In the spring of 1996, many farmers in western Illinois planted a new soybean variety that was transplanted with a petunia gene. This new soybean variety is resistant to the herbicide glyphosate. Glyphosate will kill regular soybean plants along with weeds. Genetic engineering holds the promise of making food healthier for people, more predictable in harvest, less likely to use synthetic pesticides and more efficient with water use. The results of genetic engineering are called "genetically modified" products, and the first to hit the market are small commodities, such as an enzyme produced by bacteria used in the production of supermarket-preserved tomatoes and cheese. The enzyme previously had to be extracted from the stomachs of cows. Genetically modified technology is finally moving out of laboratories and experimental fields and into everyday farming of crops like corn, soybeans and cotton. Principle: Genetically modified soybeans were developed to accommodate the use of glyphosate herbicides. Herbicides are selective and non-selective. Glyphosate is a non-selective herbicide that can kill a variety of plants, including crops. Therefore, although this herbicide is very effective, it is difficult to Put into use. The principle of glyphosate killing plants is to destroy the EPSPS synthase in plant chloroplasts or plastids. Through genetic modification, plants can produce more EPSPS enzymes to resist glyphosate, thereby preventing crops from being killed by glyphosate herbicides. With such genetically modified soybeans, farmers do not have to use multiple herbicides as they did in the past, but can use only one herbicide, glyphosate, to kill various weeds. Currently, in addition to soybeans, there are many other glyphosate-resistant genetically modified crops, including rape, cotton, corn, etc. In addition to glyphosate-resistant crops, there are also crops resistant to glufosinate herbicides. However, the principles of killing plants with glufosinate and glyphosate are different, and the genes used to cultivate these two types of crops are also different. Currently, genetically modified soybeans are mainly used to refine soybean oil.