BioMelbourne Network
Progressing BioIndustry
Agricultural Biotechnology
Biotechnology is being used to address problems in all areas of agricultural production and processing. This includes plant breeding to raise and stabilse yields; to improve resistance to pests, diseases and abiotic stresses such as drought and cold; and to enhance the nutritional content of foods. Biotechnology is being used to develop low-cost disease-free planting materials for crops such as cassava, banana and potato and is creating new tools for the diagnosis and treatment of plant and animal diseases and for the measurement and conservation of genetic resources. Biotechnology is being used to speed up breeding programmes for plants, livestock and fish and to extend the range of traits that can be addressed. Animal feeds and feeding practices are being changed by biotechnology to improve animal nutrition and to reduce environmental waste. Biotechnology is used in disease diagnostics and for the production of vaccines against animal diseases.
Clearly, biotechnology is more than genetic engineeting. Indeed, some of the least controversial aspects of agricultural biotechnology are potentially the most powerful and the most beneficial for the poor. Genomics, for example, is revolutionizing our understanding of the ways genes, cells, organisams and ecosystems function and is opening new horizons for marker-assisted breeding and genetic resource management. At the same time, genetic engineering is a very powerful tool whose role should be carefully evaluated. It is important to understand how biotechnology - particularly genetic engineering - complements and extends other approaches if sensible decisions are to be made about its use.
Visit the following links to learn more about agricultural biotechnology in Australia.
Australian Links
Agribusiness Advisory & Research
Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry Australia
Asian Agribusiness Research Centre
Bayer Crop Science
Council for Biotechnology Information
Department of Primary Industries
Farmguide
Rural Industry Research & Development Corporation
University of Melbourne - Melbourne School of Land and Environment
