Food Production

Strategies for enhancement in food production involve: (i) plant breeding and improved seed varieties, (ii) animal husbandry and aquaculture, (iii) tissue culture and micropropagation, (iv) single cell protein (SCP), and (v) biofortification. These approaches aim to increase yield, improve nutritional quality, and provide resistance to disease, pests and environmental stress. **Key contributor:** M.S. Swaminathan (born August 1925, Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu) — worked at IARI; initiated collaboration with Norman Borlaug which culminated in the Green Revolution through introduction of Mexican varieties of wheat in India. Also known for development of concept of crop cafeteria, crop scheduling, and genetically improving yield and quality. Initiator of 'Lab-to-Land' programme. --- ### Plant Breeding **Plant breeding** = alteration of the genetic constitution of plants to make them more useful to human beings, through: collection of variability, evaluation and selection of parents, hybridisation, selection and testing of superior recombinants, release and commercialisation. **Green Revolution** (breeding high-yielding varieties): - Semi-dwarf wheat varieties introduced to India from Mexico by M.S. Swaminathan in collaboration with Norman Borlaug - Semi-dwarf rice varieties: developed at International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines - Examples: **Sonalika** and **Kalyan Sona** (wheat varieties developed in India, suitable for wide cultivation from 1963-1964) - **IR-8** (rice variety from IRRI) — first high-yielding semi-dwarf rice variety; introduced to India alongside other varieties - India went from a food-deficient country to one of the world's biggest producers of wheat and rice within a very short period **Breeding for disease resistance:** - Wheat variety **Himgiri** (developed through hybridisation and selection): resistant to hill bunt, leaf and stripe rust, and wheat bunt - Cowpea variety **Pusa Komal**: resistant to bacterial blight - Chilli variety **Pusa Sadabahar**: resistant to chilly mosaic virus, tobacco mosaic virus, and leaf curl **Breeding for pest resistance:** - Brassica variety **Pusa Gaurav**: resistant to aphids - Flat bean variety **Pusa Sem 2** and **Pusa Sem 3**: resistant to jassids, aphids, and fruit borers - Okra (bhindi/lady's finger) varieties **Pusa Sawani** and **Pusa A-4**: resistant to shoot and fruit borer **Breeding for abiotic stress resistance:** Drought, salinity, waterlogging, heat, cold — varieties bred for tolerance to these abiotic stresses **Breeding for higher nutritional quality (Biofortification):** **Biofortification** = breeding crops with higher levels of vitamins and minerals, higher protein content, and healthier fats. Objectives: improve public health by reducing nutritional deficiency. Examples of biofortified crops bred at IARI (Indian Agricultural Research Institute): - **Maize hybrids**: high amino acid content (lysine and tryptophan) — addressing nutritional quality - **Wheat variety Atlas 66**: high protein content - **Iron-fortified rice**: iron content twice that of known varieties - **Vitamin A-enriched Golden Rice**: engineered to produce beta-carotene (provitamin A) - **Spinach and garden beans**: high iron content - **Potato**: improved protein and micronutrient content IARI has also developed many vegetable crops rich in vitamins and minerals: vitamin C-enriched bitter gourd, bathua, mustard, tomato; calcium and iron-rich vegetables; vitamin A enriched carrots, spinach, pumpkin. --- ### Tissue Culture — Micropropagation **Plant tissue culture** = technique of growing plant cells, tissues, organs, seeds or other plant parts in sterile conditions on a nutrient medium. Based on **totipotency** — the ability of a single cell to divide and develop into a new organism when grown in a suitable medium. Also called **micropropagation** — production of a large number of plantlets from a small amount of plant material in a short time. **Somatic hybridisation:** - Protoplasts (cells without cell walls) of two different varieties of plants are fused to get hybrid protoplasts - These can be grown to form new plants (somatic hybrids) - Example: Pomato (hybrid of potato and tomato) **In vitro fertilisation:** Plant breeding technique where fertilisation is performed outside the plant **Advantages of tissue culture:** - Propagation of virus-free plants - Year-round production - Large-scale multiplication of plants --- ### Single Cell Protein (SCP) **Single Cell Protein (SCP)** = protein derived from cells of microbes, grown on different substrates as source of protein for human food or animal feed. Microbes used for SCP: - **Spirulina** (cyanobacterium/blue-green alga): grown on waste water from potato processing plants, straw, animal manure, even sewage; protein-rich; can be grown in large quantities - **Methylophilus methylotrophus:** bacterium that can be grown on methanol; produces large amounts of SCP for food supplement - **Fungi:** Fusarium graminearum — used to produce mycoprotein (commercially sold as Quorn) Benefits of SCP: - Protein rich food alternative (Spirulina contains 60-70% proteins) - Helps address shortage of conventional food sources - Low land requirement compared to conventional agriculture - Reduces environmental waste (grown on waste materials) --- ### Animal Husbandry **Animal husbandry** deals with the scientific management of animal livestock. Includes cattle, poultry, fish, bees, silk worms. **Cattle farming — two types:** 1. **Dairy animals** (milch animals): for milk production — Sahiwal (cow) for tropical climate; Jersey and Brown Swiss crosses 2. **Draught animals:** for farm labour — bullocks **Poultry farming:** Production of egg-laying (layer) and meat-type (broiler) birds. Broiler chickens are fed on protein-rich feeds with adequate fat. Poultry breeds include: Leghorn, Minorca, Black Australorp, White Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red (RIR). **Bee keeping (Apiculture):** Apis cerana indica (domestic bee), A. dorsata (rock bee), A. florea (little bee), A. mellifera (Italian bee) — A. mellifera is most preferred for commercial honey production. **Fisheries (Aquaculture):** Fish production through fin fish and shellfish culture. Composite fish culture is the practice of culturing different types of fish in a single pond. ---