Chapter 9: Strategies for Enhancement in Food Production

The various steps undertaken while releasing a new variety are

1. Collection of variability: Variety of genes and characters are collected from all the wild variety present of the specific plant.

2. Evaluation and selection of parents: Parents are selected according to the desirable traits and characteristics.

3. Cross hybridisation among the selected parents: The two parents with desirable traits are crossed such that both the desirable trait now occurs in one plant. This is a time-consuming task

4. Selection and testing of superior recombinants: Select the superior hybrids that have the desirable characteristics of both the parents.

5. Testing, release and commercialisation of the new cultivars: To test the quality and evaluate the quantity of the product after selecting the superior hybrid, they are allowed to grow in the research field. Only that hybrid whose product is qualitatively and quantitatively good is released to grow economically

(a) The shift from grains to meat diets create more demands for cereals because humans consume meat which is obtained from animals such as goat, chicken, cow etc. These animals consume cereals for their nourishment and produce 1kg of meat.

(b) The name of this emerging area of research is Single Cell Protein. It is an alternate source of proteins for animal and human nutrition. They produce a large amount of protein in a short period. It is less time-consuming and high-yielding method.

1. Conventional breeding techniques failed to keep pace with the growing demands of the current time.

2. Tissue culture produces thousands of exact plant together in a short period

3. An explant or any part of the plant is selected and is grown in a test tube.

4. The growth takes place under sterile conditions in a special nutrient medium which contains a carbon source, inorganic salts, amino acids, vitamins and other growth regulators.

5. The tissue culture also helps in the recovery of the healthy plant from a diseased plant.

1. MOET:

Multiple Ovulation Embryo Transfer Technology (MOET) is used to improve the success rate of fertilization during artificial insemination in animal husbandry. Here the cow is administered with certain hormones with FSH like activity.

2. SINGLE CELL PROTEIN:

Single-cell protein is used as the alternate source of proteins for animal and human nutrition. It is very

Advantageous as the microbes are grown in a very huge amount.

3. BIOFORTIFICATION:

Biofortification is a technique of breeding crops with higher levels of nutrients example vitamin, minerals, proteins, fats etc.

4. TISSUE CULTURE:

Tissue culture is the method through which we can produce thousands of plants of the same type by a single cell.

Apiculture is the maintenance of hives of honeybees for the production of honey. It is also known as beekeeping.

1. It provides honey and wax and other honey products. The farmers sell these and get extra money.

2. They are good pollinators and increase the rate of pollination.

3. A beehive would have a large number of honey bees. The honey bee is the major pollinator of many plants.

4. Good pollination results in the increase in seed production, ultimately increasing the crop of plants.

5. The pollination of the crops will take place at a good rate and helps farmers.

(a) The mutation is processed by which the genetic sequence of the plant can be altered. Mutations can occur naturally and it is induced too. In mung bean, resistance to yellow mosaic virus and powdery mildew were induced by mutations.

(b) The technology that has made us self-sufficient in food production is plant breeding. the best variety of plant with desirable traits is grown to release a variety of products.

Tissue culture is the method through which we can produce thousands of plants of the same type by a single cell. This ability to develop the whole plant from a single cell is known as totipotency. Totipotency helps in the production of thousands of plants that are genetically similar. This large-scale production of plants is known as micro-propagation.

(a) Multiple Ovulation Embryo Transfer Technology is one way to increase food production.

(b) Tissue culture is another way that helps in the production of a large number of plants within a very short period with just a single cell.

c) Single-cell protein is an alternative source of protein obtained from microbes.

DEMERITS:

a. Multiple Ovulation Embryo Transfer Technology is a high-cost method, and the success rate is low

b. There is a reduction of genetic diversity in the case of tissue culture

c. In single-cell proteins, their maintenance is a very costly process

Food production can be defined as an effective method of producing food for the masses. A substance that is capable of nourishing the human body can be termed as food. Human beings started producing food a few thousand years ago and have come up with some unique strategies to produce food. Some of these are listed below:

1. Meat Production
2. Food Grain Production
3. Cotton Production
4. Milk/Dairy Production
5. Fish Production