How Do You Genetically Engineer Fruit Trees?
Genetic engineering may sound totally modern, but farmers have been genetically engineering fruit trees for centuries. The methods used can range from the primitive to the cutting edge. You can utlize the two simplest on the fruit trees in your own backyard. Graft a branch from one fruit tree onto another. This technique genetically modifies the receiving tree by blending the growth characteristics of both trees. Notch the receiving tree, peel back the bark on the grafting branch and insert into the notch. Pollinate fruit trees of one species with the pollen of another species. Use cotton swabs to gather the pollen and deposit it onto the stamen of the second flowering fruit tree. This technique can take years, or even generations, before it comes to fruition. Use the cutting edge cisgenic genetic technique. Cisgenic plants modify genes that are already present in varieties of the same plant. Cisgenic engineering isolates the genes for favorable characteristics, such as disease resista
