Genetically Engineered Tomatoes

There are many different positions on genetically engineered tomatoes. Some people feel that any produce genetically engineered offers the potential to create new allergens and create an unbalance in our own genetic make up. Proponents argue that genetic engineering actually can create more health benefits by offering produce that has fewer calories, solves many problems with food reaction and offers higher content of vitamins without the problem of using pesticides. If you're looking for how to grow genetically engineered tomatoes, you probably already have taken a position to the affirmative.

The first commercially successful genetically modified food was the tomato. It was first available in 1994 but the FlavrSavr tomato long since disappeared. It deactivated the gene that made the tomato soften, allowing it to ripen on the vine, giving them longer shelf life and more flavor compared to those picked before they ripen and then artificially ripened. Their popularity died soon after and no longer available in the United States or Europe.

There are new research studies on tomatoes that use genetic altering to do everything from fighting Alzheimer's disease, birth defects and anemia to eliminating the need for pesticides, giving longer shelf life and enhancing the vitamin content.

If you did have access to genetically altered tomato seeds, you'd simply grow them as you would any other tomato. That's the beauty of the genetic altering. It doesn't require extra equipment or a change in procedure, the plant does all the work.

Many people confuse genetic altering with hybrids. The production of a hybrid is different from genetic engineering. Hybrids have been around for many years and are nothing more than cross-pollinating different species to produce one that has specific traits. For instance, mosaic is a problem for some varieties of tomatoes. Those same tomatoes may have huge produce or be exceptionally flavorful. Tomatoes with smaller fruit may be resistant to mosaic. To get the best of both plants, scientists cross breed the two to develop a third plant that produces the best of both characteristics.

Genetically engineered tomatoes and plants have scientifically manipulated genetic structures. Scientists identify the gene that makes the plant perform the way they want, such as give it resistance to antibiotics, which inhibit the plants growth. They snip out that gene, snip out the DNA from the plasmid in the bacteria A. tumefaciens causing gall disease, mix in the new DNA, insert it back in the bacteria and mix it with the plant cells. The scientists then grow the cells in a culture to a plant. Some of the plants contain the resistance they looked for when they began the experiment.

Some examples of genetically modified seeds and plants are pineapples, strawberries, sweet peppers and bananas. These all last longer on the shelf. Other genetically modified foods include sweet corn, which is resistant to insects and golden rice that offers more vitamin A.

Right now, the biggest producer of genetically modified seed is Monsanto. They offer seed for high production crops such as corn but the purchaser must sign a contract not to reproduce seeds but purchase them from Monsanto only.

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