Forget Frankenfruit — the new-and-improved flavor of gene science is Earth-friendly and all-natural. Welcome to the golden age of smart breeding.

Researchers are beginning to understand plants so precisely that they no longer need transgenics to achieve traits like drought resistance, durability, or increased nutritional value. Over the past decade, scientists have discovered that our crops are chock-full of dormant characteristics. Rather than inserting, say, a bacteria gene to ward off pests, it’s often possible to simply turn on a plant’s innate ability.

The result: Smart breeding holds the promise of remaking agriculture through methods that are largely uncontroversial and unpatentable.