Crops carrying herbicide-tolerant genes were developed to survive certain herbicides that previously would have destroyed the crop along with the targeted weeds.
Farmers thus can choose from a broader variety of herbicides to control weeds.
Glyphosate tolerance has been incorporated into cotton, corn, soybeans, and canola. Adoption of herbicide-tolerant crops has been particularly rapid. Bt crops containing the gene from a soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis, are the only insect-resistant crops commercially available. The bacteria produce a protein that is toxic when ingested by certain Lepidopteran insects. Crops containing the Bt gene are able to produce this toxin, thereby providing protection against Lepidopteran insects throughout the entire plant.