Contents - Faperta

2
Applications of Biotechnology in Agriculture:
The Prospects
Introduction
There has been a remarkable increase in grain production over the past fi ve decades, but
only a marginal increase was realized after the 1990s (Myers, 1999). Much of the increase
in grain production resulted from an increase in the area under cultivation, irrigation,
better agronomic practices, and improved cultivars. Yields of several crops have already
reached a plateau in developed countries and, therefore, most of the productivity gains in
the future will have to be achieved in developing countries through better management of
natural resources and crop improvement. Productivity gains are essential for long-term
economic growth, but in the short term, these are even more important for maintaining
adequate food supplies for the growing population. It is in this context that biotechnology
will play an important role in increasing food production in the near future. There is a
need to take a critical, but practical look at the prospects of biotechnological applications
for increasing crop production and improving nutritional quality. Genetic engineering
offers plant breeders access to an infi nitely wide array of novel genes and traits, which can
be inserted into high-yielding and locally adapted cultivars (Sharma, 2004). This approach
offers rapid introgression of novel genes and traits into elite agronomic backgrounds.
Biotechnological tool can be used to:
• Develop new hybrid crops based on genetic male-sterility;
• Exploit apomixis to fi x hybrid vigor in crops;
• Increase resistance to insect pests, diseases, herbicides, and abiotic stress factors;
• Improve effectiveness of natural enemies and entomopathogenic bacteria, viruses,
and fungi;
• Enhance nutritional value of crops through enrichment with vitamin A and essential
amino acids;