4 ms·
> Cheesy sci-fi plot where genetically engineered crops crowd out all the reproducing ones, and then humanity starves to death when evilcorp loses their ability
by perlgeek 7y ago
> Cheesy sci-fi plot where genetically engineered crops crowd out all the reproducing ones, and then humanity starves to death when evilcorp loses their ability to produce the seeds?
How would crops that don't reproduce on their own crowd out crops that do? That doesn't really sound like a realistic scenario.
- ryacko 7y agoCrops are only more successful than other species because of an artificial environment with pesticide and irrigation. There could be GMO crops that don't need anything manmade at all, but that'd be a waste of calories in plant growth.
- djakjxnanjak 7y agoI heard a similar scenario as a plan to kill mosquitoes. I’m not sure how it’s supposed to work but a lot of smart people seem to believe it’s possible.
- hobofan 7y agoIn mosquitoes this works via genes on the sex-chromosomes, so the female ones are unaffected, while the male ones become sterile. I don't know enough about plant seeds to transfer that, but I guess it's the same principle.
- bayesian_horse 7y agoWell, at the very least those producing the sterile plants have to keep fertile plants. There are actually plant lines which are more or less sterile and can't really reproduce sexually any more, because they have been (naturally) cloned. The point is that modern breeding schemes and technology is necessary to feed the growing world population. There is no margin to reduce agricultural performance. You will feel any loss in performance immediately through price hikes.