ABSTRACT
Genetic materials can contribute to several broad areas of improved agriculture. These include photosynthetic efficiency, biological nitrogen fixation, tolerance of environmental stresses, and control of pests. Photosynthesis is the process by which a plant utilizes sunlight to energize water and carbon dioxide before converting them into foods. The most frequent limiting factor in agriculture, after water, is nitrogenous fertilizer. Virtually all species on Earth, including humans, all other animals, and all higher plants, are unable to use nitrogen in its free, or "elemental" state in the atmosphere. Geneticists are learning to manipulate a plant's chemical makeup to "trigger" hormones into stimulating the plant's growth, its rooting and flowering, and its resistance to pests. Plant breeders can use genetic resources to help crops resist the environmental stresses that they encounter in their habitats. Many natural environments are too saline for conventional crops. So a major strategy for innovative agriculture lies with salt-tolerant plants.
