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>> There are many other examples of plants that have either evolved/mutated or been cross-bred by humans. My father cross-bred a hard pear tree which pears were primarily used for canning with a soft eating pear and got something that was soft enough to eat and firm enough to can.
@Retired_Engineer:
Cross breeding is different than GMO, no? One can happen naturally, the other not so much.
@TXSunDvl: not really, it just expedites the process.
@podunk:
I disagree. What Monsanto has done to corn and soybeans are NOT natural. I hate what they have done to our foods. Want to know why our cancer rates are increasing so badly? Look at Monsanto. Grafting is something entirely different, and while it changes the outcome of the fruit or vegetable, it in no way is genetically modifying the plant. If you you trier to graft two plants and nature rejected that graft, that is nature's way of saying it's not natural.
@ExBlue: Grafting DOES change the base plant by changing its DNA. The DNA of each plant mingle and create different traits. The resulting fruit/seed/vegetable, if planted, will have the modified DNA.Cross pollination affects the fruit/seed/vegetable but not the base tree. HOWEVER, the SEEDS that result from the cross pollination have modified DNA. If you plant those seeds, the resulting plant/tree will have slightly different DNA from the pollenation donor and the pollen recpient.Nature and humans have been practicing genetic modifications forever (mostly by trial and error). While I applaud Monsanto and others for making crops more disease-resistent, the majority of their work boils down to profit, not health. Farmers want disease and drought resitant plants that produce at a higher yield per acre. If Monsanto can provide seeds for that, farmers pay higher prices for those seeds, and Monsanto makes more money. We do not yet know if there are any ill effects from GMO plantsWhen we travel to NE Louisiana, it's common to see fields, each growing different plants with signs stating what variety is being grown. Farmers know the variety they planted so I assume these are either test plants, or plants grown for their seed for Monsanto or others.
Added: There are many different techniques for grafting. One technique, say between a plant/tree with white flowers and another similar plant/tree with pink flowers, may result in branches with white flowers and other branches with pink flowers (which I assume also applies to any fruit it may grow). The fruit on each branch could also be different. 4951