Biotechnology has significantly improved agriculture through genetic engineering, plant tissue culture, marker-assisted breeding, and microbial biotechnology. Key achievements include developing genetically modified crops that are resistant to pests and diseases and tolerant of environmental stresses, using plant tissue culture for micropropagation and secondary metabolite production, employing marker-assisted breeding to more efficiently develop crops with desired traits, and utilizing microorganisms as biofertilizers and biopesticides to enhance plant growth and productivity in a sustainable manner. Molecular diagnostic tools such as PCR and microarrays have also revolutionized disease management in agriculture by enabling rapid and accurate pathogen detection.

1. CCS Haryana Agricultural
University
Agriculture is supreme
CCS Haryana Agricultural University
Hisar (125004)
Achievements of Biotechnology in Agriculture
AMIT 2022BT01M
MSC
ABT
CCS Haryana Agriculture University
Hisar (125004)

2. CCS
Haryana
Agricultural
University,
Hisar
Agriculture
is
supreme
wealth
• Biotechnology is “the integrated use of biochemistry,microbiology and
engineering sciences in order to achieve technological application of the
capabilities of micro-organisms, cultured tissue/cells and parts thereof.”
Or
• Biotechnology may be defined as “the use of living organisms in system or
processes for the manufacture of useful products; it may involve
algae,fungi,yeast,cells of higher plants and animals or subsystems of any of these
or isolated components from living matter.’’
• Biotechnology has made significant achievements in agriculture, improving crop
yields, enhancing plant resistance to pests and diseases, and reducing the
environmental impact of agricultural practices.
• Biotechnology plays an important role in agriculture by offering tools and
techniques to enhance crop yields, reduce environmental impact, and improve the
quality of agricultural products.
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3. CCS
Haryana
Agricultural
University,
Hisar
Agriculture
is
supreme
wealth
Here are some key achievements of biotechnology
in agriculture:
• Genetic engineering / rDNA technology
• Plant Tissue culture
• Marker-assisted breeding
• Microbial biotechnology
• Molecular diagnostic tools
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4. CCS
Haryana
Agricultural
University,
Hisar
Agriculture
is
supreme
wealth Genetic engineering / rDNA technology
• GM crops are plants used in agriculture, in which DNA has been modified using genetic
manipulation techniques. To develop crops that are resistant to pests and diseases, tolerant to
drought and other environmental stresses, and have improved nutritional content.
• For example, genetically modified (GM) crops such as Bt cotton and Bt maize produce a protein
that is toxic to insect pests, reducing the need for chemical insecticides.
• Roundup Ready soybeans: Soybean plants that have been engineered to be resistant to the
herbicide glyphosate, allowing farmers to control weeds more effectively.
• Golden Rice- In 1992, the Golden Rice project started. Golden Rice is a variety of Oryza sativa
designed to produce beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, in the endosperm, which is the
edible part of rice.
• Virus-resistant papaya: Papaya plants that have been genetically engineered to be resistant to the
papaya ring spot virus, known as Rainbow papaya.
• Non-browning apples: Apples that have been genetically modified to reduce the amount of
enzyme that causes browning when the fruit is cut or bruised.Eg Arctic apple was developed by
using posttranscriptional silencing approach using a chime-rice PPO gene targeted to disrupt the
expression of polyphenol oxidase enzyme and prevent browning .
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5. CCS
Haryana
Agricultural
University,
Hisar
Agriculture
is
supreme
wealth
5

6. CCS
Haryana
Agricultural
University,
Hisar
Agriculture
is
supreme
wealth Plant Tissue culture
• Micropropagation: Plant tissue culture is used to produce large numbers of plants
from a small amount of tissue. It is being used in banana, strawberries orchids,
sugarcane, potato etc.
• Germplasm conservation: Plant tissue culture is used to conserve and maintain
plant genetic resources at −196°C in liq. nitrogen ( Cryopreservation)
• Secondary metabolite production: Plant tissue culture can be used to produce
secondary metabolites, such as alkaloids, flavonoids, and essential oils, which are
used in the production of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food additives.
• Somatic embryogenesis: Somatic embryogenesis is a process in which plant cells
are induced to develop into embryos in the absence of fertilization.
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7. CCS
Haryana
Agricultural
University,
Hisar
Agriculture
is
supreme
wealth Marker-assisted breeding
• MAB is a biotechnology technique that involves the use of molecular markers to
identify desirable traits in plants and animals. MAB can speed up the breeding
process and improve the accuracy of selection.
• Disease resistance: Development of wheat varieties resistant to Fusarium head
blight (FHB). FHB is a fungal disease that affects wheat and other cereal crops,
causing yield losses and reducing grain quality. Use MAB to identify genetic
markers associated with resistance to FHB.
• Drought tolerance: Development of maize varieties that can tolerate water stress
e.g DTMA-1 maize variety.
• Crop improvement: MAB can be used to identify genetic markers associated with
important agronomic traits, such as yield, plant height, and maturity.
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8. CCS
Haryana
Agricultural
University,
Hisar
Agriculture
is
supreme
wealth Microbial biotechnology
• It involves the use of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses in
agricultural to improve plant growth, productivity, and sustainability.For
example-
• Biofertilizers- Nitrogen-fixing bacteria such as Rhizobium, Azotobacter, and
Azospirillum can convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form that can be utilized
by plants.
• Biopesticides- Bt biopesticides are used to control a variety of pests in crops
such as corn, cotton, and vegetables by produces a toxin that is harmful to
certain insect pests.
• Bioremediation- Bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa helps to clean up the oil spill
by introducing it into the affected areas.
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9. CCS
Haryana
Agricultural
University,
Hisar
Agriculture
is
supreme
wealth Molecular diagnostic tools
• Molecular diagnostic tools have revolutionized the field of agriculture by enabling
rapid, accurate, and sensitive detection of plant pathogens and pests, leading to
improved disease management and increased crop yields.
• PCR-It is widely used to detect plant pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi,
in plant tissues, soil, and water.
• Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP): LAMP is a molecular diagnostic
tool that amplifies DNA under isothermal conditions, eliminating the need for a
thermocycler. LAMP has been successfully used to detect bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
• Microarray technology: It uses a collection of DNA probes attached to a solid surface
to detect multiple pathogens in a single assay. It is a powerful tool for high-
throughput detection and identification of plant pathogens.
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10. CCS
Haryana
Agricultural
University,
Hisar
Agriculture
is
supreme
wealth Here are some other achievements of
biotechnology in agriculture:
• Improved crop yields
• Enhanced plant resistance
• Improved nutritional content
• Genetic modification
• Microbial inoculants
• Embryo rescue
• Somatic hybridisation
• Production of Vaccines
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11. CCS Haryana Agricultural
University
Agriculture is supreme wealth
Everything else can wait,
agriculture can’t.
-Norman
Borlaug
Thank you
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