Gene editing, nanotechnology in farming

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    In Context- Recently, experts recommended employing new tools such as Gene editing and Nanotechnology-based solutions in the Agriculture sector.

    Why is it needed?

    • The need for new breeding technologies is essential if global crop production is to double by 2050 to meet the rising food demand.
      • Yield increases of 2.4% per year are required to meet the demand without putting more land under cultivation.
      • The annual production of cereals would need to go up by 50% to about three billion tonnes to provide for the 2050 population demand.
    •  Genome-edited crops had the potential to lower chemical fertilizer and pesticide use, reduce post-harvest losses while at the same time producing climate-resilient, nutrient-dense, and higher-yield crops.
    • Nanotechnology is an emerging field of Indian agriculture.
      • The use of nanotechnology for enhanced crop productivity can be a locally viable strategy for farmers, especially in exigencies.

    What is  Gene editing?

    • Gene/genome editing refers to technology that permits to change an organism’s DNA.
      • These technologies allow genetic material to be added, removed, or altered at particular locations in the genome.
    • Its applications include correcting genetic defects, treating and preventing the spread of diseases and improving crops etc.
      • CRISPR technology is one of the tools used in gene editing.
    • Genomic editing is more accurate, faster, and less expensive compared to genetic modification.

    Use Nanotechnology in Agriculture:

    • Nanoscience and nanotechnology are the study and application of extremely small things which is about 1 to 100 nanometers.
    • It can be used across all the other science fields, such as chemistry, biology, physics, materials science, and engineering.
    • Nanotechnology in agriculture includes specific applications like nano fertilizers, nano pesticides, and targeted use of inputs to increase the productivity without decontamination of soil and water etc.
    • Steps Taken-   In 2007, the government launched a 5-year program called Nano Science and Technology Mission (NSTM) for research and promotion.

    Last year, the Ministry of Agriculture released ‘Guidelines for Evaluation of Nano-based Agri-input and food products in India’.

    CRISPR technology:

    • The CRISPR stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats and was developed in the year 2012.
    • CRISPRs are specialized stretches of DNA.
      •  The protein Cas9 (or “CRISPR-associated”) is an enzyme that acts like a pair of molecular scissors, capable of cutting strands of DNA.
      • It allows researchers to easily alter DNA sequences and modify gene function.
    • CRISPR-Cas9 technology was set to revolutionise medicine — in the treatment of diseases such as sickle cell anaemia, for instance — and agriculture.

    • The CRISPR-Cas9 tool has already contributed to significant gains in crop resilience, altering their genetic code to better withstand drought and pests.
    • The technology has also led to innovative cancer treatments and many experts hope that it may help in curing the inherited diseases.

    Source: TH

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