1. BIOTECHNOLOGY IN MODERN AGRICULTURE
Sukla Das
[Published in http://www.scienceray.com/technology/engineering/biotechnology-in-
modern-agriculture]
Biotechnology offers prospects in addressing problems concerned with agricultural
productivity and environmental safety. In order to cope up with the ever increasing
population of the current world, biotechnological intervention to supplement
conventional plant breeding efforts is indispensable. Some of the issues that can be
addressed using biotechnological techniques are crop production of superior quality,
mass production of uniform planting materials, compensate land shortages and genetic
improvement of the plant.
A few of the advantages perceived in the use of biotechnology in agriculture are rapid
multiplication of plant species, breeding of resistant varieties, diagnosis and control of
disease in crop and livestock, utilization of crop residues and animal waste. Some of the
disadvantages are high cost of research and development, endangering biodiversity,
genetic erosion and lack of access for poor farmers to use new varieties. Thus, in
introducing biotechnology in agriculture, it is vitally important to study and assess the
overall circumstances, such as cost effectiveness and impact on environment.
Agriculture is of primary importance in the National Development Program.
Biotechnology, as a new frontier in agricultural sciences, has opened new avenues for the
solution of agricultural problems. The application of biotechnology in agriculture offers
many possibilities for filling the gaps found in conventional research methods and is
therefore, not intended to replace all conventional methods, but to provide a more reliable
approach in achieving economic gains. Many new tools are now available, particularly
from research in the areas of molecular biology, genetic engineering, and cell and tissue
culture as well as from intensive application of microbial technology. The initiation of
research and development in agricultural biotechnology dates back to the late 1970s when
tissue culture techniques such as embryo culture and anther culture were first introduced
as means to produce virus-free crops and improve crop quality in the production of
vegetables, flowers and fruit trees. Virus free potatoes, garlic and strawberry are already
in the market for farmers. Production of high yielding rice varieties are good examples of
success achieved by the use of anther culture techniques in rice varietal improvement.
Various technical barriers that have to be overcome are the establishment of
transformation systems in agriculturally important food crops and regeneration of fertile
plants from transgenic plants. In the areas of gene manipulation and transformation, well
trained scientists are needed. Most of the laboratories involved in plant biotechnology
carry out tissue culture research, mainly the development of media protocols for
micropropagation. Over the years, methodologies for disease elimination by meristem
culture and / or micropropagation and in vitro germplasm conservation have been
developed for fruit crops (banana, strawberry and pineapple), root and tuber crops (potato
and sweet potato), ornamentals, cut flowers (orchids, lilies) and a few medicinal plants.
Research is also underway to perfect micropropagation technology for tree species which
2. are endemic. Tea, potato and banana are being produced on a commercial scale using
established micropropagation techniques. A near commercial line of sugarcane, resistant
to smut, has been produced through in vitro mutagenesis. Molecular biology approaches
for crop improvement have been conducted with little success.
Evidently, all the countries have been able to recognize their objectives and goals more
clearly in the use of biotechnology in agriculture and have initiated appropriate policies
to meet some of the challenges posed by critical areas in directing future development. It
is hoped that biotechnological approaches in agriculture will provide ways and means of
utilizing its full potential to benefit the community.
![BIOTECHNOLOGY IN MODERN AGRICULTURE
Sukla Das
[Published in http://www.scienceray.com/technology/engineering/biotechnology-in-
modern-agriculture]
Biotechnology offers prospects in addressing problems concerned with agricultural
productivity and environmental safety. In order to cope up with the ever increasing
population of the current world, biotechnological intervention to supplement
conventional plant breeding efforts is indispensable. Some of the issues that can be
addressed using biotechnological techniques are crop production of superior quality,
mass production of uniform planting materials, compensate land shortages and genetic
improvement of the plant.
A few of the advantages perceived in the use of biotechnology in agriculture are rapid
multiplication of plant species, breeding of resistant varieties, diagnosis and control of
disease in crop and livestock, utilization of crop residues and animal waste. Some of the
disadvantages are high cost of research and development, endangering biodiversity,
genetic erosion and lack of access for poor farmers to use new varieties. Thus, in
introducing biotechnology in agriculture, it is vitally important to study and assess the
overall circumstances, such as cost effectiveness and impact on environment.
Agriculture is of primary importance in the National Development Program.
Biotechnology, as a new frontier in agricultural sciences, has opened new avenues for the
solution of agricultural problems. The application of biotechnology in agriculture offers
many possibilities for filling the gaps found in conventional research methods and is
therefore, not intended to replace all conventional methods, but to provide a more reliable
approach in achieving economic gains. Many new tools are now available, particularly
from research in the areas of molecular biology, genetic engineering, and cell and tissue
culture as well as from intensive application of microbial technology. The initiation of
research and development in agricultural biotechnology dates back to the late 1970s when
tissue culture techniques such as embryo culture and anther culture were first introduced
as means to produce virus-free crops and improve crop quality in the production of
vegetables, flowers and fruit trees. Virus free potatoes, garlic and strawberry are already
in the market for farmers. Production of high yielding rice varieties are good examples of
success achieved by the use of anther culture techniques in rice varietal improvement.
Various technical barriers that have to be overcome are the establishment of
transformation systems in agriculturally important food crops and regeneration of fertile
plants from transgenic plants. In the areas of gene manipulation and transformation, well
trained scientists are needed. Most of the laboratories involved in plant biotechnology
carry out tissue culture research, mainly the development of media protocols for
micropropagation. Over the years, methodologies for disease elimination by meristem
culture and / or micropropagation and in vitro germplasm conservation have been
developed for fruit crops (banana, strawberry and pineapple), root and tuber crops (potato
and sweet potato), ornamentals, cut flowers (orchids, lilies) and a few medicinal plants.
Research is also underway to perfect micropropagation technology for tree species which](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/biotechnologyinmodernagriculture-130204051102-phpapp01/85/Biotechnology-in-modern-agriculture-1-320.jpg?cb=1359954698)
