Agricultural Biotechnology Certification Practice Exam

Genetically modified crops are often designed to possess traits that enhance their resilience to various environmental stresses, such as drought, extreme temperatures, pests, and diseases. This resilience is achieved through the incorporation of specific genes that enable these crops to better survive and thrive in challenging conditions. As a result, genetically modified crops can maintain higher yields compared to traditional varieties when exposed to such stresses. This advantage is particularly significant as climate change continues to create more extreme weather patterns that can adversely affect traditional agriculture.

In contrast, while some genetically modified crops may require less water or grow faster, these characteristics are not universally applicable to all genetically modified crops and can vary by species and growing conditions. Additionally, stating that genetically modified crops have no impact on the ecosystem overlooks the complexities of ecological interactions and the context-specific effects that can arise from introducing these crops into an environment. Therefore, focusing on the increased resilience to stress provides the most accurate and widely applicable advantage of genetically modified crops.