Plant Biotechnology
Many scientists view plant biotechnology
as the next step in the refinement of genetic
enhancement techniques that began thousands
of years ago with the domestication of
wild plants for food production. Plant biotechnology
is a precise process in which scientific
techniques are used to develop molecular-
and cellular-based technologies to improve
plant productivity, quality, and health and
the quality of plant products; prevention,
reduction, or elimination of constraints
to plant productivity caused by diseases,
pest organisms, and environmental stresses.
CSREES areas of work include, but are not
limited to:
- Sequencing of plant genomes and development
or identification of molecular tools such
as molecular markers, expressed sequence
tags, and quantitative trait loci (QTL)
- Genetic structures and mechanisms
- Genetic engineering technology, including
development of regeneration and tissue
culture techniques inheritance of traits
- Databases and associated bioinformatics.
Since the early 1980s, methods have been
developed and refined to generate transgenic
plants. CSREES has supported research projects
to generate transgenic
plants with a variety of traits useful
for agricultural research and food production. Plant
genomic research funded by CSREES and
other agencies promises to provide new tools
for plant breeding and food production.
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