By Carol Reynolds
AGBIOTECH
World Hunger
solUtIons: AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY AND PLANT GENOMICS
The Problem:
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The Solution: Can agricultural biotechnology and genomics research tools help solve the world hunger crisis? Through plant breeding techniques and genomics tools, new, more nutritious crop varieties are being developed, allowing for the cultivation of crops across different regions in various soil conditions. New crop varieties also have the potential to mitigate losses brought on by disease and climate change effects.
The past decade has brought a surge of plant genomics and agricultural biotechnology research activity in Canada. Genome Canada, Genome Prairie, Genome Alberta and other organizations have provided leadership and support in these crop research areas. 14 BIOTECHNOLOGY FOCUS JULY/AUGUST 2010
There are 1.02 billion undernourished people in the world today. That means one in nearly six people do not get enough food to be healthy and lead an active life. In addition to the obvious hunger resulting from an empty stomach, there is also the hidden hunger of micronutrient deficiencies which make people susceptible to infectious diseases, impair physical and mental development, reduce their labour productivity and increase the risk of premature death.1
From adding value to existing crops, to designing new ones and increasing tolerance for others, researchers across Canada have collaborated with global scientists to put Canada on the map as a leader in this globally important area.
Climate Change Challenges – hot and Cold For countries with limited arable land, maximizing production is even more important. Genomics research involving crops grown in these areas can lead to increased yields, frost and drought tolerance and improved nutritional profiles. For example, early frost on the Canadian Prairies can mean the difference between a healthy profit and a staggering loss for farmers. In Saskatchewan alone, frost damage to the 2003-04 crop amounted to an estimated half a billion dollars. 3 The rapidly expanding area of functional genomics offers significant opportunities for the understanding and manipulation of complex genetic systems, ultimately resulting in improved low-temperature tolerance of crop cultivars. Projects such as Genome Prairie’s Crop Adaptation Genomics (CAG) project led by Dr. Brian Fowler, Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan, have made advances in frost and drought tolerance in cereal crops. Enhanced cold tolerance could save millions of dollars in crop losses for farmers in a certain climate zones, lessening reliance on agriculture insurance programs. Planting cold-tolerant wheat varieties has significant societal benefits, as these crops can be planted earlier, resulting in better weed control, reduced herbicide costs and increased production through crop rotation. Luckily some of the same genes responsible for frost tolerance are the same ones related to drought tolerance, so the CAG project research stands to benefit crops in both extremes. www.cropadaptationgenomics.ca
