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food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition, particularly in South
Asia and sub-Saharan Africa (Nelson et al., 2009; Parry et al.,
2009). For example, the global temperature increased between
1981 and 2002, reducing the yields of major cereals by cost-
ing as much as $5 billion per year (Lobell and Field, 2007).
The productivity of maize was drastically reduced by heat
waves and drought in Italy (Ciais et al., 2005). Heat waves also
affected wheat production in Central Asia and extreme flood-
ing in South Asia in 2009-2010. In addition to the challenges
associated with the climate change like extreme temperatures,
drought and flooding, the biotic stresses such as pests, diseases
and alien weed species also affect the current cropping systems
(Hyman et al., 2008; Wassmann et al., 2009).
6.3 Biotechnology for climate change mitigation
and crop adaptation
Agricultural biotechnology can play a positive role in address-
ing the problems associated with climate change by mitigating
the impact of climate change, creating adaptation techniques
and reduced-impact agricultural methods. Climate change
mitigation refers to human interventions to reduce the sources
or decrease the intensity of negative effects of climate change.
Generally the climate change mitigation strategies involve
reductions in the concentration of atmospheric greenhouses
gases either by keeping a check on their sources or by increas-
ing their sinks (IPCC, 2007). Climate change adaptation strat-
egy involves the reduction in the vulnerability of natural and
human systems to climate change effects (IPCC, 2007).
6.4 Biotechnology for climate change mitigation
Biotechnology plays a great role in reducing the on-farm fuel
consumption by reducing the usage of chemical inputs and
employing low-till or no-till agricultural methods. The use of
chemical inputs such as fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides has
become a common practice in the industrial agriculture world-
wide, especially marginal landscapes, and has resulted in the
global scale contamination of the environment with toxins that
change the course of biogeochemical cycles. While these chem-
ical inputs help to accelerate crop growth and increase yields,
their effects on the climate change through the emissions of
greenhouse gases are becoming increasingly evident.
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