Global Challenges and Directions for Agricultural Biotechnology Workshop Report (2008) / Chapter Skim
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2 Opportunities for Applying Biotechnology
2 Opportunities for Applying Biotechnology
Pages 9-20
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From page 9... ...
. During the 20th century, the Green Revolution drew on the research of conventional plant breeders to develop higher-yielding crops that were successful in increasing the global food supply.
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From page 10... ...
Although increasing crop yields by overcoming agronomic and environmental constraints is the most commonly recognized target of biotechnology, there are many other possibilities for developing useful applications, such as improving the sustainability of farming processes, developing more-nutritious foods, improving water quality, and identifying useful genetic material in nature. The workshop consisted of a series of presentations by lead speakers followed by commentary and shorter presentations by panels of experts.
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From page 11... ...
Ganesh Kishore, of DuPont Agriculture and Nutrition, provided an overview of some available biotechnologies to improve crop productivity, and the presentation provided context for shaping subsequent discussions.
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From page 12... ...
Kishore described the first generation of commercial transgenic products, the pest-protected and herbicide-tolerant crops that were first introduced in the United States. In one example, as young plants of herbicide-tolerant soybeans emerge, the field is treated with glyphosate; this kills the weeds, but the crops tolerate the herbicide.
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From page 13... ...
Crops that have been genetically engineered to more efficiently fix nitrogen, and thus reduce the need for external inputs of fixed nitrogen, could enable farmers to lower their production-related input costs while improving crop performance. Heat and Drought Stress Water security is projected by the United Nations Population Fund as one of the top global issues in the 21st century (UNFPA, 2002)
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Food crops that are either conventionally bred or genetically engineered for enhanced nutritional value can be used to alleviate micronutrient deficiencies in the developing world (Bouis, 2002; Toenniessen,
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Carotenoid genes of golden cassava could be bred into other cassava varieties to improve nutritional quality. IMPROVING FOOD SECURITY Food security involves more than adequate production in the field.
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Once the rain set in, transport of the maize crop to markets was lost, and the country found itself vulnerable. Risks to Food Production Biotechnology can address food security issues by reducing risks to food production in two ways: by increasing the reliability of production and by smoothing supply and demand in rural markets.
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From page 17... ...
They advocated for more diverse agricultural production farming systems and greater genetic diversity in crops. Some in the workshop suggested that applying new agricultural biotechnologies without disrupting the biodiversity in many developing There are concerns about quality control, potential drug overdose, and other potential risks associated with the use of food crops to produce drugs (Graham, 2000; Coghlan, 2005)
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From page 18... ...
According to Rerkasem, because gene flow is unpredictable even in wild species, mechanisms of addressing biosafety concerns will need to be considered before transgenic crops are moved from the laboratory to the field to ensure that they do not reduce natural biodiversity. Workshop participants described research that is under way to develop safeguards to block gene flow; according to some, the technology already exists to prevent gene escape.
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From page 19... ...
Agricultural products can be engineered to provide fuel alternatives in the form of biodiesel and biofuel: Sticklen described research to engineer rice straw, a major environmental contaminant in developing nations, so that it is biologically broken down into useful alcohol-based fuels.
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From page 20... ...
Determining which plants to exploit for that purpose and finding safe disposal sites is part of the research. The plants used to accumulate the pollutants would ideally be nonfood plants -- something inedible -- to prevent accidental poisoning and would grow between productive food crops so that farmers could maintain land productivity.
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