Seed Banks and Molecular Mapping, Research Paper Example

Botanic Gardens, Aquaponics, Restoration Seed Banks, and Seed Banks and Molecular Mapping

Introduction

For the duration of this course, various components of agricultural studies have been examined. The four topics that will be presented during this report are the longevity and importance of botanic gardens, agricultural advantages of Aquaponics, requirements for seed bank restoration, and seed bank restoration with the help of molecular maps.

Botanic Gardens

Background

Botanic gardens are well-kept parks which house a variety of plant species from across the world. Each plant is accompanied by its botanical name as well as a short scientifically-based interpretive comment. The primary purpose of botanical gardens is the preservation of plants by maintaining documented collections of living plants for the purpose of scientific exploration. Because botanical gardens focuses on the documentation of the plants it houses, these establishments are typically run by universities or science research centers (Aitken and Looker).

In addition to housing a variety of plant species, ranging from cacti to tropical plants, botanical gardens are also well-known as popular visitor retreats. In addition to offering extensive knowledge on botany and horticulture, botanical gardens often host art exhibitions, musical performances, and guided tours. Many botanical gardens exist across the world and many more are in planning stages (Aitken and Looker).

History

Botanical gardens originated during Italian Renaissance as medicinal gardens. The primary purpose of these 16^th century gardens were to collect plants which can be used as medicine. During the 17^th century the interest shifted from medicine to imported plants found outside Europe. This was the actual birth of the botanic garden as primary focus shifted from medicine to botany. During the 18^th century, botanists implemented a system of identifying each plant in the botanical garden. By late 18^th century and the rise of European imperialism, botanical gardens became increasingly popular. The most famous botanical garden dating back to that era is the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, London (Desmond).

Botanical Gardens Today

Russia currently has more botanical gardens than any other country. Some of these gardens are older than a century, while others are as young as 60-years-old. Some famous Russian botanical gardens include Batumi Botanical Garden, Saint Petersburg Botanical Garden, and Moscow Botanical Garden of Academy of Sciences. Other countries that are known for their botanical gardens include Australia, South Africa, Hong Kong, and the United States. Several botanical gardens also exist in the UAE; the Raffles Botanical Garden, Creekside Park, Mushrif Park, and Al Barari Property Development in Dubai,Sharjah Natural History and Botanical Museum in Sharjah, and Al Ain Wildlife and Resort in Al Ain City.

Although several botanic gardens are currently in operation in various locations worldwide, several more are in the works. Proposed botanical gardens for the UAE include Quranic Botanical Garden, Desert Botanic Garden in Sharjah, Mushrif Central Park in Abu Dhabi, Seed Bank in Sharjah , and Gene Bank in Al Ain. The purpose of these proposed parks are to explore, record, preserve, and develop the botanic heritage of countries. In addition to these proposed botanical gardens, the first botanical garden is in the planning stages for Oman. This garden will be largest of its kind in the world. Upon completion, these botanical gardens will exhibit the first large scale cloud forest in a giant greenhouse (Taylor).

Future of Botanical Gardens

Although the construction of many new gardens are planned for countries such as Great Britain, the UAE, and China, many other gardens in developing countries are being shut down due to underfunding. This is especially true of botanical gardens attached to universities. Botanical gardens initially developed out of a need to preserve plants which were used for medicinal purposes. It then developed to support botanical interest and the preservation ofthousands of international plant species. In recent years botanical gardens have developed a renewed interest in the preservation of the ecosystem while providing visitors with helpful information to develop increased environmental awareness. Global overpopulation is a significant threat to the wellbeing of natural resources. Botanical gardens are the ideal medium to preserve some of nature’s natural resources while educating the public on the importance of botanical science.

Aquaponics

Background

Aquaponics is a food production system which combines aquaculture and hydroponics. Aquaculture is the process of raising fish in water, while hydroponics is the process of raising plants in water. Aquaponics therefore refers to the process of growing freshwater fish, or other fresh water-based animals, and plants together in one integrated, soilless system. In this system fish waste serves as a food source for the plants while the plants provide a natural filter for the water that the fish live in. Aquaponic systems vary in size from small indoor or outdoor units to large commercial units, while utilizing the same technology. Although these systems typically use fresh water, salt water systems have also been used, depending on the type of fish and vegetation that is grown. Aquaponic science is considered to be in its infancy, although it is becoming increasingly more popular among farmers worldwide (Nelson).

History

The system of Aquaponics is believed to have ancient roots because evidence of these systems date as far back as the Aztecs. In fact, experts consider cultivated agricultural islands close to the Chinampa canals to be the first form of Aquaponics. Plants were raised on these islands and manually irrigated from waste materials from surrounding cities. In addition to the Aztecs, China has also been cited as one of the originators of the Aquaponic system. Thailand and South Chine are famous for cultivating farmed rice and fish in paddy fields. Through this early method of Aquaponics, Asian cultures have raised fish such as Swamp Eel and Crucian Crab (Sweig).

Aquaponics Today

Aquaponic systems preserve energy and create environments in which fresh, clean, and organic food is grown. Because of the greenhouse environment of an Aquaponics setup, premium quality crops can be grown, year-round, anywhere in the world. The success of an Aquaponics system is contingent on climate. These systems can be used to raise freshwater fish, or organic vegetables. It can generate enough food to feed a city. The costs are less than traditional methods of agriculture, as the system preserves water and fertilizers. Common fish species grown through Aquaponics include Koi, Goldfish, Tilapia, Water Prawn, and Channel Catfish. Common vegetables grown through Aquaponics include peas, lettuce, cucumber, parsley, tomatoes, and celery. Through Aquaponics, vegetables such as cucumbers have been harvested within 25 days of first being planted. These vegetables are free of dyes and other chemicals(Royte).

Aquaponics is popular in the United States, Canada, Barbados, and Australia. This system has various benefits including a natural agricultural process that is free from dyes and fertilizers and a significant reduction in water usage. In addition, this system is not location-specific; in other words, it can be utilized anywhere. Because fish waste acts as a natural fertilizer to the growing crops, the need for traditional fertilizers is eliminated. Also, because water is recycled within the system’s tanks, Aquaponics uses nearly 80 percent less water than traditional means of agriculture (Royte). Both these facts will be beneficial to the agriculture industry of countries such as the UAE because fresh water supplies are limited and fertilizer is expensive. Farmers could save a lot of money while growing healthier, chemical-free crops, and food.

Seed Bank Restoration

Background

More than half of the world’s ecosystem has been degraded. In an effort to resuscitate the ecosystem, ecological restoration methods have been implemented. These methods are aimed at achieving global preservation goals. The restoration of nature, natural assets, and biodiversity is a global business worth at least $1.6 trillion annually and is likely to continue substantial growth. Seed banks have emerged as a tool to protect wild plant species. In order to validate a successful restoration process, adequate amounts of seeds are necessary. However, a current shortage of seeds has slowed the progress of many restoration projects. Kuwait is a prime example of such a seed shortage. Restoration processes are delayed due to insufficient technological resources and the inability to deliver landscape-scale restoration. Additionally, there is a severe lack of research data on the phenology of seed development and maturation. It is therefore crucial for restoration specialists to document and understand the quality viability of seeds.

Restoration Process

Successful restoration begins with the implementation of a collection of plant species that can deliver restoration-ready seeds at the scale of a metric ton and larger. There also needs to be a definitive connection between science-based restoration functions and community-based restoration initiatives. Methods to reduce seed usage should be implemented in order to save future costs on seeds. In order for this process to be effective, more substantial funding for botanic gardens are needed. Effective restoration will result in improved lifestyles and healthier natural environments.

Seed Banks and Molecular Maps

Background

Global population is growing faster than any other time in history which means by year 2030, the global population is expected to reach nearly 9 billion people. An increase in the global population translates into an increased need for food supply. If the previously mentioned predictions are correct, current agricultural methods will not be able to effectively accommodate the increased demand for food supplies. The only logical way to meet these demands is to genetically enhance food products.

Current research indicates that genetic crop improvements are possible with seed banks that are currently in existence. Scientists are confident that genetic agricultural improvement is possible by placing increased emphasis on superior genetic structures by utilizing molecular linkage maps. Genetic linkage maps make the study of chromosomal gene locations possible. In order to effectively support genetic linkage maps, germaplasm banks have been established. These banks refer to living seed collections which serve as repositories of genetic variation and improve agriculture crops (Rotter, Amundsen and Bonos). Genome research has the power to unleash the genetic potential of wild and cultivated germaplasm resources which will improve society.

Currently, only a few productive types of crop species exist. Genetic diversity in crops have been reduced though human intervention; as a result these plant species are at a heightened risk of disease and reduced flexibility. Strong, flexible, and healthy crops are naturally possible; however, modern plant-breeding techniques have diminished this natural process. For example, soy beanshave a narrow genetic base as a result of human intervention. Human interventions have a diverse impact on the process of genetic diversity.

Molecular mapping will make bio-genetic diversity possible. Success with this method has already been noted in the growth of Golden rice and tomatoes. Molecular mapping facilitates seed banks which create genetic diversity from the genomes of wild species to introduce new strains (Rotter, Amundsen and Bonos).

Bibliography

Aitken, Richard and Michael Looker. The Oxford Companion to Australian Gardens. Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Desmond, Ray. The History of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. London: Kew Publishing, 2007.

Nelson, R. L. “10 systems around the world.” Aquaponics Journal 46.3 (2007): 8.

Rotter, David, et al. “Molecular Genetic Linkage Map for Allotetraploid Colonial Bentgrass.” Crop Science 49.5 (2009): 1609-1619.

Royte, Elizabeth. “Street Farmer.” 5 July 2009. The New York Times. 13 June 2011 <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/05/magazine/05allen-t.html?sq=aquaponics&st=cse&adxnnl=1&scp=10&pagewanted=2&adxnnlx=1299564045-NgXx2LMa3/ee2z6MNr9YdA>.

Sweig, R. D. “An integrated fish culture hydroponic vegetable production system.” Aquaculture Magazine (1986): 34-40.

Taylor, Patrick. The Oxford Companion to the Garden. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.