Genetic Improvement

genetics banner

Genetic improvement, or biotechnology, is becoming more of a viable tool used to develop better crop varieties that we grow to produce the food, fuel and fiber needs of our citizens.

In 2010, 91% of the corn acres and 94% of the soybean acres in Nebraska were planted with biotechnology derived varieties (USDA Report). These would include insect resistant, herbicide resistant and stacked GMO varieties. For more information on how these varieties are developed see Making a Genetically Engineered Crop.

Whether you are ....

  • a producer or crop consultant who needs to understand how to carefully manage these resistance traits for the long haul, or....
  • a seed salesperson with many biotech-derived varieties in your sales portfolio, or...
  • a science teacher looking for information on the applications of biotechnology, or...
  • someone interested in how biotechnology has/is being applied to meet todays needs in food, feed and fiber production...

..you will find the navigation links on this site helpful in increasing your knowledge and awareness of many aspects of biotechnology.

More Biotech Info

Contact Us

Leah Sandall
Associate Professor of Practice
UNL Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
PLSH 279L
Lincoln NE 68583-0915
402-472-9295
lsandall5@unl.edu

Related Articles

Roston Talks Crop Resiliency Research with RFD-TV

April 23, 2024
Rebecca Roston, UNL professor of biochemistry, talks about her research on the development of crop varieties with improved resistance to cold temperatures.

Read more

People holding sorghum plants toward camera
(From left) James Schnable, Rebecca Roston and Toshihiro Obata hold young sorghum plants outside of the Bioscience Greenhouses on City Campus. The researchers are part of a $1.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation to try to boost the cold tolerance of sorghum, and eventually corn and other crops, by harnessing the power of the plant’s circadian rhythms. (Photo by Craig Chandler, University Communication and Marketing)

Husker Researchers Aim to Help Crops Survive Cold Snaps

February 29, 2024
UNL researchers are examining the way sorghum defends itself against low temperatures and comparing it to the cold tolerance characteristics of foxtail millet to find answers on improving crop resilience. 

Read more

Rajib Saha and Niaz Bahar Chowdhury beside computer
Rajib Saha (left), Richard L. and Carol S. McNeel associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, and Niaz Bahar Chowdhury, doctoral student. (Photo by Craig Chandler, University Communication and Marketing)

Husker Researchers Using Metabolic Model to Study Temperature Stress on Corn

February 29, 2024
Scientists involved in the study are investigating the creation of new hybrids and utilization of beneficial fungus to mitigate temperature stress in corn.

Read more

Jill O'Donnell on live RFD-TV segment

O’Donnell Talks Ag Innovation With RFD-TV

February 16, 2024
Jill O’Donnell, director of the Clayton Yeutter Institute on International Trade and Finance, recently appeared on RFD-TV to discuss how gene editing technologies can boost ag innovation.

Read more

Corn field under rain clouds
The Yuetter Institute report is the result of a large collaborative effort, which included high-level government officials from the current and previous presidential administrations, farmers, and academics and practitioners in plant genetics, agricultural sciences, economics and law. (Photo by Craig Chandler, University Communication and Marketing)

Yeutter Institute Offers Insights on Boosting Ag Biotech Innovation

October 18, 2023
Now a topic of ongoing deliberations in Washington D.C., a new Yeutter Institute report recommends streamlining redundant U.S. regulatory protocols for ag biotech, which can boost crop yields to meet the world’s growing food demand.

Read more

News Archive