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CAIE A-Level Biology A2 19.3 Genetically Modified Organisms in Agriculture Questions

Practise agricultural GMO questions by linking engineered traits to food production, interpreting crop or animal data and evaluating social and environmental risks.

Syllabus
2028–2030
Course
Biology 9700
Level
A2

Exam points

  • link herbicide, insect, heat or growth traits to competition, yield, quality or food demand
  • interpret named GMO data for soybean, Bt crops, potatoes, salmon, cassava or squash
  • evaluate safety, economics, gene flow, resistance, biodiversity and public-acceptance trade-offs

Covered syllabus points

19.3.1—Genetic engineering solving food demand19.3.2—Examples of GMOs in agriculture19.3.3—GMO implications

Question 1

[Maximum number: 7]

Fig. 5.1 shows the area of land that was used to grow genetically modified (GM) crops in the USA, Brazil, India and China from 2004 to 2015.

Fig. 5.1

Fig. 5.1

Question (a)

(a)

Suggest reasons why the area of land used to grow GM crops in the USA is greater than the area of land used to grow GM crops in Brazil.

[ 2 ]

Question (b)

(b)

Genetic modifications in crops can provide resistance to insect pests. Bt maize is one type of GM crop that has been produced to be resistant to insect pests.

State two benefits to farmers of insect resistance in crops.

[ 2 ]

Question (c)

(c)

State two reasons why people may have objections to the growth of insect-resistant GM crops.

[ 2 ]

Question (d)

(d)

In 2015, the percentage of the USA population that objected to the use of GM crops was lower than in 2005.

Suggest why a smaller percentage of the USA population objected to the use of GM crops in 2015.

[ 1 ]

Question 2

[Maximum number: 2]

Give two advantages of genetically engineering herbicide resistance in crop plants such as soybean.

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