Biotechnology in Agriculture

Improvements and new discoveries in biological fertilizers, soil and water conservation, biodiversity conservation, pest control and changes in land ownership and distribution will lead to improved production capacity. Worldwide, agricultural production continues to suffer substantial losses (20-40%) due to pests, weeds and diseases. Biotechnology applications, integrated into conventional systems, hold much promise in augmenting agriculture production and productivity, particularly given the need to protect the environment and biodiversity while increasing production sustainably. In a single line we can say agricultural biotechnology plays a significant role in solving world hunger by developing agricultural crops that provide both higher yield and more resistance to pathogens and adverse environmental and climatic condition. The chapters have been chosen to ensure that the reader gets a complete picture of the processes and techniques involved in agricultural biotechnology and the methods by which productivity and food availability can be increased.