Practice question

Worldwide area under biotech crops exceeded 206 million hectares in 2023, with herbicide tolerant soybean dominant accounting ~97.8 million hectares nearly 50 percent total, surpassing Bt cotton 25 million, Bt maize 60 million and herbicide tolerant maize. Event GTS 40-3-2 Roundup Ready soybean developed by Monsanto expresses glyphosate-insensitive 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase EPSPS from Agrobacterium sp. strain CP4, which retains catalytic activity condensing shikimate-3-phosphate with phosphoenolpyruvate even in presence of glyphosate that normally inhibits aromatic amino acid biosynthesis in weeds and crops. This trait enables post-emergence over-the-top application of broad-spectrum herbicide glyphosate simplifying weed management, facilitating conservation tillage reducing soil erosion and fuel use, compatible with large-scale mechanized farming in USA, Brazil, Argentina which together produce 80 percent global soybean. Economic benefits including reduced labor, flexible spray timing and cost savings drive adoption despite weed resistance evolution. Nutritionally enhanced Golden Rice, virus resistant papaya occupy minor area due to regulatory and acceptance barriers.