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Biotechnology in plant
nutrient management for agricultural production in the
tropics: The research link
Aggrey Bernard Nyende
Jomo
Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology,
Horticulture department.
Box 62000, Nairobi, Kenya.
E-mail:
abnyende@hotmail.com.
Accepted
29 January, 2008 |
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The potential benefits of biotechnology are extraordinary and
traverse sectors like agriculture, environment, health,
industry, bio-informatics, and human resource development.
In agriculture, biotechnology research has helped to improve
the understanding of diseases, to improve the diagnosis and
treatment of diseases, to improve resistance to
herbicides/insects/pests/diseases/drought, to improve crop
varieties and yields, marker assisted selection breeding, to
develop new uses for agricultural products, to facilitate
early maturation and to improve food and feed nutritional
value. The uncertainties and risks of biotechnology are yet
to be fully understood but its possibilities are yet also to
be fully exploited for agricultural production. Research has
currently linked plant nutrition to biotechnology through
plants modifications to obtain improved photosynthetic
system and enhanced nutrient uptake. Due to the
corresponding higher physiological efficiency of the
improved crops via the biotechnological modifications, plant
nutrient management can be adjusted appropriately. These
adjustments ultimately lead to other potential benefits in
agriculture that include reduced labour and capital inputs,
improved environmental protection and strengthened rural
economies, which can translate into sustained agricultural
production.
Key
words:
Biotechnology, research, nutrition. |
