At a time when there are serious concerns about genetically modified (GM) food, another plant breeding technology has evolved which could help create crops with more nutritive value and better pest resistance. And it does this minus the side-effects of GM crops which have come in for some flak. Last month, a new variety of maize—Vivek QPM 9—was commercially released from Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan (VPKAS), Almora, that uses what is called marker assisted breeding (MAB).