Conventional breeding is a method in which genes for pesticidal traits are introduced into a plantthrough
natural methods, such as cross-pollination. For a plant-incorporated pesticide, one wouldbreed a plant that
produces a pesticide with a sexually compatible plant that does not possess thisproperty but possesses other
properties of interest to the breeder, e.g., sweeter fruit. Then, out of theoffspring, the breeder would choose the offspring plant that produces the pesticide, and thereforeexpresses the desired pesticidal trait, as well as
producing sweeter fruit. Genetically engineered plant-incorporated protectants are created through a process that utilizes several different modern scientific techniques to introduce a specific pesticide-producing gene into aplant?s DNA genetic material. For example, a desired gene that produces a desired pesticides (e.g., the insecticidal protein Bt from the bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis) can be isolated from anotherorganism, such as a bacterium, and then inserted into a plant. The desired gene becomes part of theplant?s DNA. The plant then expresses the incorporated gene and produces the pesticidal protein as itwould one of its own omponents.

biotech, plant-incorporated protectants, genetic engineering, conventional breeding

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