Agricultural Biotechnology Progress Timeline

1866 - 8000 13 events
genetics

Gregor Mendel’s Genetic Laws

1866
Austrian monk Gregor Mendel publishes foundational work on inheritance patterns in pea plants
agriculture

Hybrid Corn Development

1920s
Introduction of hybrid corn varieties utilizing heterosis to improve yield and resilience
leading to the development of new crop varieties

Radiation-Induced Mutagenesis

1940s
Use of radiation to induce mutations in plants
biotechnology

Recombinant DNA Technology

1973
Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen develop techniques to combine DNA from different species
biotechnology

First Genetically Engineered Plant

1983
Scientists develop a genetically modified tobacco plant using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation
biotechnology

Flavr Savr Tomato Approved

1994
Calgene's Flavr Savr tomato becomes the first genetically engineered food approved for sale
engineered to produce a toxin lethal to specific insect pests

Bt Cotton Commercialized

1996
Introduction of Bt cotton
a genetically modified rice variety enriched with provitamin A

Golden Rice Development

2000
Scientists develop Golden Rice
a precise gene-editing tool

CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing

2012
Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier develop CRISPR-Cas9
a tomato with increased GABA content

First CRISPR-Edited Crop Approved

2015
Japan approves the first CRISPR-edited crop
agriculture

Gene-Edited Crops Commercialized

2020s
Several countries approve and commercialize gene-edited crops with enhanced traits
agriculture

Selective Breeding Practices

4000 BCE
Early civilizations practice selective breeding of plants and animals to enhance desirable traits
laying the foundation for agriculture

Early Crop Domestication

8000–6000 BCE
Humans begin cultivating plants and domesticating animals
1866 1920s 1940s 1973 1983 1994 1996 2000 2012 2015 2020s 4000 BCE 8000–6000 BCE

Agricultural Biotechnology Progress Timeline

  • Early Crop Domestication, 8000–6000 BCE, Ancient
    Humans begin cultivating plants and domesticating animals, laying the foundation for agriculture

  • Selective Breeding Practices, 4000 BCE, Ancient
    Early civilizations practice selective breeding to enhance desirable traits in plants and animals

  • Gregor Mendel’s Genetic Laws, 1866, CE
    Gregor Mendel publishes foundational work on inheritance patterns in pea plants

  • Hybrid Corn Development, 1920s, CE
    Introduction of hybrid corn varieties to improve yield and resilience using heterosis

  • Radiation-Induced Mutagenesis, 1940s, CE
    Use of radiation to induce mutations in plants, leading to new crop varieties

  • Recombinant DNA Technology, 1973, CE
    Development of techniques to combine DNA from different species

  • First Genetically Engineered Plant, 1983, CE
    Creation of the first genetically modified tobacco plant using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation

  • Flavr Savr Tomato Approved, 1994, CE
    First genetically engineered food approved for sale

  • Bt Cotton Commercialized, 1996, CE
    Introduction of Bt cotton engineered to produce toxin against specific insect pests

  • Golden Rice Development, 2000, CE
    Development of rice enriched with provitamin A to combat vitamin A deficiency

  • CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing, 2012, CE
    Development of CRISPR-Cas9 as a precise gene-editing tool

  • First CRISPR-Edited Crop Approved, 2015, CE
    Approval of the first CRISPR-edited tomato with increased GABA content

  • Gene-Edited Crops Commercialized, 2020s, CE
    Approval and commercialization of several gene-edited crops with enhanced traits

Start Asking Questions

×

Details
Ad Blocker Detected
We've detected that you're using an ad blocker. Some content may not display properly.
Why are you seeing this? Ad blockers can prevent certain content and features from loading correctly on our website.

To continue with the best experience: