Biotecnologia

MODERN BIOTECHNOLOGY AND AGRICULTURE
By: Association of agricultural plant biotechnology, Agro-Bio

Currently, talk about plants that descontaminan the environment, detect antipersonnel mines, are protected against devastating pests, grow in arid soils or in environments with low temperatures and varieties with greater amount of nutrients, is possible as a result of the application of moderntechniques in biotechnology, inter alia, of which are genetically modified plants.

Modern biotechnology applied to agriculture is one of the tools that has allowed man to develop processes of crop improvement. The human intervention to modify plants with better characteristics has been present since millions of years ago: when the human being was the best seeds, collecting was selecting thosethat better conformed to their cultivation and food needs and thus generated a genetic modification by selection.

As well as the evolution of computers, the arrival of the car or new technologies, the man uses and is currently developing new techniques to help you obtain better crops that respond to the needs of different sectors and of the global population, in general.
Improvement techniquesmediated by genetic engineering is possible to develop more efficiently and with more agility, e.g. food fortified with vitamins and minerals, varieties resistant to pests or diseases, healthier oils or vaccines in food. In addition, farmers can potentially produce more food on less land, grow in desert areas or salinas and people who suffer from allergies can enjoy food that by their status areprohibited.
Around the world, scientists of different specialties work and experience in the development of these characteristics in crops and foods genetically modified - GM-, seeking to improve the quality of life of society. The main aspects which are improving in crops are related to characteristics of agronomic, nutritional, environmental and health.
Applications of agricultural biotechnology1. Resistance to pests and diseases
Through biotechnology it has been possible to obtain crops that are auto protect against diseases and pests. In Colombia, for example, developed cotton Bt (Bacillus Thuringiensis), variety which protects some Lepidoptera insects that attack this crop.
2. Plant tissue culture
Large scale allows the dispersion of species, it facilitates the production ofdisease-free plants and the spread of species with germination problems or with very long development times as in the case of fruit and forestry.

3. Herbicide resistance
It allows farmers to control weeds that grow next to the crop without affecting it. This feature has been used for crops such as soybean or cotton for resistance to glyphosate and Glufosinate.

4. Improvement of the nutritionalproperties
Knowledge of the metabolism of plants has allowed, through the use of biotechnology, enhance and introduce some features of interest to nutritional and food levels. Tomato, for example, has been achieved in improving the ripening process in rice was achieved increase the content of vitamin A ("Golden Rice"), in maize seeks to increase the content of provitamin A content of oleic acidand cassava.

5. Resistance to abiotic stress
Many regions in the world are not suitable to be grown due to its low temperatures or too high. Likewise, there are significantly contaminated or regions with high levels of acids and salts. Scientists have studied the conditions which enable the plants to adapt to these features and have made significant progress, for example corn varietiesresistant to high temperatures ideal for regions in Africa, varieties of flowers that best tolerate Frost and plants to not only grow on saline soils, but also with descontaminadoras properties.
Other examples:
 Flowers with new impossible to get by crossing or hybridization colors. This is the case of Carnation and the rose of blue.
 GM plants to detect landmines. And GM plants that produce...