Broadly-speaking, biotechnology is any technique that uses living organisms or substances from these organisms to make or modify a product for a practical purpose.

Biotechnology can be applied to all classes of organism—from viruses and bacteria to plants and animals—and it is becoming a major feature of modern medicine, agriculture, and industry. Modern agricultural biotechnology includes a range of tools that scientists employ to understand and manipulate the genetic make-up of organisms for use in the production or processing of agricultural products.

Some applications of biotechnology, such as fermentation and brewing, have been used for millennia. Other applications are newer but also well established.

This book provides students with a basic understanding of the concepts that contribute to the agriculture biotechnology revolution. This information enables students to engage and utilize the texts, science-based content in classroom discussions and research activities.

Contents:

Introduction

Biotechnology in the CGIAR System

Biotechnology in the Forestry Sector

Prospects and Limitations of Agricultural Biotechnologies

Biotechnology and Indian Agriculture: The Challenge of the Next Millennium

Fungi in Agricultural Biotechnology

Biotechnology in Agricultural Development

The Case Against Agricultural Biotechnology

Methodological Tools and Approaches - Biotechnology and Agriculture in Brazil

Effects of Biotechnology on Agro-biodiversity

Evaluation of the Safety of the Kanamycin Resistance Gene as a Selectable Marker

Agricultural Biotechnology in Asia

Methodological Tools and Approaches - Agricultural Biotechnology

Agriculture in the Developing World: Connecting innovations