Question

1. Greta is wondering if switching to herbicide-tolerant crops means that she will change the amount of herbicide used on her farm. Based on what you have learned so far about herbicide-tolerant crops, predict whether herbicide use would increase, decrease, or neither following adoption of herbicide-tolerant crops. Justify your answer.

Answer 1

Herbicides target key enzymes in the plant metabolic pathway. The disruption in food production will be due to death of crops. For example, glyophosphate kill plants by inhibiting EPSPS enzyme. EPSPS is involved in biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids and vitamins. Hence, herbicides have to be used in small amounts to prevent harm to the crops that are not herbicide resistant.

Herbicide resistant crops are able to grow in presence of herbicides. If the plant is herbicide resistant, it can no longer be killed by glycophosphate or other herbdcides. The weeds will however, be not resistant. Hence, more herbicides can be sprayed for killing them without causing harm to the crop. This results in effecient weed control.

Herbicides can be sprayed without the threat to killing the crop.

Hence, herbicide resistance in crop will increase the use of herbicide by farmers for efficient weed control.