Agricultural Biotechnology
Iqbal Harbi Mohammed
General Board of date Palm
What is biotechnology?
 as a set of tools that uses living organisms (or partsof
organisms) to make or modify a product, improve
plants, trees or animals, or develop microorganisms for
specific uses. Agricultural biotechnology is the term
used in crop and livestock improvement through
biotechnology tools Biotechnology encompasses a
number of tools and elements of conventional breeding
techniques, bioinformatics, microbiology, molecular
genetics, biochemistry, plant physiology, and molecular
biology.
Biotechnology:
A collection of technologies
The biotechnology tools that are important for
agricultural biotechnology
include
 Conventional plant breeding
 - Tissue culture and micropropagation
 - Molecular breeding or marker assisted
selection
 - Genetic engineering and GM crops
 - Molecular Diagnostic Tools
Integration of conventional and modern biotechnology
methods in crop breeding
The Applications of Biotechnology

Agricultural Biotechnology
 Plant agriculture
 Animal agriculture
 Food processing
Applications of
Biotechnology
• Tissue culture
• Organic fertilizers
• Bio-fertilizer
• Genetic Engineering
Agricultural Biotechnology in Iraq
 Ministry of Agriculture:
- Tissue culture laboratory
- Biotechnology laboratory
Why is Plant Tissue Culture Important?
 It has made significant contributions in:




The production of plant material
Plant breeding
Gene banks
The production of chemical compounds
Tissue culture
Vegetative
Formation Stage multiplication
stage
Field
Acclimation
Elongation
Root Formation
Stage
Tissue culture
Biotechnology laboratory
A) Infrastructure:
DNA extraction.
PCR amplification.
Agarose and PAGE gelelectrophoresis.
DNA fingerprinting
B) The human resources:
•Biotechnology expert (Ph.D.)
•Tissue Culture expert (Ph.D)
•Agriculture engineers (M.Sc.)
•Agriculture engineers (B.Sc.)
•Technicians
•Temporary technicians
•Workers
C) Objectives:
Introduction of tissue culture and molecular techniques to the
Iraq.
propagation of local and imported date palm cultivars (and other
species )using the tissue culture technique.
Multiplication of other plant species for different national projects.
Establishment of a genetic map for date palms and other
species.(olive,potato.wheat,Barley,)
Molecular characterization of the Iraq genetic resources.
Molecular diagnostics.
 Identification of genetically modified crops
 Identification of fingerprint by protien
electrophorese
 Checking of the genetic stability of tissue
culture plants
 DNA finger printing for many plant species by
using different types of molecular markers
 RAPD
 AFLP
 SSR
 Development of a date palm breeding program.
 Fingerprinting of date palms cultivars.
2
Applications of Biotechnology
Natural
Agriculture
Biofertilizer
Organic
fertilizers
Biofertilizers
The term biofertilizer refers to preparation
containing live microbes which helps in enhancing the soil
fertility either by fixing atmospheric nitrogen, solubilization
of phosphorus or decomposing organic wastes or by
augmenting plant growth by producing growth hormones
with their biological activities.
Rhizobium Bacteria
Bacteria in root surface
Bacteria in root surface
Legume inoculation
Advantages of Biofertilizers
Renewable source of nutrients
Sustain soil health
Supplement chemical fertilizers.
Replace 25-30% chemical fertilizers
Increase the grain yields by 10-40%.
Decompose plant residues, and stabilize C:N ratio of soil
Improve texture, structure and water holding capacity of soil
No adverse effect on plant growth and soil fertility.
Stimulates plant growth by secreting growth hormones.
Secrete fungistatic and antibiotic like substances
Solubilize and mobilize nutrients
Eco-friendly, non-pollutants and cost effective method
BIOFERTILIZER ORGANISMS
RHIZOBIUM
AZOTOBACTER
PSB
BLUE GREEN ALGAE
AZOSPIRILLUM
VA-MYCORRHIZA
Organic fertilizers
an ecological production management system
that promotes and enhances biodiversity,
biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is
based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on
management practices that restore, maintain and
enhance ecological harmony.”
the Important Role of Organic Matter in Soils
􀁺 Physical
- Improves aggregation (glue)
- Improves water holding capacity (surface area)
􀁺 Chemical
- Increases nutrient availability (cycling, P and
micronutrient solubility
- Increases CEC (200 cmolc kg-1)
- Buffers the soil against pH changes
􀁺 Biological
- Increases microbial diversity
- Assists in pathogen suppression
Justification for establishing agricultural biotechnology network
 The network will enable scientists of
member countries to get acquainted with
experiences gained and progress achieved.
 The network will enable scientists to learn
more about recent advances in
technologies.
 Less developed countries will capitalize
on more advance member countries in
training..
Justification for establishing agricultural biotechnology
network
 The network will allow less advanced countries
get acquainted with these achievements and
adopt them .
 The network will help less advanced countries
learn more on how biotechnology research has
been integrated in development .
 How decision makers came to support this type
of research.
 Lessons learnt can be made available via the
network in the annual meetings or through the
periodical publications.
Recommendations
•Develop an annual report for each joint research presented in
each country in the field of agricultural and biological
technologies by way which is accessible, compares them and
identifies common similarities and differences.
•Conduct joint research on some of the common crops grown
between the participating countries to enable work out
through the study of environmental and genetic conditions
that affect the quality and productivity of these crops.
•Development of a shared location (web site) for the
dissemination of research and the latest developments.