What trait, if engineered into crops, can help reduce pesticide use?

Insect resistance is a vital trait when engineered into crops to help reduce pesticide use. By incorporating genes that confer resistance to specific pests, crops can defend themselves against insect attacks, thus minimizing the need for chemical pesticide applications. This biotechnological approach allows farmers to manage pest populations more effectively and sustainably.

When crops express insect-resistant traits, they can withstand infestations better, leading to healthier plants and higher yields without the reliance on traditional pesticides. This method not only benefits the environment by reducing chemical runoff and exposure to non-target organisms but also promotes enhanced agricultural sustainability by lowering the production costs associated with pest management.

Other traits like fungal resistance, herbicide tolerance, and disease resistance play crucial roles in agriculture, but they address different aspects of plant health. Fungal resistance helps crops withstand fungal infections, herbicide tolerance allows for the use of specific herbicides to control weeds without harming the crop, and disease resistance protects against various plant diseases. However, none of these directly focus on managing insect pests as effectively as insect resistance does, making it the most relevant trait for directly reducing pesticide applications.