An in depth summary of lecture content and presentations including further and recommended reading of the course. The notes are condensed to prioritise the important information with clear and concise explanations.
Titles Title Headings Subheadings Sub specific Study . .
Agricultural Biotechnology
1. History of Agriculture
• Save some seed and plant it
• Prepare the ground – fertilise
• Husbandry: Water, Weeding, Harvest
• Select best seeds to plant next time – human selective breeding
• Mechanise – hand plough, horse plough, tractor, combine harvester, irrigation
system, crop-dusting aeroplanes
Correlation between availability of arable land and child malnutrition.
Brief History of Agriculture
• Hunter gatherer society
• Cereals in cultivation for 10,000 years
(Maize for ~5,000 years)
• Selection for:
o crop stature
o Seed size
o threshing ability
o yield?
Human selection
Maize was selected for larger grain, same in
rice. Smaller grain in natural form.
Selected for bigger grain, if this happened
randomly we can do it deliberately.
Can apply this to other crops
Pro GM stance of this is we can now do this
in safe and controlled way.
Hexaploid Wheat (AABBDD)
Naturally incorporated 3 genomes
But if did this in a lab it would be very detrimental
When this happens naturally it is regarded as fine, but when it is done in a lab it
is considered as wrong.
Previous Farming Methods
Grow crops in system of people look after own fields and have land surrounding
manor house. Idyllic view of farming. But now need ten times more foods to
feed population so cant operate like this anymore.
Background to Modern Agriculture
• Malthus (Essay on population 1798)
• Population increases geometrically but food supply seemed only to increase
arithmetically.
• Population must eventually overtake food production resulting in famine, war and
disease – so why are we still here?
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