Textbook of Agricultural Biotechnology

Description

Agriculture and its allied sectors are the mainstay for nearly half of the Indian population and significantly contribute to the socio-economic fabric of the country. Agricultural intensification has led to unprecedented gains in food production making India self-sufficient. However, sustainable growth in agricultural production and productivity has become a priority area in wake of multilateral challenges of burgeoning population, climate change & associated biotic and abiotic stress factors, shrinking arable land and natural resources. Adequate food supply is no longer a cause for complacency due to complex issues of hidden hunger thus putting more emphasis on nutritional security. Despite these challenges, India has huge advantage in terms of its rich biodiversity and vast human resource pool. Plant Biotechnology has been instrumental in augmenting crop productivity to improve food, feed, and fiber security, and in reducing the environmental footprint of agriculture. Quantum leaps in molecular biology including genomics, proteomics, genome engineering/editing offer remarkable economic, environmental and social opportunities in spearheading current and future agriculture research. This book “Textbook of Agricultural Biotechnology” brings together the principles and contemporary agricultural biotechnology.