Genetic Research Aims to Secure "Tomorrow's Food"

"Tomorrow's food" will be secured through gene research. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, with 60 research institutes and more than 2,000 researchers on staff, is preparing for the future through work ranging from the protection of heirloom seeds to breeding programs. At TÜBİTAK MAM, genetic engineering research is being conducted to enable the biotechnological production of valuable plant metabolites and to shorten breeding processes, as well as to make hemp, corn, wheat, sunflower and olive stress-resistant. Through DNA, RNA and protein identification and comparison studies, Turkey aims to achieve high-value gains in the agricultural sector. While Turkey seeks to meet the food needs of society fully under new coronavirus (COVID-19) conditions, it also aims to secure the future through gene and breeding research.

Climate change affects food

It is noted that global food supply may face problems as climate change increases its impact in coming years. For this reason, technology is being used to develop plants that can survive and produce crops in the face of water scarcity, soil composition issues, plant diseases caused by microorganisms, and harmful insects. In Turkey as well, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and other competent institutions and organizations are working on one hand to ensure food supply security against COVID-19, while on the other hand conducting projects aimed at securing "tomorrow's food". The Ministry's 60 research institutes and more than 2,000 researchers on staff are conducting R&D work. The Ministry, which carries out work on protecting heirloom seeds in gene banks, breeding programs in plant production, and developing seeds resistant to extreme conditions, made support payments of TRY 95.3 million to R&D projects between 2007 and 2020.

Plants will become more drought-resistant

Marmara Research Centre (MAM) within TÜBİTAK, which is under the Ministry of Industry and Technology, also adds value through various R&D work in genetic engineering and biotechnology aimed at promoting good agricultural practices in Turkey. According to information obtained from TÜBİTAK MAM, the Gene Engineering and Biotechnology Institute (GMBE) within the institution seeks to produce solutions to current agricultural problems from public and private sectors. At the institute, work is being conducted to identify genes that provide drought tolerance for breeding wheat, olive and sunflower varieties. DNA and protein markers to be identified in olives are expected to be valuable tools for shortening and facilitating the duration of breeding programs. Through biotechnological methods, corn plants resistant to corn borers, corn cob borers and herbicides, which cause major losses in corn farming, have been developed.

DNA fingerprints extracted from flower bulbs

Work is also underway to identify genes playing a role in sunflower drought tolerance with a view to developing new varieties that can adapt to climate conditions. In this way, a significant reduction in the long-term breeding process for sunflower is envisaged. In a project developed for the domestication of geophytes (flower bulbs) of medicinal and ornamental plants with many species and varieties in Turkey and high commercial value, and to bring new species to the relevant sectors, DNA fingerprints of geophytes have been extracted. Through introducing newly identified and developed plants to the agricultural sector, Turkey aims to achieve high-value gains.

Natural resource protection projects

TÜBİTAK MAM also develops projects for the quantitative protection of freshwater resources, the reuse of treated wastewater in agriculture and monitoring its effects on products. The center plans, through a project to be conducted with TAGEM, to use liquid fermented products from biogas facilities as fertilizer. For this purpose, the goal is to develop an innovative, applicable and economical method that will provide energy and raw material recovery from fermented waste resulting from biogas plants and other anaerobic processes used to convert treatment sludge and agricultural waste into energy. Through other ongoing projects, the goal is to secure "tomorrow's food".  

ANKARA (AA) - ZEYNEP CANLI