MSAGED 7-3

Melissa Moulton

CTAE Resource Network

2010

Life in the United States and throughout the world is changing every moment of our lives.

Science and Technology are modern miracles that have opened up the door to areas of research, turning the dreams of mankind into realities.

Agriculture has played a huge role in some of these modern miracles.

You could become one of the people growing plants or animals in a space station high above the Earth.

You might be an engineer who designs the animal or plant growing module of the space station.

A molecular geneticist or plant breeder designs new plants to grow well in low gravity

A food scientist developing for space-growing produce.

One of fast growing areas of agriculture is in plant science.

Human knowledge and energy are required to help plants functions in the overall “green machine” that constitutes our food, fiber, and natural resource system.

Students of the 21st century will also become the agriculture professors of the 21st century.

They will be the agriculture producers, processors, marketers, and scientists who will discover new ways to feed the citizens of the United States and world.

This will be accomplished by conducting basic research and applying it to the agriculture food system.

Some things science and agriculture have already provided for us are….

Insulin, used in the treatment of diabetes, is the product of one of the first genetically-enhanced organisms. Researchers found that they could generate a consistent, reliable, inexpensive source of insulin by inserting a human gene into the genetic code of a bacterium.  Insulin has been successfully produced this way since 1982.

Biotechnology also allows us to boost the nutritional values of foods.  In the not-too-distant future, many grains, fruits, and vegetables may be genetically-enhanced to deliver higher percentages of proteins, vitamins, and minerals than their conventional counterparts.

Through recent developments in biotechnology we're able to control "shipping fever," the biggest killer of beef cattle in feed lots

In the farm field, herbicide-resistant soybeans improve yield while reducing the need for chemical application, as well as lowering production costs, and reducing the need for soil tillage--which means less soil erosion.

And, insect-protected corn, cotton, and potatoes result in better-quality crops with less reliance on insecticides.  In fact, in 1998, 3.5 million pounds less pesticide were applied to American-grown corn and cotton through the use of insect-protected varieties produced through biotechnology.

Another promising development: scientists are working on a banana that will contain an "edible vaccine" to fend off hepatitis, one of the world's most widespread and devastating diseases.

Whether you choose a career in plant or animal science, sales and marketing, or processing, it is sure to be rewarding.

By studying agriscience you are opening the door to exciting educational programs and careers that contribute to better living conditions for people everywhere.

What role will you play in the challenging task of producing the food and fiber that will be

required by future generations?