In this article we will discuss about the significance of genomics in agriculture.
The main goal of agriculture research is to improve of economically important crops like rice, wheat, corn, oilseeds and vegetables etc. For the production of high quality food in substantial quantity, the above goal can be accomplished by optimising plant growth overcoming abiotic and biotic stress.
Therefore, in order to meet these high expectations in agriculture, genomics, as an integrated technology platform, will play a key role in the future. It will help to find new solutions for improved germplasm and chemical crop protection.
Genomics has several positive implications like:
(i) Solutions for improved germplasm in crop plants by optimizations of endogenous genes or introduction of new ones, in order to improve crop traits.
(ii) Genomics solutions for chemical crop protection i.e., validation of genes and their proteins, from insects, fungi and weeds in order to test their efficacy as molecular targets of novel insecticides, fungicides or herbicides.
i. Genomics in Seed Research:
In Marker Assisted Breeding, genomics is used as powerful tool to identify the genes which are responsible for the new trait. Thus, new crop trait controlled by multiple genes can rapidly identify on the basis of a typical pattern of the molecular markers in seed germplasm. In addition, Marker Assisted Breeding is also an attractive as it enables the use of natural genetic diversity of related species.
ii. Genomics in Crop Protection Research:
Genomic technologies can also be used to find new targets for chemical used to protect crops. In the initial step the genes of the potential targets in the pest or, weeds can be knocked out by various biotechnological means, result in the lethal effect on organisms, simulate with biotechnological strategies inhibiting effect of potential insecticides or herbicides. In the next step, these target proteins are developed into in vitro microarrays for High Throughput Screening.
