Uses of Bioinformatics in agriculture

Answer 1

Application of Bioinformatics in Agriculture: Application of Remote Sensing and GIS for agriculture Agri Informatics specialise in a GIS (Geographical Information System) based analysis of the complex interaction between the environment and crops. Simple maps of the farm are used to draw a detailed analysis of the micro climate. Ideal block borders are drawn according to a variety of critical variables. A soil map can also be drawn up, describing soil qualities such as the acidity level, clay content, water retention ability and depth. The result is a map that shows the ideal block design, row alignment, root stock, cultivar, plant spacing and trellis system. The suggested irrigation system is then presented to an irrigation engineer. The meso-climate of the farm is also compared to other wine regions, locally and internationally. These analyses form the basis of precision viticulture. Arial Photography or satellite images can also be incorporated in the system. Users can recall any GPS coordinate on the farm with the click of a mouse, ensuring that observations in vineyards can easily be brought in connection with the terroir factors. One of the many advantages is that the performance of vines can be corrected. This means that top quality grapes from a specific vineyard can be identified to make specific wines - a possibility gaining new meaning in the light of legalising vineyard wines according to the Wine of Origen system. The cost of such an analysis amount to a fee less than the development cost of a quarter hectare, according to Knight. Satellite based remote sensing technique combined with limited field survey provides valuable information in quick time. The data generated from satellite imageries provide information on the status of crops under observation at any particular date, and can be processed quickly. This inherent advantage provides a synoptic view, making it possible to analyze the status and trend of transplantation, crop growth and harvesting throughout the study area.

Wide spread application of remote sensing and GIS will be helpful for creating a systematic and sharable database on crop related issues and answer the unanswered questions of different stakeholders.

Evolutionary studies The sequencing of genomes from all three domains of life, eukaryota, bacteria and archaea means that evolutionary studies can be performed in a quest to determine the tree of life and the last universal common ancestor. Crop improvement Comparative genetics of the plant genomes has shown that the organization of their genes has remained more conserved over evolutionary time than was previously believed. These findings suggest that information obtained from the model crop systems can be used to suggest improvements to other food crops. At present the complete genomes of Arabidopsis thaliana (water cress) and Oryza sativa (rice) are available. Insect resistance Genes from Bacillus thuringiensis that can control a number of serious pests have been successfully transferred to cotton, maize and potatoes. This new ability of the plants to resist insect attack means that the amount of insecticides being used can be reduced and hence the nutritional quality of the crops is increased. Improve nutritional quality Scientists have recently succeeded in transferring genes into rice to increase levels of Vitamin A, iron and other micronutrients. This work could have a profound impact in reducing occurrences of blindness and anaemia caused by deficiencies in Vitamin A and iron respectively. Scientists have inserted a gene from yeast into the tomato, and the result is a plant whose fruit stays longer on the vine and has an extended shelf life. Development of Drought resistance varietiesProgress has been made in developing cereal varieties that have a greater tolerance for soil alkalinity, free aluminum and iron toxicities. These varieties will allow agriculture to succeed in poorer soil areas, thus adding more land to the global production base. Research is also in progress to produce crop varieties capable of tolerating reduced water conditions.