CHAPTER 4 - GENETIC RESOURCES IN AGRICULTURE

Germplasm

⇒ a collection of genetic resources for an organism

⇒ DNA of an organism through collection of materials

• Worldwide collections of plant, animal & bacterial
germplasm for use in breeding new organisms and the
conservation of existing species.

Biological diversity (Biodiversity)

• Variability among living organisms
• Plant or animal diversity
• Terrestrial or marine

• Within species or between species

• Often used to refer to the total number of different species on Earth 
• Living organism from all sources including inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and ecological complexes.

There are 3 aspects of biodiversity :

 i) Genetic diversity : individual organisms,variation of genes

ii) Species diversity : species in an ecosystem

iii) Ecosystem diversity :  a higher level of organisation on earth habitat, topography, elevation, natural vs agroecosystem.

Genetic Resource Applications : Agriculture production is increased through the use of
improved genetic resources (new variety) created by
altering the genetic constitution.

Advantages   :  1) Increase in yield

                                         2) Pest and disease resistance

                               3) Ecological tolerance

 categories of genetic resources :

1. Wild relatives - species in the wild from the same genus of the crop or livestock.

2. Weedy relatives - bridge between wild relatives and domesticated species (neglected varieties, evolved to adapt the natural growing environment.

3. Primitive cultivars/landraces - the cultivated varieties during earlier times.

4. Modern cultivars - improved strains bred from primitive cultivars.

5. Advanced breeding lines - superior germplasm selected from modern cultivars.

6. Genes from other species - advanced lines which contain specific desired genes

from other species. For example, 90% of the genes in rice could also be found in corn, wheat and barley

•  Source of variation : mutations and sexual recombinant
• Mutation : accidental changes & DNA, rare and random
• Recombinant: Different DNA from parent

Techniques to Conserve Genetic Resources
1.In situ conservation

2. Ex situ conservation

Threats to Diversity and Loss of Genetic Resources

1) Domestication and use of modern varieties

2. Wanton (intentional damage)

3) Natural extinctions as a result of competition and natural disasters.

THANK YOU 

CHAPTER 3 : AGRO - ECOLOGICAL SYSTEM

AGROECOLOGY & CLIMATE CHANGE

  Different  CLIMATE

Tropics 

Many agricultural activities such as rubber, oil palm, cocoa, coconuts and sugar cane.

Temperate  

• Neither too warm nor too cold 
•  neither too wet nor too dry.
•   Four season can be identified a warm summer, cool winter, mild spring and autumn.
• Crops are usually planted in spring and harvested in summer like maize, and wheat.

  

  

• Very low temperature 
• short growing season.
•  Dominant vegetation like grasses, mosses and lichens.
• Farming of crops and livestock are possible 
• restricted enclosures adequate water supply.

 Three  types of tundra are Arctic

Antarctic

 Alpine.

 Deserts

• Very little precipitation of < than 250 mm annually.
• Usually have extreme diurnal temperature range
•  very high in the day, and extremely low at night.
•  Agriculture is made possible with sufficient irrigation 

 

water:

Southern peninsular Malaysia has an average annual rainfall in excess of 3000mm, most suitable for oil palm cultivation.

• Kedah-Perlis region received <2000mm, more suitable for rubber and mangoes.

soil :

soil health : Foundation of productive farming practices.

 HUMAN RESOURCE

      Agriculture needs many:

1. Scientists - who conduct research from production level to processing and marketing.
2. Teaching institutions of agriculture - produce graduates in numerous agricultural fields.
3.  Supporting specialists - extension specialist to pass the knowledge to the operators in the fields, marketing specialists and the economists.
4. Skilled operators - land preparation, managing machine and tools, planting and harvesting

Important in soil nutrient cycle

    Impact of Climatic Change

Global Warming - 

cause :releases greenhouse gas

industries 

EFFECT : melting polar ice.

 Impact of Pollution

• Acid Rain : impact on forest, fresh water and soil, killing off life forms, and effecting crops and animal production.
• Heavy Metals : intensive industry,available to plants and animal and in phosphate rocks will pollute the soil and render the crops toxic.
• Chemical Pesticide : effects and reduces biodiversity.
• Eutrophication : cause an excessive enrichment of the water (eutrophication) leading to rapid algal growth.

thank you !

save the world.

CHAPTER 2 : THE TRANSFORMATION OF AGRICULTURE

Bismillah ,Hello everyone ! ^_^ 

Okay! today we continue next chapter 2.

What we had learned from last week .

The reflection :

Evolution of Agriculture :


1.PREHISTORIC ERA

 
STONE AGE

--*Pre-historic era of Palaeolithic

--*Human evolution

Food source :protein or carbohydrates

BRONZE AGE

*--Start metal working from naturally occurring ore than alloying those metal to cast bronze 

*--Better tools for agriculture

IRON AGE

**Iron cheaper, commonly found
**Easy to sharpen

2.MIDDLE AGES

Revolution based on 4 key areas:

• Irrigation system with machines, dams and reservoirs

animal power used to turn a wheel to lift water.

•  Adopted scientific approach to farming with improved farming techniques

-made possible raising of crops and animals away from place of origin

•   Incentive driven approach land ownership, workers right, rewards of harvest (wages)

•  Introduction of new crops and plant varieties (new cultivation techniques derived from function)

3.MODERN AGRICULTURE

MODERN VS TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURE

TRADITIONAL 

• No machinery (human labour and animals)
• Knowledge and skills are handed orally from one generation to the next
• Organic fertilizers

MODERN

• Employment of highly knowledgeable and skilled workers
• the highest economic profit possible
• No tradition 

Religion in Agriculture

ISLAM

 New varieties of plants produced through series of R&D and technology transfer initiatives. 

 High yielding and disease resistant

• New crop cultivars :Tissue culture

• Genetic engineering : produce new breeds  

• Genetic engineering in Agricultural Biotechnology

        Advanced processing methods and genetically modified organisms (GMO) to improve yields and quality.

Advantages GMO

uniform growth

Round the year planting

Early maturity of crop

Disadvantaged GMO

Many unknown effects

Unpredictable health effects

• Usage of chemicals and bioagents
• Use of precision agriculture
•  Innovations in mechanization and automation

How are GMO Created.

by DR NATRAH FATIN BINTI MOHD IKHSAN

Management of water resources for drinking and food security

YB.DATO' SERI AHMAD SHABERY CHEEK
(MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE & AGRO-BASED INDUSTRY)

THANK YOU ^_^

to be continue ......CHAPTER 3