What is a potential application of gene drives in agriculture?

Gene drives are powerful genetic engineering technologies that promote the inheritance of a particular gene to increase its prevalence within a population. In agriculture, one of the potential applications of gene drives is to engineer crops with built-in pest resistance. This application can lead to the development of crops that can withstand pest attacks without the need for chemical pesticides, thereby reducing agricultural inputs and environmental impact.

By using gene drives, scientists can introduce specific genes into crops that confer resistance to particular pests. As these crops reproduce, the gene drive ensures that the pest resistance trait is passed on to a large portion of the offspring, providing a more sustainable solution to pest management. This application not only helps in increasing crop resilience but can also enhance food security by reducing crop loss due to pest damage.

On the other hand, producing higher yields of existing crops or creating entirely new species may not directly tie into the specific advantages offered by gene drives, which focus more on inheritance and the spread of certain traits through populations. Additionally, eliminating genetic modifications altogether does not align with the purpose of gene drives, as they are inherently a form of genetic modification aimed at enhancing certain traits in organisms.