The term transgenic plants refers to the plants whose DNA is modified through genetic engineering. This means that one or several genes from a different species are introduced and combined with the genetic material of the plant which changes the traits of the original genome.
While horizontal gene transfer has been shown to occur naturally in nature (between plants that grow close to each other), various artificial techniques are used to insert gene sequences to some plants with the aim of increasing yields, making them more tolerant of various environmental conditions, or making them more resistant to given biotic stresses, etc.
