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Nigel Chaffey, Plant Cuttings, Annals of Botany, Volume 114, Issue 5, October 2014, Pages iii–v, https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcu202
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Plants = Food = Life
That – admittedly rather simplified–relationship above is probably the principal reason why we humans should all be interested in plants and their welfare and well-being. Contributing to the discussion by providing some lively suggestions and thoughtful, well-written commentaries, the Grist site* carries a series of articles dealing with the topic of making food systems ‘green’ and fair[1]. In the context of improving agriculture and crop yield, one of the most contentious issues concerns genetically modified (GM) crops, plants developed ‘through a process in which a copy of a desired gene or section of genetic material from one plant or organism is placed in another plant’[2]. Adding to the GM debate, China's Ministry of Agriculture did not renew biosafety certificates that permitted growth of two varieties of GM rice and one of corn (maize) when they expired on 17 August 2014[3], thereby adding speculation about that state's attitude towards GM crops generally. But maybe such an enormous country can afford to rein in its use of GM crops since it has great potential to increase agricultural yields without resort to such hi-tech work-arounds, and thereby avoiding public consternation and outcry that often accompanies mention of GM technology[4,5], as Xinping Chen et al. demonstrate[6]. Using a set of integrated soil–crop system management practices (ISSM[7]) based on a ‘modern understanding of crop ecophysiology and soil biogeochemistry’, they managed to increase average yields for rice, wheat and maize by approximately 18 %, 24 %, and 35 %, respectively! And all without any increase in N fertiliser(!). How achievable such results might be elsewhere on the planet remains to be seen, but their paper, rather modestly entitled ‘Producing more grain with lower environmental costs’, shows what is possible when the growing medium – the soil (‘the mixture of minerals, organic matter, gases, liquids and a myriad of organisms that can support plant life’[8]) – is included more prominently in a unified, holistic approach towards agriculture[9]. Another huge area where the soil is also being directly targeted as a route for improvement in crop yield via integrated soil fertility management (ISFM[10]) is Africa, particularly that continent's sub-Saharan countries. Since 2008, the Soil Health Program (SHP[11]) has been one of the core programmes of AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa[12]) working in this region. Originally set up in 2006 with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation[13] and the Rockefeller Foundation[14], AGRA's overall aim is to ‘catalyze a uniquely African Green Revolution by creating transformative partnerships’[15]. Although fertiliser addition is one of the planks of SHP, so too is ‘self-fertilisation’ of soil by use of seeds inoculated with N-fixing bacteria[16]. And results to date have been extremely encouraging: ‘in Tanzania, Malawi and Ghana, farmers participating in AGRA's soil health initiatives are doubling and even tripling yields of maize, pigeon pea and soybean’[17]. And more ‘traditional’ approaches such as this are essential in places where the cost of seeds of GM crops are often prohibitively expensive, or their commercial use may not yet be sanctioned by national governments[18]. But back to GM, and as one global giant waivers on GM planting within its borders, another – Brazil – debates whether to start introducing GM eucalyptus trees into its environment[19]…
