{"id":20028,"date":"2025-10-17T18:12:59","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T12:42:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/?p=20028"},"modified":"2025-10-28T13:23:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T07:53:10","slug":"biotechnology-in-agriculture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/biotechnology-in-agriculture\/","title":{"rendered":"Biotechnology in Agriculture, Definition, Benefits, Applications, Concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Biotechnology in Agriculture plays a transformative role in modern farming by integrating advanced scientific tools with traditional agricultural practices to enhance productivity, sustainability, and food security. It involves modifying living organisms, plants, animals, or microorganisms to develop improved varieties that are pest-resistant, nutrient-rich, and climate-resilient.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">From genetic engineering and molecular breeding to biofortification and biofuel production, agricultural biotechnology offers innovative solutions for increasing crop yield, nutritional value, and environmental sustainability. However, alongside these benefits, it also raises concerns regarding health safety, environmental impact, ethical issues, and socioeconomic inequalities. Thus, biotechnology in agriculture represents both a promise and a challenge\u2014holding the potential to revolutionise global food systems while demanding responsible use and regulation.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Biotechnology in Agriculture Definition<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Agricultural biotechnology refers to a range of scientific techniques used to improve agriculture.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It includes traditional breeding methods that modify living organisms or their components to create or enhance useful products.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">These techniques also help in improving plant and animal traits or in developing microorganisms for specific agricultural purposes.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In modern times, agricultural biotechnology largely relies on the advanced tools of <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/genetic-engineering\/\" target=\"_blank\">genetic engineering<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Biotechnology in Agriculture Benefits<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The application of biotechnology in agriculture has resulted in benefits to farmers, producers, and consumers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Increase in yield<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: Agricultural Biotechnology has helped to increase crop productivity by introducing such qualities as pest and disease-resistant (GM) crops.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Increase in nutritional value<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: Biofortification of food is the practice of increasing the content of <\/span><b>micronutrients <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(i.e., vitamins and minerals) to enhance nutritional quality with minimal health risks using plant biotechnology.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/rice-fortification\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>Golden Rice<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, for example, addresses vitamin A deficiency by genetically engineering rice to produce provitamin A. It mitigates the nutritional deficiencies in children\/adults.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Climate-smart agriculture<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: Biotechnological advancements have increased plants' tolerance to abiotic stresses such as cold, drought, salt, and heat.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This enhancement, in turn, improves the productivity of crops.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Increase in crop density<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: Reduced maturation period results in food products having a longer shelf life.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Superior to conventional breeding methods: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There is a decreased reliance on chemical pesticides through the development of <\/span><b>pest-resistant crops<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, making this method superior to conventional breeding methods.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Environmental benefits: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When genetic engineering results in reduced pesticide dependence, it results in fewer pesticide residues on foods, reduces<\/span><b> pesticide leaching <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">into groundwater and minimises farm worker exposure to hazardous products.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/biofuels\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>Biofuels<\/b><\/a><b>: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fourth-generation biofuels are the amalgamation of genomically prepared microorganisms (<\/span><b>algae,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for example) and <\/span><b>genetically engineered feedstock<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Advanced biotech methods enhance biofuels' potential for reducing emissions and establishing a reliable fuel source, fostering competition and potential price reduction.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Biotechnology in Agriculture Applications<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/biotechnology\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Biotechnology<\/strong> <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">gives farmers tools to make crop production more cost-effective and manageable in an eco-friendly manner. The following are the tools used in plant biotechnology\/agriculture biotechnology:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Traditional cross-breeding:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Plant and animal modification is achieved through selective breeding. Traditional plant breeding techniques may include biotechnology elements such as <\/span><b>tissue culture<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and <\/span><b>mutational breeding.<\/b><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Molecular breeding: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Molecular breeding is the use of <\/span><b>genetic manipulation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> performed at the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/dna\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>DNA <\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">level to improve characteristics of interest in plants and animals.<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The common methods used in this are marker-assisted selection (<\/span><b>MAS<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">), marker-assisted recurrent selection (<\/span><b>MARS<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">), marker-assisted backcrossing (<\/span><b>MABC<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">) and genome-wide selection (<\/span><b>GWS<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">) or genomic selection (GS).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Examples<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: hybrid maize, HYV rice and wheat seeds used in the green revolution, etc.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Genetic engineering and GM crops:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It is the manipulation of an organism's genes by adding, deleting or editing specific DNA sequences using recombinant DNA technology to achieve the altered function of the gene.<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The manipulated gene is called a transgene, and the altered organism (which hosts the gene by various methods) is called a Genetically Modified Organism (GMO).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In agriculture (plant biotechnology), the genes of <\/span><b><i>Bacillus thuringiensis<\/i><\/b><b> (cry genes)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> are used to make pest-resistant crop plants.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>The Ti plasmid of<\/b><b><i> Agrobacterium tumefaciens<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is generally used as the apparatus to make the recombinant gene (<\/span><b>using cry genes of Bt<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">) and then transfer it into the host plants.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Examples<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> of pest-resistant plants include <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/bt-cotton\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>Bt Cotton<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/gm-mustard\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>GM Mustard<\/b><\/a><b> and <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/bt-brinjal\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>Bt Brinjal<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 100%;height: auto;border: 2px dashed #ccc\" src=\"https:\/\/d35xcwcl37xo08.cloudfront.net\/upsc-exam-wp-uploads\/2025\/10\/image1_1.webp\" alt=\"Biotechnology in Agriculture Applications\" width=\"597\" height=\"371\" data-wp-shortcode=\"%5Bmy_image%20src%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fvajiramandravi.com%2Fupsc-exam%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F10%2Fimage1_1.webp%22%20size%3D%22full%22%20align%3D%22none%22%20alt%3D%22%22%20title%3D%22image1_1%22%5D\" \/><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><b>Protoplast fusion:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It is a type of genetic modification in which two distinct species of plants are fused to develop a new hybrid plant.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The protoplasm is the plant cell whose cell wall has been removed.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In hybrids, both the nuclei and cytoplasm of both species are fused.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cybrids (cytoplasmic hybrids) are also produced by protoplast fusion, in which the nuclear genetic material of one species and the cytoplasm (without a nucleus) of another is fused.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Both hybrids and cybrids are used as one of the most important tools of plant biotechnology.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/d35xcwcl37xo08.cloudfront.net\/upsc-exam-wp-uploads\/2025\/10\/image4_1.webp\" alt=\"hybrids and cybrids\" title=\"hybrids and cybrids\" class=\"my-image my-image-size-full my-image-align-none\"  \/>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>RNAi: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">RNA interference is the natural defensive mechanism of plants using short double-stranded RNAs to block the gene expression of pathogens.<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This technology is used for gene silencing to make pest-resistant crops.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Biotechnology in Agriculture: Achievements in India<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Department of Biotechnology\u2019s Agricultural Biotechnology Programme promotes innovative research aimed at achieving sustainable agriculture by harnessing the latest technological advancements. Its major accomplishments include:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Climate-Smart Crops:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> A new high-yielding, climate-smart, and drought-tolerant chickpea variety named \u201cSAATVIK (NC 9)\u201d has recently been notified.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This superior variety demonstrates enhanced productivity under drought conditions and has received approval from the Central Sub-committee on Crop Standards.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Genome-Edited Crops:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Genome editing has been used to create loss-of-function mutations in several rice genes that act as negative regulators of crop productivity.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">These modified lines, developed in the genetic background of the widely grown Indian rice variety MTU-1010, have shown higher yields under greenhouse conditions compared to the parent variety.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Notably, the DEP1 (DENSE ERECT PANICLE) genome-edited rice lines exhibited larger panicles with more grains, resulting in enhanced overall yield.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Genotyping Arrays:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The first-ever 90K Pan-genome SNP genotyping array for rice, named IndRA, has been developed and made commercially available for public use.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Likewise, a similar 90K Pan-genome SNP genotyping array, called IndCA, has been created for chickpea.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">These advanced arrays will facilitate DNA fingerprinting, variety identification, and genetic purity testing of rice and chickpea varieties.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Amaranth Genetic Resources:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The Department of Biotechnology has established an Amaranth Genomic Resource Database, developed Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) techniques for assessing the nutritional quality of amaranth grains, and created a 64K SNP chip.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Using these tools, amaranth accessions have been identified that can help counter high-fat diet-induced obesity.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">These advancements serve as valuable resources for rapid screening, cultivation, and varietal development of amaranth.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Fungal Biocontrol:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> A stable nano-formulation of a fungal enzyme derived from Myrothecium verrucaria has been developed as an eco-friendly biocontrol solution for managing powdery mildew in tomato and grape crops.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Kisan-Kavach:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Kisan Kavach is an anti-pesticide protective suit designed to address the widespread issue of pesticide-induced toxicity in agriculture.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Developed with a keen understanding of the challenges faced by farmers, it represents a significant step forward in ensuring safety, protection, and innovation in the farming sector.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Biotechnology in Agriculture Concerns<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Despite the above benefits, biotechnology in agriculture comes with various issues and concerns.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><b>Health-related issues:<\/b><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Allergens and toxins: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A major safety concern raised about <\/span><b>genetic engineering technology<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is the risk of introducing <\/span><b>allergens <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">and <\/span><b>toxins <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">into otherwise safe foods.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Antibiotic resistance: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The use of antibiotic-resistance genes as markers in transgenic crops may increase antibiotic resistance to diseases affecting humans and animals.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Impact on the environment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: Pest populations may develop resistance to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/genetically-modified-crops\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>GM crops<\/b><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">designed for pest resistance.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This could lead to evolved pests challenging traditional control methods, incurring additional costs for farmers, and countering the crop's intended benefits.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Difficulty in labelling<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: The challenge of labelling biotech crops has been raised as a concern. The expense of maintaining proper <\/span><b>segregation of biotechnology<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> products until they reach the marketplace may be too high.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Ethical considerations<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: Ethical concerns arise against the introduction of animal genes in plants, with some individuals also expressing ethical or religious concerns about consuming plants containing animal genes<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For example, <\/span><b>antifreeze proteins <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">from flounder are used in tobacco and tomato. <\/span><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Issue of cost of seed<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: Poor farmers are generally unable to afford costly GM seeds.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This can result in the monopoly of large farmers and seed companies in India.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Loss of Biodiversity:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> There are concerns regarding the loss of wild varieties of crops as well as impacts on pollinators due to genetic modifications.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Biotechnology in Agriculture PYQs\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><b>Question 1: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">With reference to the Genetically Modified mustard (GM mustard) developed in India, consider the following statements:<\/span><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> GM mustard has the genes of a soil bacterium that give the plant the property of pest resistance to a wide variety of pests.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> GM mustard has the genes that allow the plant cross-pollination and hybridization.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> GM mustard has been developed jointly by the IARI and Punjab Agricultural University.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Which of the statements given above is\/are correct? <\/span><b>(UPSC Prelims 2018)<\/b><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(a) 1 and 3<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(b) Only 2<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(c) 2 and 3<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(d) 1, 2 and 3<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><b>Ans: (b)<\/b><\/p>\r\n<p><b>Question 2:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> With reference to agriculture in India, how can the technique of genome sequencing, often seen in the news, be used in the immediate future?<\/span><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Genome sequencing can be used to identify genetic markers for disease resistance and drought tolerance in various crop plants.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> This technique helps in reducing the time required to develop new varieties of crop plants.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It can be used to decipher the host-pathogen relationships in crops.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Select the correct answer using the codes given below: <\/span><b>(UPSC Prelims 2017)<\/b><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(a) Only 1<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(b) 2 and 3 only<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(c) 1 and 2 only\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(d) All of these<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><b>Ans: (d)<\/b><\/p>\r\n<p><b>Question 3:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee is constituted under the<\/span><b> (UPSC Prelims 2015)<\/b><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(a) Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(b) Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act. 1999<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(c) Environment (Protection) Act, 1986<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(d) Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><b>Ans: (c)<\/b><\/p>\r\n<p><b>Question 4: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">How is science interwoven deeply with our lives? What are the striking changes in agriculture triggered by science-based technologies?<\/span><b> (UPSC Mains 2020)<\/b><\/p>\r\n<p><b>Question 5: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">How can biotechnology help to improve the living standards of farmers? <\/span><b>(UPSC Mains 2019)<\/b><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Biotechnology in agriculture is the use of scientific and genetic techniques to improve crops, livestock, and overall agricultural productivity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":20019,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[1625],"class_list":{"0":"post-20028","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-science-and-technology-notes","8":"tag-biotechnology-in-agriculture"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20028","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20028"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20028\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20119,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20028\/revisions\/20119"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20019"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20028"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20028"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20028"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}