KIMEP Department of General Education

Ancient Greek philosopher

Crops and Genetic Engineering
Sustainable Agriculture

dietary problem is over-nutrition (obesity)
Sub-Saharan Africa: food production has not

kept pace with rapid population growth
Asia: most rapid increase in crop production and this accompanied rapid population growth

Chronic Hunger - within families that don't get enough to eat, women and children have the poorest diets.

Nutrition and Food Supplies

Causes are:

Environmental conditions - natural disasters, drought, insects
National politics - corruption, oppression
Armed conflict
Economics - price gouging, poverty, landlessness

by a lack of specific dietary components (wrong ratio of

nutrients)
polished rice is low in nutrients
Undernourishment – < 90% of min caloric intake needed

NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY:
Protein deficiency diseases - kwashiorkor, marasmus.
Iron deficiency (anemia) - most common in the world and most severe in India.
Iodine deficiency - thyroid problems (goiter, etc) (problem in Almaty)
Selenium deficiency – thyroid and heart problems (typical for China)
Vitamin A deficiency – blindness, eye problems (beta-carotene – precursor of vit A)

Marasmus – “Waste Away" - lack of protein &

calories.

common dietary problem in wealthy countries

Obesity vs Overweight
BMI = m/h2: 25 < BMI < 30 overweight; BMI > 30 -> obesity

the world.
Wheat, rice, potatoes are staples in Russia and Kazakhstan.
Potatoes,

barley, oats and rye are staples in cool, moist climates.
Cassava, sweet potatoes, other roots/ tubers are staples in warm wet climates.
Fruits and vegetables contain high levels of vitamins, minerals, fiber and complex carbohydrates.

Staple food – основные продукты питания

Crops

Nutrition – nutrition that meets energy requirements of organism, providing

necessary metabolism at optimal regime of food intake.

Main components of Rational Nutrition:

Balance (optimal amount and ratio of food components)
Nutrition Timetable
Energy Balance

~ 2,000 kcal per day needed for a female,
2,550 kcal – for a male.

& Water – no E!
Fuel value of food:
Energy value:
Fat =

9 kcal per gram
Protein = 4 kcal per gram
Carbohydrates = 4 kcal per gram
Note: Alcohol: =7 kcal /g!
∆E = Ein - Econs ≤ 5%
Daily nutrients ratio:
Carbohydrates 40 to 60%
Fat 20 to 30%
Protein 10 to 15%

distribution. Developed countries: 20% of world population, but consume 80%

of meat & milk production. LDCs produce 60% of world's milk & meat.
~90% of the grain grown in North America used to feed cattle, hogs, poultry, & other animals!
Seafood is an important protein source in many countries. This food source is threatened by over-harvesting and habitat destruction.

soybeans fed to cattle in feedlots produce 1 kg of

edible beef.
If we ate grain directly, we would obtain 21 times more calories and 8 times > protein than we get eating the beef.

weathered minerals, partially decomposed organic matter and living organisms
We depend

on soil for life, yet tend to take this living resource for granted.
> 25,000 different soil types: different parent material, time, topography, climate, organisms
30-50% of the world's croplands are losing topsoil faster than it can be replaced
Soil is a renewable resource (in the long run).

sterile mineral particles.

the soil profile
Soil Profile

constraints.
~11% of the earth's land area is currently in agricultural

production.
Up to four times as much could potentially be converted to agricultural use.
Much of this additional land suffers from constraints.

(most fertile & productive) is removed and moved elsewhere.
Erosion: natural

process carried out by gravity, water, wind.
Erosion - a disaster: since it reduces the productive capacity of the land.

Erosion reduces crop production by ~1% of world cropland per year.
Wind Erosion -> Kazakhstan

of water, but there are ways to reduce water use

(above - sprinklers deliver water efficiently).

for plants
Lack of N, K, and P often limits plant

growth.
Adding nutrients via fertilizer usually stimulates growth and increases crop yields.
1950 - ~20 kg/ha fertilizer used.
2000 - ~90 kg/ha fertilizer used – much more than needed!!.
Manure and nitrogen-fixing bacteria are alternative methods of replenishing soil nutrients.

for food, but most world food comes from 16 crops..
Many

new or unconventional varieties might be valuable food supplies.
Progress in farm production comes from technological advances and modification of a few well-known species.

to optimum levels of fertilizer, water, pesticides, light,..
Green revolution -

global spread of new, high-yield varieties of plants.

organism into the chromosome of another.
These Transgenic organisms are called

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) produced
These new genes result in plants with pest resistance, built in weed control and wider tolerances
Opponents fear traits could spread to wild varieties, and increased expense would largely hurt smaller farmers.

is to produce food and fiber on a sustainable basis

and to repair damage caused by destructive practices. Soil is essential to sustainable agriculture.
Soil conservation - land management, ground cover, climate, soil type and tillage system are important elements in soil conservation.

sustainable basis and repair the damage caused by destructive practices.

developing
country


on corporate

farm