GENERAL APPLICATIONS OF BIOTECHNOLOGY IN

AGRICULTUREIQRA AYUB

MS BIOTECH

AIM

• To gain knowledge about the importance of biotechnology in Agricultural field.

CONTENTS

• Introduction

• History

• Applications

• Benefits

• Risks

• Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

• AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY

• Is a collection of scientific techniques used to improve plants, animals and microorganisms to enhance their value

Scientists have developed solutions to :

• Increase agricultural productivity.

• Enhances breeders’ ability to make improvements in crops and livestock.

• Enables improvements that are not possible with traditional crossing ofrelated species alone

HISTORY In 1990 -The first food product of biotechnology (an enzyme used in cheese production and

a yeast used for baking) appeared on the market .

In1995, farmers have been growing GE crops.

In 2003, 7 million farmers in 18 countries were planting biotech crops.

APPLICATIONS OF BIOTECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE

GENETIC ENGINEERING

• inserts fragments of DNA into chromosomes of cells

• uses tissue culture to regenerate the cells into a whole organism with a different genetic composition from the original cells.

• This is also known as rDNA technology

• produces transgenic organisms.

TISSUE CULTURE

• manipulates • cells

• anthers

• pollen grains

• other tissues

• so they live for extended periods under laboratory conditions or become whole, living, growing organisms

• Examples of crops produced using tissue culture include citrus, pineapples, avocados, mangoes, bananas, coffee and papaya.

EMBRYO RESCUE

• used to facilitate “wide crossing” by producing whole plants from embryos that are the result of crossing two plants that would not normally produce offspring.

MOLECULAR MARKERS

• use molecular markers to select plants or animals that possess a desirable gene, even in the absence of a visible trait.

MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS

• methods use to detect genes or gene products that are very precise and specific.

• Molecular diagnostics are used in agriculture to more accurately diagnose crop/livestockdiseases.

VACCINES

• Biotechnology-derived vaccines are used in livestock and humans. • Cheaper

• better

• safer than traditional vaccines

• stable at room temperature

• do not need refrigerated storage

SOMATIC HYBRIDIZATION

• Removes the cell walls of cells from different organisms and induces the direct mixing of DNA from the treated cells, which are then regenerated into whole organisms through tissue culture.

FLOWERS

• gene identification and transfer techniques used to improve the color, smell, size and other features of flowers.

• used to make improvements to other common ornamental plants, in particular, shrubs and trees.

• Some of these changes are similar to those made to crops, such as enhancing the cold resistance of a breed of tropical plant, so it can be grown in northern gardens.

MICROPROPAGATION

• Involves taking small sections of plant tissue, or entire structures such as buds, and culturing them under artificial Conditions to regenerate complete plants.

Benefits

Following are a few examples of benefits resulting from applying currently available genetic engineering techniques to agricultural biotechnology.

Increased crop productivity

Enhanced crop protection

Improved nutritional value

Better flavor

Fresher produce

Environmental benefits

Herbicide tolerance

Virus resistance

Delayed fruit ripening

RISKS

• Allergies

• Toxicity

• Nutrient imbalance

• Decrease of food diversity

CONCLUSION

• Scientists working in the field of agricultural biotechnology should become aware of these risk and benefits,

• As well as their professional responsibility to ensure that their research is applied only for the benefit of humankind and not to cause harm.