Biotechnology is a broader area of science than just Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). It has developed many techniques that are implemented with useful effects in agriculture. Many of these techniques are described with acronyms like MAB (marker-assisted breeding), CMS (cytoplasmic male sterility), and SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism), to name a few. There are words like phenotyping, rhizosphere, epiphytes, and endophytes.
Will you have to be a molecular geneticist to farm in the future?
Not really, but it may feel that way. The acronyms and words here are gleaned from annual reports from several major agricultural companies.
They underpin the huge investments companies are making to keep improving productivity. Five companies have research and development budgets for their agricultural businesses exceeding $1 billion: Monsanto, Syngenta, DuPont Pioneer, Bayer, and John Deere.
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