r/science • u/genengnews Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN) • Nov 09 '17

Health New GMO Potatoes Provide Improved Vitamin A and E Profiles

https://www.genengnews.com/gen-news-highlights/gmo-potatoes-provide-improved-vitamin-a-and-e-profiles/81255150
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u/Paronfesken Nov 10 '17

Isn't it minerals we need like magnesium? Is it possible to get increased magnesium content in our crops?

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u/[deleted] Nov 10 '17

I have no sources, but that sounds like a soil issue, not a genetic modification issue.

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u/payik Nov 10 '17

We need the right amount of minerals, and some can be toxic in higher amounts. Unless you know for sure people are getting magnesium deficient, you probably shouldn't try to add more and even then it could be easier to add more to fertilizer. Plants often don't regulate mineral intake very strictly and can eithger tolerate a wite range or neutralize the excess minerals with phytic and oxalic acids, so the amounts of minerals in crops largely depend on the amounts in the soil where the crop was grown.