AGR506: Agricultural Biotechnology / Faculty of Plantation and Agrotechnology

The course is intended to provide an introduction to the alternative solutions and value-added benefits offered by biotechnology to the plantation sector. The students are not expected to be technically competent in the various areas discussed, but should be aware of the potential use of biotechnology in providing alternative, environmental-friendly, cost-effective and sustainable solutions to various issues faced by plantation sector. The course will also introduce students to the use of plant biotechnology to genetically manipulated crop-plants and their potential applications. Among the topics discussed will be the use of genetic manipulation to improve crops, to create value-added crop products, use of tissue culture in somatic breeding programmes, biological control agent as an alternative to pesticides, the use bio fertilizers and application of biotechnology in solving energy crisis and degradation of agricultural wastes and residuals.