Sustainable Future for Human Security

The transposable genetic elements, or transposons, as they are now known, have had a tumultuous history. Discovered in the mid-20th century by Barbara McClintock, they were initially received with puzzlement. When their genomic abundance began to be apparent, they were categorized as “junk DNA” and acquired the label of parasites. Expanding understanding of gene and genome organization has revealed the profound extent of their impact on both.

This chapter focuses on strawberry root growth and architecture, discussing apical dominance, lateral root formation and allelopathic sensitivity. An architectural model of strawberry root growth is presented, showing that, if temperature and water availability are at optimal levels, the proliferation of roots in favourable soil patches is rapid, as is the depletion of nutrients and the accumulation of allelochemicals.

The livelihoods of millions of people in developing countries, which depend on dryland agriculture to ensure their food security and their well-being, could be improved measurably by gains in agricultural crop yields. This book describes lessons learnt from an innovative scheme in India that improved crop yields in drylands. It shows how the scheme can be scaled up for other dryland regions of the world. The scheme uses localized soil nutrient analyses to create an integrated, climate smart fertilizer and planting plan that maximises yields for farmers.