Expert Says New Breeding Technologies Can Help Grow More Food
March 21, 2018| |
Food security expert, Prof. Mark Tester, said that new breeding technologies would be helpful to develop salt resistant crops that can address food scarcity globally. He mentioned this in his speech at the lecture organized by Organization of Islamic Cooperation's Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) in Pakistan on March 15, 2018. The event was attended by academics, students and professionals from the fields of biotechnology and plant sciences.
Tester explained how the twin challenges of food scarcity and limited fresh water are being addressed by their research team at King Abdul Aziz University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia. Through the science of genomics, they are identifying the genes that enable plants to survive saline conditions. When these genes are incorporated to economically important crops such as barley and tomato, new varieties can withstand saline conditions. Tester also discussed the parallel initiatives whereby existing saline resistant wild plants are being enhanced to make them edible.
Get more details from COMSTECH and Urdu Point.
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