Gene technologies have been used since the 1970s to better understand how genes influence the development of a wide variety of organisms. Over this time, gene technologies have evolved to allow scientists to look deeper and more precisely at DNA.

Plant scientists use gene technologies to understand which genes influence key characteristics of crops, like fruit colour and size or the plant structure. Using gene technologies, scientists can change the DNA of a plant to identify which genes control a particular characteristic and how that gene works. They can use this information to scan for important genes in the DNA of parents and offspring in traditional breeding programmes, then select those with the right combinations of those genes to test further.

Gene technologies can also be used to create new plants with new versions of genes or different combinations of genes to those bred previously in traditional breeding programmes. These plants have been created historically through genetic modification techniques; however, new technologies, like gene editing, are providing scientists with more precise ways to change the genes of a plant.

Around the world, where regulations allow, there are many crops that have been developed using gene technologies that are grown, sold and eaten. At Plant & Food Research, due to New Zealand regulations and our industry preferences, we currently use these technologies only as a research tool in our controlled laboratory conditions.

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