

1. UPSC CSE 2021

Question: Discuss the benefits and risks associated with Genetically Modified (GM) crops and their potential role in ensuring food security in India.

Answer: This question evaluates GM crops' contributions to food security, emphasizing benefits like pest resistance and risks like biodiversity loss and ethical concerns.

2. UPSC CSE 2020

Question: Examine the ethical, environmental, and social challenges posed by Genetically Engineered (GE) trees and their potential impact on biodiversity.

Answer: This question requires a discussion on the role of GE trees in environmental conservation, focusing on risks like gene flow, ecological imbalance, and ethical debates.