Biotechnology in Agriculture

Question 1: What is Biotechnology in Agriculture?

Answer:

Biotechnology in agriculture refers to the use of biology and technology to generate unique hybrid and improved genetic organisms, including the manipulation of various plant species using biotechnology-created tools, unique insecticides, and pesticides that do not harm the plants in the same way as traditional chemical pesticides.

Question 2: How has Genetic Modification improved Crops?

Answer:

Genetic modification has made crops more immune to abiotic conditions such as cold, drought, salt, and heat, allowing farmers to cultivate crops in formerly unsuitable agricultural areas. It has also resulted in the production of pest-resistant crops, reducing the need for chemical pesticides, and helped to improve the efficiency with which plants use minerals, preventing premature depletion of soil fertility.

Question 3: What is Bt cotton?

Answer:

Bt cotton is a variety of cotton that has been genetically modified to contain the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which gives the plant resistance to pests like bollworms and maize borers. Bt cotton is an effective and safe alternative to chemical pesticides, as it targets specific pests without harming other organisms or the environment.

Question 4: What is Golden Rice?

Answer:

Golden Rice is a rice species that have been genetically modified to contain high levels of vitamin A, an essential nutrient for human health. This genetically modified crop is an example of how biotechnology can improve the nutritional value of food and help combat nutrient deficiencies in developing countries.

The use of technology in biological things in order to produce goods and services is known as biotechnology. Agriculture is only one of the many industries that have profited from biotechnology. To increase agricultural productivity, crop output, and quality, agricultural biotechnology uses techniques from tissue culture, molecular biology, and genetic engineering.

Farmers in traditional agriculture used artificial selection to improve the characteristics of crops and animals. This approach includes picking out plants or animals that display desirable features and combining them with other people who share those characteristics. New cultivars with higher yields, more disease resistance, and other desirable characteristics may eventually result from this process.