genetic engineering, sort of

One of the things they are doing in this facility is to breed heartier plants, more resistant to diseases, and more tolerant of different conditions. Talking with the with the manager, who also served as our guide, was a learning experience for me.
I got tp try to see things from the perspective of exporting plants overseas, and noticed where I had some judgement around non-native species, spraying and splicing. The upper photo is a seed pod from a tree which is not a native Central American plant.