Question

. Why do you need to improve the existing varieties of plants (give any three reasons)?

Answer 1

The importance of plant genetic diversity (PGD) is now being recognized as a specific area since exploding population with urbanization and decreasing cultivable lands are the critical factors contributing to food insecurity in developing world.

Agricultural scientists realized that PGD can be captured and stored in the form of plant genetic resources (PGR) such as gene bank, DNA library, and so forth, in the biorepository which preserve genetic material for long period.

However, conserved PGR must be utilized for crop improvement in order to meet future global challenges in relation to food and nutritional security.

This paper comprehensively reviews four important areas;

(i) the significance of plant genetic diversity (PGD) and PGR especially on agriculturally important crops (mostly field crops);

(ii) risk associated with narrowing the genetic base of current commercial cultivars and climate change;

(iii) analysis of existing PGD analytical methods in pregenomic and genomic era; and

(iv) modern tools available for PGD analysis in postgenomic era.

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Answer 2

Answer:

By molecular biology and genetic engineering plant breeders develop varieties that are higher yielding to meet the need of the growing population, more nutritious, adapted to harsh environments, less costly to farm, and resistant to pests and disease.