Crop alteration and Biotechnology

 Crop alteration

  The human being had performed crop alteration since several thousand years ago when the civilization began. The human being had changed the structure of the plant so that it became the crops that has a better characteristic for ourselves. For example, it is improvements that fruits and  kinds become bigger and keep the tolerance to the drought and become stronger to insects. Crop alteration technology had progressed remarkably since Gregor Johan Mendel discovered a law about the heredity. By achievements of Mendel about the genetic trait, People deeply understood about the heredity and technique of the crop alteration developed.
 From 1940s through 1960s, Green revolution happened and the productivity of cereals improved by mass using of introduction and the artificial manure of the high yield kind, and a large quantity of increases in production of cereals got up. In the 1950s, Genetic engineering that makes a mutation rate with X-rays and ultraviolet rays developed . In late years, the genetically-modified crops were created.

 
 ↑strawberry to be performed crop alteration


Biotechnology 
  
 It is biotechnology to become the main means of the present crop alteration.  Biotechnology is the technique that uses various work that a creature has well and utilizes it for life and the environmental conservation of our human being. For example, pharmaceutical products and foods such as liquor, miso, soy sauce, natto, cheese, and yogurt are products made with biotechnology. Including such a traditional "fermentation," there are really various techniques to the advanced technology such as modern "genetically-modified", "clones". Because possibility of various development of this technique was expected, the word "biotechnology" came to be used. 
  The technique attracting attention most is the genetically-modified crops now. For example, the kind called Roundup Ready have a gene that has the resistance not to be affected even if it is exposed to weed killers. In other words we can kill every weed by a weed killer without affecting the crops if we use the Roundup Ready. The crops with the tolerance to a weed killer are cultivated  all over the world. As for the American soybean, 92% of planted area become the kind with the tolerance to a weed killer (the genetically-modified crops).
  the genetically-modified crops resisting a pest are developed, and it includes the gene of bacteria producing the toxin which acts on an insect. Such crops are not eaten away by an insect. For example, there is corn called Starlink. In addition, a similar kind raw cotton is made and in United States, 63% of raw cotton become such kind . But there is the person to be able to make a strong kind to pest by the crossing with the crop alteration from before,  particularly wild animal even if he does not genetically modify it. The wild animal may become various resistant causes. There is the example that the cultivar of the tomato with the tolerance for 19 blight was made by the crossing with the wild animal.
 However, genetic modification has much criticism, too. The genetically-modified crops are brought into question from two points of food safety and environment. For example, "the terminator kind" that prevented the next-generation seed of the crops from germinating is objected to by environmental scholars and economists.