Genetic engineering offers the chance to overcome all of these shortcomings of traditional crop improvement. Because single genes can now be added to a variety, traits can be manipulated much more precisely. Plant breeders are gaining the ability to control exactly when and where a gene is expressed and the amount of the gene product. Even more important has been the ability to expand the gene pool. Since the genetic code is similar in all living things, genes can be removed from one organism and spliced into another.
Transgenes allow breeders to incorporate completely novel traits into crop varieties.
This text was extracted from the publication, MF2449.