Developments In Agricultural Biotechnology (ePub)

Farmers have always modified plants and animals to improve growth rates and yields, create varieties resistant to pests and diseases, and infuse special nutritional or handling characteristics. Such modifications have been achieved by crossbreeding plants with desirable traits, through hybridizations, and other methods. Now, using recombinant DNA techniques, scientists also genetically modify plants and animals by selecting individual genes that carry desirable traits from one organism, and inserting them into another, sometimes very different, organism, that can be raised for food, fiber, pharmaceutical, or industrial uses. As the world's population continues to increase, ensuring that the earth has enough food that is nutritious will be a difficult task enough. New researches in agricultural biotechnology are a tool of scientific techniques used to improve plants, animals and microorganisms. Numerous developments over a century or more have contributed to the current progress of agricultural biotechnology and transgenic plants. This book summarizes the applications of agricultural biotechnology. It presents sequencing technologies and their use, role of environmental biotechnology, development of design starches and application in plant biotechnology. It also highlights endangered medicinal plants, biotechnology carbon capture, microbes and biotechnology in kiwifruit. It will serve as a powerful tool in addition to genetic engineering that is useful for changing the genetic composition of plants and animals. This book picks up individual branches and explains their need and contribution in the growth of this field. It is a valuable compilation of topics, ranging from the basic to the most complex theories and principles in the field of agricultural biotechnology.