Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
review, focus will be concentrated on the technical aspects of breeding
that accommodate future food demands in a world of decreasing resource
availability. By using more energy-effective approaches to breeding, vari-
eties can be developed that are best suited to specific agricultural ecosys-
tems, allowing for maximum production in that particular settings. Plant
breeding programs focused on developing genotypes adapted to specific
agricultural environments and lower inputs could help attain sustainable,
higher productions with lower energy costs to accommodate the grow-
ing population, while providing an adequate food supply and responsibly
managing declining resources.
TABLE 1:
Past, current, and projected future population sizes, along with changes in food
production and resource consumption.
Production Demands
Year
1960
2000
2050
Population (billions)
3
6
8.7-10
Food production (Mt)
1.8 × 10
9
3.5 × 10
9
6.5 × 10
9
Agricultural water (km
−3
)
1500
7130
12-13,500
N fertilizer use (Tg)
12
88
120
P fertilizer use (Tg)
11
40
55-60
Pesticide use (Tg, active ingredient)
1.0
3.7
10.1
Mt, Metric ton; km
−3
, cubic kilometer; Tg, 10
12
g or million metric tons. [1,2,5-11].
11.2 MODERN AGRICULTURE AND BREEDING STRATEGIES:
HIGH-INPUT PRODUCTION
In developed nations, modern agriculture is based on high-input agricul-
tural systems, which is not sustainable given resource limitations project-
ed to occur in the near future. High-input production systems often consist
of large acreage monocultures relying on heavy machinery, high-yielding
