Agri

Biotechnology is
the use of biology to develop new

products, methods and organisms intended to improve
human health and society
► Biotechnology, often referred to as biotech, has existed since the beginning of
civilization with the domestication of plants, animals and the discovery of
fermentation.
►What is Agricultural Biotechnology?

► Agricultural biotechnology is a range of tools, including traditional breeding
techniques, that alter living organisms, or parts of organisms, to make or modify
products; improve plants or animals; or develop microorganisms for specific
agricultural uses.
When was biotechnology first used in agriculture?
1990s
Since the first successful commercialization of a biotechnology-derived crop in the 1990s, many new crop varieties
have been developed and made available to U.S. farmers and farmers worldwide.
Role of biotechnology in agriculture?
Biotechnology has helped to increase crop productivity by introducing such qualities as disease resistance and
increased drought tolerance to the crops. Now, researchers can select genes for disease resistance from other
species and transfer them to important crops.
What are the branches of agriculture biotechnology?
2.1 Traditional breeding.
2.2 Mutagenesis.
2.3 Polyploidy.
2.4 Protoplast fusion.
2.5 RNA interference.
2.6 Transgenics.
2.7 Genome editing.
What is the difference between biotechnology and agricultural biotechnology?
Biotechnology is defined as a set of tools that uses living organisms (or parts of organisms) to
make or modify a product, improve plants, trees or animals, or develop microorganisms for
specific uses. Agricultural biotechnology is the term used in crop and livestock improvement
through biotechnology tools.
Properties of agricultural produce?
The physical properties such as size, shape, surface area, volume, density,
porosity, colour and appearance are important in designing particular equipment or
determining the behavior of the product for its handling.
► Advantage of agricultural biotechnology?

► Agricultural biotechnology can boost food production in both the developed and the developing worlds
and reduce vulnerability to pests, viruses, and drought. Agricultural biotechnology is an important tool in the
world's effort to combat food insecurity and malnutrition.
► The pros of agricultural biotechnology include the potential to increase crop yields, reduce pesticide use, and
make crops more resilient to climate change.
► Improvement in Nutritional Quality of Crops. ...
► Crop Growth is Improved. ...
► Reduction in Worldwide Hunger – Improves food Security. ...
► Minimal use of Pesticides on Farms. ...
► More power to farmers-Economic Growth. ...
► Preservation of Resources. ...
► Elimination and minimizing waste products. ...
► Genetic Screening.
Applications:
Basic techniques of plant breeding:
► Plant breeding is defined as identifying and selecting desired traits in plants

and combining these into one individual plant.
Conventional methods
► Eight to ten thousand years ago, farmers have been altering the genetic
makeup of crops they grow.
► Early farmers selected the best looking plants and seeds and saved them you
plants for next season.
► By using science, the genetic breeders use that knowledge to develop the
improved varieties with desired traits.
► The selection of features such as faster growth, higher yields, pest and
disease resistance, larger seeds, sweeter fruits etc has dramatically changed
domesticated plant species to their wild relatives.
► For example: Initially thousand of years ago corn was found like
like a finger of hand. Today there are hundreds of corn varieties
which having various sizes are available.
► Conventional breeding method has been the method to develop
new varieties of crops for hundred of years.
► However, conventional plant breeding can no longer sustain the
the global demands with the increasing population and decline in
agriculture resources such as land and water etc.
► Thus, new crop improvement techniques should be developed and
utilized.
Mutation breeding
► Recognizing desirable traits and use them into future generations is very
important in plant breeding.
► A few superior traits occasionally arise spontaneously through a process called
mutation.
► But the natural rate of mutation is very low.
► In 1920s , researchers discovered that they could greatly increase the number
of these variations by exposing plants to x-rays and mutation inducing
chemicals.
► Mutation breeding accelerated after world War II, when the techniques of
nuclear age become widely available.
► Plants were exposed to gamma rays, protons, neutrons, alpha particles to see
if these would induce useful mutation.
► Chemicals such as sodium azide and ethyl Methanesulphonate were also used
to cause mutation.
Mutation breeding continued…
► Mutation breeding efforts continue around the world today.
► In the 73 years of mutation breeding, a total of 3218 varieties were obtained
through mutation breeding.
Non conventional methods
► Over the last 50 years, the field of genetic engineering has developed rapidly
due to greater understanding of DNA.
Genetic engineering:
► The term “genetic engineering” is used to describe the process by which
genetic makeup of an organism altered using “Recombinant DNA technology”.
► It is used for the transfer of genes over a wide range of organism leading to
the production of transgenic plants.
Plant tissue culture:
► Tissue culture is the cultivation of plant cells, tissue or organs on a specially
formulated nutrient medium.
► Under the right conditions, an entire plant can be regenerated from a single
cell.
► Plant tissue culture is a technique that has been around for more than 30
years.
► Tissue culture technique is different from conventional breeding because it
produces thousands of exact copies of plant together which is not possible in
conventional breeding methods
► Conventional breeding method requires seeds or other propagative parts
where as in tissue culture technique a small piece of plant known as
“explant” is sufficient.
Molecular breeding and marker assisted
selection:
► Plant breeders now used Marker assisted selection (MAS).
► To help identify specific genes, scientists used what are called Molecular
markers which are short strings or sequence of nucleic acid which makes up
segment of DNA.
► The markers are located near the DNA sequence of the desired gene.
► Since the markers and genes are closed together on the same chromosome,
they tend to stay together as each generation of plants is produced. This is
called “ genetic linkage”.
► This linkage will helps to predict whether a plant will have a desired gene.
Marker Assisted Selection
Difference between conventional and
non conventional breeding
Conventional breeding Non-Conventional breeding

► Limited to exchanges between ► Allows a direct transfer of one or
same or very closely related just a few genes, between either
species. closely or distantly related
► Undesirable genes can be organisms.
transferred along with desirable ► Crop improvement can be achieved
genes. in shorter time as compared to
► Takes a long time to achieve conventional breeding.
desired results. ► Allows plants to be modified by
either switching or removing
particular genes.
Advantages of plant breeding
► It is free.
► It provides higher yields.
► It leads to higher profits.
► It does not pose any safety issues.
► It helps eliminate disease.
► It ensures quality produce.
► It can provide a sustainable food chain.
Disadvantages of plant breeding
► It leads to loss of variety.
► It risks creating new disease.
► It has no control over genetic mutations.
► It cause original plant traits to be lost.
► It cause discomfort to animals.
► It could create genetic depression.
Selective breeding or plant breeding is definitely very important especially to the

people who are engaging in agricultural businesses to boost the quantity of crops they
are harvesting. This method can help vegetables grow bigger, fruits taste better and
animals getting healthier. By weighing the pros and cons listed above, we can come
up with solutions that will helps the world meet its need in the future.
Genetic Engineering and GM Crops:
Gene cloning provides a new dimension to crop breeding by enabling changes to

the genotype of the plants.
Two general strategies have been used:
Gene addition:
In which cloning is used to alter the characteristics of plant providing it with one
or more new genes.
Gene subtraction:
Genetic engineering techniques are used to inactivate one or more of the plants
existing genes.
GENE ADDITION:
Plants that make their own insecticides:

► BT Crops
(Maize as an example)
► Cloning a 4-endotoxin gene in maize.
► Roundup Ready crops.
Gene Subtraction:
Silencing and the engineering of fruit ripening in TOMATO:
Nutrition Factory:
► Golden rice
► Rainbow cauliflower.
Pharmaceutics:
► Edible vaccines.
► Hirudin.

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Biotechnology is

the use of biology to develop new

►What is Agricultural Biotechnology?

► Advantage of agricultural biotechnology?

► Plant breeding is defined as identifying and selecting desired traits in plants

Conventional breeding Non-Conventional breeding

Selective breeding or plant breeding is definitely very important especially to the

Gene cloning provides a new dimension to crop breeding by enabling changes to

Plants that make their own insecticides:

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