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How has genetic engineering affected agriculture
Impact of genetic engineering in agriculture
Impact of genetic engineering in agriculture
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Centuries ago, the farming technique was only one: the rotational crops. For each season, people planted new seeds that would grow in the conditions given by the whether. After some time, the soil would rest and prepare for future cropping seasons. However, this is no longer the case, or at least it is no longer the only farming technique. Technology has made possible agriculture to grow, and to develop new techniques and types of crops. The most important new agricultural technique is monoculture, which is the single-species crop.
Monoculture refers to the practice of cultivating an agricultural species or tree under conditions where other species are absent or virtually absent. This is done in order to lessen the intensity of competition on growth of the desired crop species. (Freedman)
Furthermore, now there are different types of monoculture. Probably the most common one is the monoculture for plantations. It is basically the use of huge areas to plant one species, usually of big plants or trees. Due to the high costs of production that this type of plants have, monoculture for plantations is less rigorous than other types, and smaller plants may be tolerated as long as they do not compete for resources with the crop. In contrast, genetic monoculture is the most extreme way of monoculture. In this type of crops, diversity is not only narrowed down to a single species, but to a single genotype, making all individuals genetically uniform (Freedman). All of these would not have been possible without countless advances in genetics and biotechnology, which, according to the UN`s Convention on Biological Diversity, is “any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or mo...
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In today’s culture, society puts a lot of emphasis on utilizing technology. Technology’s influence has spread into the farming industry. In Wendell Berry’s article, “Renewing Husbandry,” he addresses the mechanical changes in the farming process. He stresses the idea of husbandry, taking care of the land and conserving the life the land offers. Berry describes the benefits and downfalls of technology. But the problems of technology exceed the benefits. Although technology aids in the farming process, the advancement in farming technology distorts the importance of cultivating the natural land.
The alternative to monoculture is called polyculture. Each plant requires its own growing conditions, so maintenance becomes labor intensive. However, this method of farming greatly increases the biodiversity of the fields which reduces susceptibility to disease and pests, and creates genetically diverse species. Polyculture is very different from monoculture in more ways than simply growing more than one crop.
Since the birth of agriculture farmers across the world have been altering the genetic makeup of the crops they grow. Ancient farmers chose only the best looking plants and
Before the land of what we no class Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, and other countries in the middle east grains, such as wheat and wild barley, could be seen growing in the wild without human hand to cultivate and nurture it (Authors 2007). Over time, humans began to recognize the benefit of the plants and began the first signs of human agriculture. The skill of farming took time and trial and error, but along the way, humans began to settle down to tend to their crops. Though the first crops were nothing more than seed s thrown about without rhyme or reason to the process we know today such as fields having, rows and sorting out the seeds to create a higher yield each harvest (Authors 2007). Because of the trial and error process, agriculture of plants did not take place of a short period but took many, many years to evolve to what we know today as agriculture; the new fa...
By implementing new farming techniques provided with the new technological advances in machines we can see abundant harvest in even the poorest third world countries. For example, the Green Revolution has already showed admirable progress in the northern part of India ever since it took start in 1950. By 1997, northern India increased its grain production by 37 percent. This has proven that traditional farming methods are being rendered obsolete. And because by the year 2000, there will be half the land per person in developing countries as there was in 1970, we need to apply ultra-efficient methods to sustain the growing need. Not only does the Green Revolution enhances food output, it also preserves the environment.
The first Crash Course video by John Green describes the primary point of the Agricultural Revolution by using an unappealing, double cheeseburger to show all processes needed to make the burger. This model is very effective; Green walks through the hunting and gathering agricultural methods of 15,000 years ago while comparing today’s dependency on all the ingredients. Although technology has progressed throughout the agricultural industry, basic farming methods have remained consistent.
...e in technique coming as a result of the pre-existing environment. The uptake of agriculture amongst communities permitted other residents to seek alternate forms of work and lifestyles. This support and reliance of agriculture as a basis for cities ensured the further development and integration of agriculture into average life. The extinction of species as a result of human development in communication and technologies combined with temperature changes, forced agricultural adoption in some circumstances.
...technology instilled in the crops will be very important. Finding the proper location for certain varieties to be planted is half the battle in having lucrative yields. Planting C3 crops in cooler climates across the globe while planting C4 crops in warmer plants where they will be the most beneficial is an important step that will have to be made. Also developing different varieties including drought resistance helps combat the ever-changing climate. The conservation of the nutrients in soil will lead to higher yields and can be accomplished with new innovations such as no-till farming. No till farming keeps micronutrients in the ground due to the fact the ground is not worked nearly as hard as if a plow were to go through. Since the soil stays in one place with no-till sub-moisture and nutrients are not lost when the ground is turned over and exposed to sunlight.
The genetics of crops can be altered to withstand extreme weather seasons, whether it be hot, cold, wet or dry. This changes everything for the production of crops and the way that farmers can do things. Doing this we will be able to provide a sufficient amount of crops through any type of weather.
Agriculture has changed dramatically, especially since the end of World War II. Food and fibre productivity rose due to new technologies, mechanization, increased chemical use, specialization and government policies that favoured maximizing production. These changes allowed fewer farmers with reduced labour demands to produce the majority of the food and fibre.
Agriculture is one of the most ancient forms of art and science that ties human development and well-being to natural resources and ecosystems. (Fritz J. Häni, 2007) Sustainable Agriculture is the production of food, fibre, plant and animal products using farming techniques that protect the environment, public health, human communities and animal welfare. (Sustainable Agriculture - The Basics, 2015) Sustainable agriculture is an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site – specific application that over the long term will:
Our world is growing! Growing in population, that is, but the resources are staying the same. To help with the growth of the population that will be happening in the 21st century, science and agriculture need to work hand-in-hand. They need to stand together to make a break through together, to ensure that everyone has food on their plate. We need to work to have larger yields with the land we have.
Farming has been an occupation since 8,500 B.C. On that year in the Fertile Crescent farming first began when people grew plants instead of picking them in the wild. Then nearly 5,000 years later oxen, horses, pigs, and dogs were domesticated. During the middle ages, the nobles divide their land into three fields. The reasoning for this was to plant two and leave one to recover. This was the start of crop rotation which is a big part of farming today. Burning down forest and then moving to another area is a farming technique used by the Mayans called Slash and burn. Mayan farmers also were able to drain swampy areas to farm them buy building canals. In 1701 Jethro Tull invented the seed drill and a horse drawn how that tilled the land. In Denmark they would plant turnips in the previously unplanted field. The turnips help restore the nutrients in the ground thus crop rotation is born. In England people began moving there fields closer to each other for a more efficient way of planting. Later in the 18th century selective breeding was introduce which made bigger, stronger, and more milk producing livestock. In the mid 1800’s a steam plough was invented. By the 1950 tractors, milking machines, and combines were used by almost farmers. The latest f...
That is, the conservation of selected plants and animals in se¬lected areas outside their natural habitat is known as ex-situ con¬servation. The stresses on living organisms due to competition for food, water, space etc. can be avoided by ex-situ conservation there by providing conditions necessary for a secure life and breeding. Such strategies include establishment of botanical gardens, zoos, conservation strands and gene, pollen seed, seedling, tissue culture and DNA
Farming has always been challenging, some years conditions roll in the favor of the farmer; most years the farmer has to do the best possible without full cooperation of nature. Understanding ecological principles and how those principles can be utilized, to improve crop performance, is useful for the farmer. This will surely become even more true as climate change brings new challenges and opportunities within the agricultural industry. Of the many agroecological principles which will have value to farmers, as environmental factors change, adaption will be the most necessary to ensuring food security.