|
| |
Agricultural Biotechnology
The Benefits Of Agricultural Biotechnology
by George Royal
Agricultural biotechnology is any technique in which living
organisms, or parts of organisms are altered to make or modify
agricultural products, to improve crops, or develop microbes
for specific uses in agricultural processes. Simply put, when
the tools of biotechnology are applied to agriculture, it is
termed as “agricultural biotechnology”. Genetic engineering is
also a part of agricultural biotechnology in today’s world. It
is now possible to carry out genetic manipulation and
transformation on almost all plant species, including all the
world's major crops.
Plant transformation is one of the tools involved in
agricultural biotechnology, in which genes are inserted into
the genetic structure or genome of plants. The two most common
methods of plant transformation are Agrobacterium
Transformation - methods that use the naturally occurring
bacterium; and Biolistic Transformation – involving the use of
mechanical means. Using any of these methods the preferred gene
is inserted into a plant genome and traditional breeding method
followed to transfer the new trait into different varieties of
crops.
Production of food crops has become much cheaper and convenient
with the introduction of agricultural biotechnology. Specific
herbicide tolerant crops have been engineered which makes weed
control manageable and more efficient. Pest control has also
become more reliable and effective, eliminating the need for
synthetic pesticides as crops resistant to certain diseases and
insect pests have also been engineered. Phytoremediation is the
process in which plants detoxify pollutants in the soil, or
absorb and accumulate polluting substances out of the soil.
Several crops have now been genetically engineered for this
purpose for safe harvest and disposal, and improvement of soil
quality.
According to the USDA (United States Department of
Agriculture)’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS),
in reference to a section specific to the major biotechnology
derived field crops, out of the whole crop plantings in the
United States in 2004, biotechnology plantings accounted for
about 46 percent for corn, 76 percent for cotton, and 85
percent for soybeans.
Modern agricultural biotechnology has now become a very
well-developed science. The use of synthetic pesticides that
may be harmful to man, and pollute groundwater and the
environment, has been significantly lessened with the
introduction of genetically engineered insect-resistant cotton.
Herbicide-tolerant soybeans and corn have also enabled the use
of reduced-risk herbicides that break down more quickly in
soil. These are nontoxic to plants or animals, and
herbicide-tolerant crops help preserve topsoil from erosion
since they thrive better in no-till or reduced tillage
agriculture systems. Papayas resistant to the ringspot virus
were also developed through genetic engineering, which saved
the U.S. papaya industry.
Agricultural biotechnology may also be helpful in improving and
enhancing the nutritious quality of certain crops. For example,
enhancing the levels of beta-carotene in canola, soybean, and
corn improves oil compositions, and reduces vitamin A
deficiencies in rice. There are also researches going on in the
field of biotechnology to produce crops that will not be
affected by harsh climates or environments and that will
require less water, fertilizer, labor etc. This would greatly
reduce the demands and pressures on land and wildlife.
About The Author: http://biotechnology-hq.com/
Biotechnology
HQ: articles and information about the science of
biotechnology.
Looking for an agricultural consultant? See
Kime & Associates
Serving the Southwest since 1970
These incredible books by A.O. Kime are available here!
~ purchase through Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Authorhouse ~
 |
Wisdom from the Golden Ages!
As the ancients did, learn how to discover the secrets of life... |
 |
The real story of the Stone Age!
Learn we didn't evolve from an ape nor crawled from the sea...
|
While largely of a metaphysical (spiritual) nature, STD LEX also references
the family farm crisis throughout the book with one chapter fully dedicated to it... from a
very unique perspective.
This website and contents are explained in our Introduction
>TOP
>HOME
| |
A.O. Kime
articles
—AGRICULTURE
Biocontrols
Bio-oddities
DDT ban
Family farmers
Family farms
Farm socialism
Kansas Settlement
—ANTIQUITY
American cavemen
Ancient history
Ancient pyramids
Caveman facts
Caveman story
Cavemen-cultural
Charles Darwin
Cumbemayo
Evolution
Kennewick Man
Montezuma Castle
Neanderthals
Pre-Clovis cultures
Shoofly Village ruins
Stone Age history
Stone Age timelines
Stone Age tools
—METAPHYSICAL
Bodhisattva
Death
Divine
intelligence
Dreams
Enlightenment
Ethics
Guardian angels
Hope
Imagination
Immortality
Instincts
Land (the)
Matrix (real)
Metaphysics
Mnemosyne
Muse
Phenomena
Plotinus
Poetry
Polytheism
Semantics
Sixth sense
Spiritual soul
Spirit world
Subconscious mind
Suicide
Supernatural
—SOCIOPOLITICAL
19th Century
Arrogance
Civil wars
Civilization
Coolness
Economic injustices
Establishment
Foreign policies
Freedom
Globalization
Grand Jury
Herodotus
Int'l Criminal Court
Majority rule
Megalomania
Politesse
Proposition 203
Power lust
Rule of law
Sovereign immunity
Tobacco taxation
War criminals
World wars
|
METAPHYSICS·
ANCIENT HISTORY· SOCIOPOLITICAL ISSUES· AGRICULTURE· DIRECTORIES
