The career which combines agriculture with DNA technology is called Biological Agriculture (Biological Technology). It is a rapidly growing discipline of agricultural science that involves the application of genetic tools and techniques to change living organisms without modifying their DNA. It also involves using bacteria, plants and other biological or non-biological organisms to support the development of the crops in a desired way. The major areas of emphasis in the field of Biological Agriculture are Food and Feed Research, Genomics, Plant and Food Products Trials, Nutrition and Health, and Eco Agriculture. The field is seeing tremendous growth due to various reasons. One of the major reasons is the rising number of food allergens which restrict the growing of many crops including; wheat, corn, and soy.
In this process of altering and improving the traits of crop plants through the help of crops, genetic material is passed on from one generation to another and in the end the crops developed are as good as the next generation. During the earlier years, genetic modification was done by using natural and organic methods. But as time progressed, the genetic modification became more sophisticated and today the methods are used to introduce, among others, insect-resistant crops, drought-tolerant ones, etc. Some crops that are commonly grown and are very productive include; soya beans, tobacco, maize, cotton, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, hops and oats. These crops can be transformed into a variety of foods like; ethanol, biodiesel, fuel, fertilizer, chemicals, vitamins and pharmaceutical products.
There are two areas in which a person can specialize: plant genetic engineering. In the first area an individual can be involved in developing genetically engineered crops that are resistant to diseases. In the second area, an individual can become involved in transforming conventional non-food crops into food crops which are highly productive and cost effective. The transformation requires minimal water, minimum land and produces high yields with minimum labor. One can become involved with this field by joining any of the colleges which provides agriculture biotechnology related programs.
Agriculture Biotechnology
In order to get into the field of agriculture biotechnology, it is not essential that an individual has to get a degree in botany, chemistry, zoology or biology. A Bachelor’s degree in science is sufficient. Agriculture biotechnology graduates can also look out for jobs in the various industries which provide technologies to transform food crops. Some of these industries are food processing, nutrition, cosmetic industry, bio-technology, pharmaceuticals and agriculture. Biotechnologists working in these industries can choose to work directly for the companies which manufacture the technologies or they can join any of the organizations which provide training and internship to these graduates.
Other than transforming crops, agriculture biotechnology has other applications too. These include food and beverage analysis, genetic management, cloning, genetic engineering, livestock genetics, food safety, animal genetics, climate change adaptation and genetic analysis for disaster preparedness. Research on agriculture has also produced several novel crops which are useful for the modern farmer. One such crop is the Sir Walter, which has been developed for the efficient management of crop disease.
There are several other crops, which have been developed by agriculture biotechnology. These include soya bean which has high oil solids content, wheat, tobacco, maize, sugarcane and so on. Which career combines dna technology with agriculture and which career combines dna technology and living organisms is another interesting question that has a number of answers.