Biotechnology in agriculture- Bio- pesticides, Bio-fertilizers, Bio-fuels

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• Biotechnology is defined in accordance with the Convention on Biological Diversity, i.e. “any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or Derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use”
• Biotechnology as applied to Food Processing in most developing countries makes use of microbial inoculants to enhance properties such as the taste, aroma, shelf-life, texture and nutritional value of foods.
• The process whereby micro-organisms and their ENZYMES bring about these desirable changes in food materials is known as Fermentation-2/”>Fermentation.
• Fermentation processing is also widely applied in the production of microbial cultures, enzymes, flavours, fragrances, food additives and a range of other high value-added products.
• These high value products are increasingly produced in more technologically advanced developing countries for use in their food and non-food processing applications.
• Many of these high value products are also imported by developing countries for use in their food-processing applications.

agriculture & Food Biotechnology

• Biotechnology is necessary to maintain our agriculture competitive and remunerative and to achieve Nutrition security in the face of major challenges such as
• Declining per capita availability of arable land;
• Lower productivity of crops, Livestock and Fisheries-2/”>Fisheries, heavy production losses due to biotic (insects pests, Weeds) and abiotic (salinity, drought, alkalinity) stresses
• Heavy postharvest crop damage and declining availability of water as an agricultural input.
• Investment in agricultural related biotechnology has resulted in significantly enhanced R&D capability and institutional building over the years.
• However, progress has been rather slow in converting the research leads into usable products.
• Uncertainties regarding IPR management and regulatory requirements, poor understanding of risk assessment and lack of effective management and commercialization strategies have been significant impediments. India owns very few genes of applied value.
• The majority of the genes under use about 40 are currently held by MNCs and have been received under material transfer agreements for R&D purpose without clarity on the potential for commercialization.
• The spectrum of biotechnology application in agriculture is very wide and includes
• Generation of improved crops, animals, Plants of agro Forestry importance;
• Microbes;
• Use of molecular markers to tag genes of interest;
• Accelerating of breeding through marker assisted selection;
• Fingerprinting of cultivars, land raises, germplasm stocks;
• DNA based diagnostics for pests / pathogens of crops, farm animals and fish;
• Assessment and monitoring of bio diversity;
• In vitro mass multiplication of elite planting material;
• Embryo transfer technology for animal breeding; food and feed biotechnology.
• Plants and animals are being used for the production of therapeutically or industrially useful products, the emphasis being on improving efficiency and lowering the cost of production.
• However, emphasis should not be on edible Vaccines for which use in real life condition is difficult.
• Nutrition and balanced diet are emerging to be important Health promotional strategies.
• Biotechnology has a critical role in developing and processing value added products of enhanced nutritive quality and providing tools for ensuring and monitoring food quality and safety.
• It has been estimated that if Biofertilizers were used to substitute only 25% of chemical Fertilizers on just 50% of India’s crops the potential would be 2,35,000 MT.
• Today about 13,000 MT of Biofertilizers are used – only 0.36% of the total fertilizer use. The projected production target by 2011 is roughly around 50,000 23 MT.
• Biopesticides have fared slightly better with 2.5% share of the total pesticide market of 2700 crores and an annual Growth rate of 10-15 %.
• In spite of the obvious advantages, several constraints have limited their wider usage such as products of inconsistent quality, short shelf life, sensitivity to drought, temperature, and agronomic conditions.

CURRENT USE, RESEARCH AND IMPENDING DEVELOPMENT OF FOODS PRODUCED THROUGH MODERN BIOTECHNOLOGY

Foods produced through modern biotechnology can be categorized as follows:

1. Foods consisting of or containing living/viable organisms, e.g. maize.
2. Foods derived from or containing ingredients derived from GMOs, e.g. flour, food protein products, or oil from GM soybeans.
3. Foods containing single ingredients or additives produced by GM Microorganisms (GMMs), e.g. colours, VITAMINS and essential amino acids.
4. Foods containing ingredients processed by enzymes produced through GMMs, e.g. high-fructose corn syrup produced from starch, using the enzyme glucose isomerase (product of a GMM).

Crops

Crop breeding and the introduction of GM crops for food production

• Conventional breeding, especially of crops, livestock and fish, focuses principally on increased productivity, increased resistance to diseases and pests, and enhanced quality with respect to nutrition and food processing.
• Advances in cellular genetics and cell biology methods in the 1960s contributed to the so-called ‘Green Revolution’ that significantly increased varieties of staple Food Crops containing traits for higher yield and resistance to diseases and pests in a number of both developed and developing countries.
• A key driver of the green revolution was to improve the potential to provide sufficient food for all.
• The intensification and expansion of agriculture brought about by these methods and agricultural systems have, however, also resulted in new forms of health and environmental risks through, for example, increased use of agrochemicals and intensified cultivation resulting in Soil erosion.
• Various transformation methods are used to transfer recombinant DNA into recipient species to produce a GMO.
• For plants, these include transformation mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens (a common soil bacterium that contains genetic Elements for infection of plants) and biolistics shooting recombinant DNA placed on microparticles into recipient cells.
• The methods used in the transformation of various animal species include microinjection, electroporation and germ-line cells.
• The success rate of transformations in animals tends to be lower than in plants, and to vary from species to species, thus requiring the use of many animals.
• Genetic modification is often faster than conventional breeding techniques, as stable expression of a trait is achieved using far fewer breeding generations.
• It also allows a more precise alteration of an organism than conventional methods of breeding, as it enables the selection and transfer of a specific gene of interest.
• However, with the present technology, in many cases it leads to random insertion in the host genome, and consequently may have unintended developmental or physiological effects.
• However, such effects can also occur in conventional breeding and the selection process used in modern biotechnology aims to eliminate such unintended effects to establish a stable and beneficial trait.

Livestock and fish

• In terms of food production, the application of modern biotechnology to livestock falls into two main areas: animal production and human nutrition.
• Many of the applications discussed below are in the early stages of R&D.

Fish

• The projected increasing demand for fish suggests that GM fish may become important in both developed and developing countries.
• Enhanced-growth Atlantic salmon containing a growth hormone gene from Chinook salmon is likely to be the first GM animal on the food market.
• These fish grow 3–5 times faster than their non-transgenic counterparts, to reduce production time and increase food availability.
• At least eight other farmed fish species have been genetically modified for growth enhancement. Other fish in which genes for growth HORMONES have been experimentally introduced include grass carp, rainbow trout, tilapia and catfish.
• In all cases, the growth-hormone genes are of fish origin.

Livestock and Poultry

• Foods derived from GM livestock and poultry are far from commercial use.
• Several growth enhancing novel genes have been introduced into pigs that have also affected the quality of the meat, i.e. the meat is more lean and tender.
• This research was initiated over a decade ago, but owing to some morphological and physiological effects developed by the pigs, these have not been commercialized. Many modifications to milk have been proposed that either add new proteins to milk or manipulate endogenous proteins.
• Recently, researchers from New Zealand developed GM cows that produce milk with increased levels of casein protein. Use of such protein-rich milk would increase the efficiency of cheese production.
• Other work aims to reduce the lactose content of milk, with the intent of making milk available to the Population of milk-intolerant individuals.

Microorganisms

Microorganisms as foods

• Currently, there are no known commercial products containing live genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs) on the market.
• In the United Kingdom, GM yeast for beer production has been approved since 1993, but the product was never intended to be commercialized.
• Other microorganisms used in foods (which are in the R&D phase) include starter fermentation cultures for various foods (bakery and brewing), and lactic acid bacteria in cheese.
• R&D is also aimed at minimizing infections by pathogenic microorganisms and improving nutritional value and flavour.
• Attempts have been made to genetically modify ruminant microorganisms for protecting livestock from poisonous feed components.
• Microorganisms improved by modern biotechnology are also under development in the field of probiotics, which are live microorganisms that, when consumed in adequate amounts as part of food, confer a health benefit on the host.

Food and nutrition

• R&D would be focused on:
• Development of biotechnology tools for evaluating food safety, development of rapid diagnostic kits for detection of various food borne pathogens
• Development of analogical methods for detection of genetically modified foods and products derived there from;
• Development of nutraceuticals / health food supplements/ functional foods for holistic health;
• Development of pre-cooked, ready-to-eat, nutritionally fortified food for school going children;
• Development of suitable pro-biotics for therapeutic purposes and development of bio food additives.
• It is proposed to set up (under the auspices of Department of Biotechnology) an autonomous institute for nutritional biology and food biotechnology (2006).

Biofertilizers and biopesticides

• Priorities would include screening of elite strains of micros-organisms and / or productions of super-strains, better understanding of the dynamics of symbiotic nitrogen fixation, process optimization for fermentor – based technologies, improved shelf life, better quality standards, setting up accredited quality control laboratories and standardization of GMP guidelines.
• Integrated nutrient management system would be further strengthened.

Fermentation Bioprocess

• The fermentation bioprocess is the major biotechnological application in food processing. It is often one step in a sequence of food-processing operations, which may include cleaning, size reduction, soaking and cooking.
• Fermentation bioprocessing makes use of microbial inoculants for enhancing properties such as the taste, aroma, shelf-life, safety, texture and nutritional value of foods.
• Microbes associated with the raw food material and the processing Environment serve as inoculants in spontaneous fermentations, while inoculants containing high concentrations of live micro-organisms, referred to as starter cultures, are used to initiate and accelerate the rate of fermentation processes in non-spontaneous or controlled fermentation processes.
• Microbial starter cultures vary widely in quality and purity.

1. Spontaneous inoculation of fermentation processes

• In many developing countries, fermented foods are produced primarily at the household and village level, using spontaneous methods of inoculation.
• Spontaneous fermentations are largely uncontrolled.
• A natural selection process, however, evolves in many of these processes which eventually results in the predominance of a particular type or group of micro-organisms in the fermentation medium

2. “Appropriate” starter cultures as inoculants of fermentation processes

• “Appropriate” starter cultures are widely applied as inoculants across the fermented food sector, from the household to industrial level in low-income and lower-middle-income economies.
• These starter cultures are generally produced using a backslopping process which makes use of samples of a previous batch of a fermented product as inoculants

3. Defined starter cultures as inoculants of fermentation processes

• Few defined starter cultures have been developed for use as inoculants in commercial fermentation processes in developing countries.
• Nevertheless, the past ten years have witnessed the development and application of laboratory-selected and pre-cultured starter cultures in food fermentations in a few developing countries.
• “Defined starter cultures” consist of single or mixed strains of micro-organisms. They may incorporate adjunct culture preparations that serve a food-safety and preservative function.
• Adjunct cultures do not necessarily produce fermentation acids or modify texture or flavour, but are included in the defined culture owing to their ability to inhibit pathogenic or spoilage organisms.
• Their inhibitory activity is due to the production of one or several substances such as hydrogen peroxide, organic acids, diacetyl and bacteriocins.

4. Defined starter cultures developed using the diagnostic tools of advanced biotechnologies

• The use of DNA-based diagnostic techniques for strain differentiation can allow for the tailoring of starter cultures to yield products with specific flavours and/or textures.
• Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) techniques have been applied in, for example, Thailand, in the molecular typing of bacterial strains and correlating the findings of these studies to flavour development during the production of the fermented pork sausage, nham.
• The results of these analyses led to the development of three different defined starter cultures which are currently used for the commercial production of products having different flavour characteristics

5. GM starter cultures

• To date, no commercial GM micro-organisms that would be consumed as living organisms exist.
• Products of industrial GM producer organisms are, however, widely used in food processing and no major safety concerns have been raised against them.
• Rennet which is widely used as a starter in cheese production across the globe is produced using GM bacteria.

Food additives and processing aids

• Enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, organic acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids and certain complex Carbohydrates and flavouring agents used in food formulations are currently produced using GM micro-organisms

National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI)

• National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) is the first Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, established in India on 18th February 2010.
• The institute aims at catalysing the transformation of Agri – food sector in India.
• The institute has the vision to be a nodal organization for knowledge generation and translational science leading to value added products based on Agri-food biotech innovations.
• The main research focus of NABI is to harness biotechnological tools in the area of Agriculture Biotechnology, Food and Nutritional Biotechnology so as to provide sustainable and novel solutions towards quality food and nutrition.
• Activities undertaken at NABI under different areas includes,

1. Agricultural Biotechnology
2. Food and Nutritional Biotechnology
3. Human resource development
4. Meeting and Courses
5. Technology Transfer and Outreach

• The institute has developed strong linkages with National and International organizations and industries.
• The institute is part of agri-food cluster in the “Knowledge City” of Mohali (Punjab) along with its neighboring institutes.

Biofuels are the fuel generated from the Biomass/”>Biomass. They are the renewable Source Of Energy. The different generation of biofuel are tabulated below:

Biofuels can address the issue of energy deficiency and crisis faced by various countries. The need of the hour is to make the technology more competitive so that energy can become accessible to common masses.,

Biotechnology In Agriculture is the use of living organisms or their components to improve crop yields, control pests and diseases, and develop new products. Biotechnology has been used in agriculture for centuries, but the field has seen rapid advances in recent years.

One of the most important applications of biotechnology in agriculture is the development of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). GMOs are organisms that have had their genes modified using Genetic engineering techniques. GMOs are often used to improve the yield and quality of crops. For example, some GMOs are resistant to herbicides, which allows farmers to use less herbicide and reduce the environmental impact of farming. Other GMOs are resistant to pests, which reduces the need for pesticides and helps to protect the environment.

Another important application of biotechnology in agriculture is the development of biopesticides. Biopesticides are pesticides that are made from living organisms or their components. They can be used to control pests such as insects, mites, and nematodes. Biopesticides are often considered to be safer than traditional pesticides because they are less likely to harm humans, animals, and the environment.

Biotechnology is also being used to develop new fertilizers and biostimulants. Biofertilizers are fertilizers that are made from living organisms or their components. They can be used to improve the growth of plants by providing them with essential nutrients. Biostimulants are products that are used to improve the growth and development of plants. They are often made from living organisms or their components.

Biotechnology is also being used to develop new methods of plant breeding. Plant breeding is the process of improving plants through selective breeding. Biotechnology is being used to develop new methods of plant breeding that can be used to improve the yield, quality, and disease resistance of crops.

Biotechnology is also being used to develop new methods of food production. For example, biotechnology is being used to develop new methods of producing meat and Dairy products. These new methods are often considered to be more sustainable than traditional methods of food production.

Biotechnology is a rapidly developing field with the potential to revolutionize agriculture. Biotechnology is already being used to improve crop yields, control pests and diseases, and develop new products. In the future, biotechnology is likely to play an even greater role in agriculture.

Here are some of the benefits of using biotechnology in agriculture:

• Increased crop yields: Biotechnology can be used to develop crops that are more resistant to pests, diseases, and drought. This can lead to increased crop yields.
• Reduced use of pesticides and herbicides: Biotechnology can be used to develop crops that are resistant to pests and diseases. This can reduce the need for pesticides and herbicides, which can protect the environment.
• Improved food quality: Biotechnology can be used to develop crops that are higher in nutrients and antioxidants. This can improve the quality of food.
• Increased sustainability: Biotechnology can be used to develop more sustainable methods of agriculture. For example, biotechnology can be used to develop crops that are drought-tolerant. This can help to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture.

Here are some of the challenges of using biotechnology in agriculture:

• Public acceptance: There is some public concern about the use of biotechnology in agriculture. Some people are concerned about the potential risks to human health and the environment.
• Regulation: Biotechnology is a highly regulated field. There are many regulations that must be followed when developing and using biotechnology in agriculture.
• Intellectual property: Biotechnology is a field with a lot of intellectual property. This can make it difficult to develop and commercialize new technologies.
• Cost: Biotechnology is a relatively expensive field. This can make it difficult for small farmers to adopt new technologies.

Despite the challenges, biotechnology has the potential to revolutionize agriculture. Biotechnology can be used to improve crop yields, control pests and diseases, and develop new products. In the future, biotechnology is likely to play an even greater role in agriculture.

Biotechnology in agriculture

Biotechnology is the use of living organisms or their components to make or modify products, improve plants or animals, or develop microorganisms for specific uses. In agriculture, biotechnology is used to improve crop yields, develop new crops and livestock, and protect crops from pests and diseases.

Bio-pesticides

Bio-pesticides are pesticides that are made from living organisms or their components. They can be bacteria, viruses, Fungi, or plants. Bio-pesticides are often used to control pests that are resistant to conventional pesticides. They are also less harmful to the environment than conventional pesticides.

Bio-fertilizers

Bio-fertilizers are fertilizers that are made from living organisms. They can be bacteria, fungi, or algae. Bio-fertilizers help plants to take up nutrients from the soil. They can also help to improve Soil Structure and fertility.

Bio-fuels

Bio-fuels are fuels that are made from renewable Resources, such as plants or algae. Bio-fuels can be used to power vehicles, generate electricity, or heat homes. Bio-fuels are often considered to be a more sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.

Frequently asked questions

What are the benefits of using biotechnology in agriculture?

Biotechnology can be used to improve crop yields, develop new crops and livestock, and protect crops from pests and diseases. Bio-pesticides are often used to control pests that are resistant to conventional pesticides. They are also less harmful to the environment than conventional pesticides. Bio-fertilizers help plants to take up nutrients from the soil. They can also help to improve soil structure and fertility. Bio-fuels are fuels that are made from renewable resources, such as plants or algae. Bio-fuels can be used to power vehicles, generate electricity, or heat homes. Bio-fuels are often considered to be a more sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.

What are the risks of using biotechnology in agriculture?

Some people are concerned about the potential risks of using biotechnology in agriculture. For example, some people worry that genetically modified crops could cross-pollinate with wild plants, creating new “superweeds” that are resistant to herbicides. Others worry that genetically modified foods could be harmful to human health. However, scientists have not found any evidence to support these concerns.

What is the future of biotechnology in agriculture?

Biotechnology is a rapidly developing field, and there are many new applications for biotechnology in agriculture that are still being developed. For example, scientists are working on developing new bio-pesticides that are even more effective than current bio-pesticides. They are also working on developing new bio-fertilizers that can help plants to take up even more nutrients from the soil. In addition, scientists are working on developing new bio-fuels that are even more efficient and environmentally friendly than current bio-fuels.

Question 1

Which of the following is not a type of biotechnology in agriculture?

(A) Bio-pesticides
(B) Bio-fertilizers
(C) Bio-fuels
(D) Bio-technology

Answer
(D) Bio-technology

Explanation
Biotechnology is the use of living organisms or their components to make or modify products, improve plants or animals, or develop microorganisms for specific purposes. Bio-pesticides, bio-fertilizers, and bio-fuels are all examples of biotechnology in agriculture.

Question 2

Which of the following is not a benefit of using bio-pesticides?

(A) They are less harmful to the environment than synthetic pesticides.
(B) They are more effective than synthetic pesticides.
(C) They are more expensive than synthetic pesticides.
(D) They are more difficult to use than synthetic pesticides.

Answer
(C) They are more expensive than synthetic pesticides.

Explanation
Bio-pesticides are often less expensive than synthetic pesticides. They are also less harmful to the environment and more effective. However, they can be more difficult to use than synthetic pesticides.

Question 3

Which of the following is not a benefit of using bio-fertilizers?

(A) They can improve crop yields.
(B) They can reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers.
(C) They can improve soil health.
(D) They can be more expensive than synthetic fertilizers.

Answer
(D) They can be more expensive than synthetic fertilizers.

Explanation
Bio-fertilizers are often less expensive than synthetic fertilizers. They can also improve crop yields, reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers, and improve soil health.

Question 4

Which of the following is not a benefit of using bio-fuels?

(A) They can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.
(B) They can improve air quality.
(C) They can create jobs.
(D) They can be more expensive than fossil fuels.

Answer
(D) They can be more expensive than fossil fuels.

Explanation
Bio-fuels are often less expensive than fossil fuels. They can also reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, improve air quality, and create jobs.

Question 5

Which of the following is a potential risk of using bio-pesticides?

(A) They can harm beneficial insects.
(B) They can develop resistance to pests.
(C) They can contaminate groundwater.
(D) All of the above.

Answer
(D) All of the above.

Explanation
Bio-pesticides can harm beneficial insects, develop resistance to pests, and contaminate groundwater. These are all potential risks of using bio-pesticides.

Question 6

Which of the following is a potential risk of using bio-fertilizers?

(A) They can harm beneficial microbes.
(B) They can contaminate groundwater.
(C) They can increase the risk of weed growth.
(D) All of the above.

Answer
(D) All of the above.

Explanation
Bio-fertilizers can harm beneficial microbes, contaminate groundwater, and increase the risk of weed growth. These are all potential risks of using bio-fertilizers.

Question 7

Which of the following is a potential risk of using bio-fuels?

(A) They can contribute to Climate change.
(B) They can damage Ecosystems.
(C) They can increase the risk of food shortages.
(D) All of the above.

Answer
(D) All of the above.

Explanation
Bio-fuels can contribute to Climate Change, damage ecosystems, and increase the risk of food shortages. These are all potential risks of using bio-fuels.