Q: As a Master Gardener, I’m disheartened your article on pest control is promoting GMO plants as a means of pest control for home gardens. A: As a former instructor of Master Gardeners, I am disheartened that you are confused about genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Sometimes, people argue about a controversial topic without knowing the definitions of the words they are using. Sometimes, they are confused by the acronyms. For instance, let’s look at the acronyms and terms “GEO” and “GMO.” “GEO” is short for genetically engineered organism, and “GMO” is short for genetically modified organism. These two terms are often mistakenly used interchangeably—but they are not the same thing. The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines genetic modification as: “The production of heritable improvements in plants or animals for specific uses, via either genetic engineering or other more traditional methods. Some countries other than the United States use this …