Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M S Swaminathan

Publications and source records attributed to M S Swaminathan.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Bio-diversity: an effective safety net against environmental pollution.

Biodiversity is the feedstock for the biotechnology industry. Hence, the conservation, enhancement and sustainable and equitable use of biodiversity should be accorded high priority in all national environment protection programmes. Lichens serve as useful indicators of environmental health. Similarly, several blue green algae help to sequester salt from water. There is need for the more widespread use of such biomonitoring and bioremediation agents. Bioprospecting research designed to identify novel metabolites must be rooted in the principle of equity in sharing benefits with the holders of traditional knowledge. There is need for greater vigil against alien invasive species, since with growing world trade in food grains and other agricultural commodities, there is an increasing possibility of introducing new pests, weeds and harmful micro-organisms. Finally, biological scientists should place emphasis on their ethical responsibility for the consequences of their research, since otherwise bioterrorism could become a major threat to human security.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Ecology and equity: key determinants of sustainable water security.

Trends in water consumption indicate that demand for water for household and industrial uses in developing countries could double as a proportion of total water demand in the next 25 years. Scope for expansion of water supply will, at the same time, be limited because development of irrigation and urban water supplies is becoming increasingly expensive, and often involves high costs in terms of environmental degradation and human resettlement. Without fundamental reform of water management, the rapid growth in urban water demand will require large transfers of water from irrigated agriculture, thereby threatening food security. Hence, water supply and demand should be managed in an integrated fashion, simultaneously considering all uses and sources. This will call for the establishment of community centred food and water security systems and national water trusts. Once such systems and Trusts are established there could be a legally binding Global Water Convention on the model of the Global Convention on Climate and Biodiversity. The details of such a Global Water Conventions can be finalized at one of the future Stockholm Water Symposia. There are uncommon opportunities today for a water-secure world through synergy between technology, public policy and peoples' participation.

Conservation of Natural Resources↗
PubMed2000

An evergreen revolution.

The term 'Green Revolution' was coined in 1968 to indicate revolutionary improvements in crop yield in several Asian countries. Many of these improvements came at the cost of adverse environmental effects in areas subjected to intensive farming. However, where population pressure is high, there is no option except to produce more food. Productivity must increase, but in ways which are environmentally safe, economically viable and socially sustainable. This has been christened an 'Evergreen Revolution'.

Agriculture↗
PubMed1993

Perspectives for crop protection in sustainable agriculture.

The challenge facing agriculture, particularly in developing countries, is to increase productivity without causing ecological damage. An important aspect of sustainable agriculture is the substitution of chemicals and capital with locally grown biological inputs and knowledge. Production of food grains in India has risen steadily since the 1960s, partly through the introduction of high-yielding varieties of rice and wheat together with appropriate agronomic and plant protection practices. Plant breeding programmes have improved cultivated rice by the transfer, from wild species, of genes conferring resistance to viral diseases. Diversification of resistance is sought, to render the hybrids less vulnerable to sudden outbreaks of diseases and insect pests. For wheat, resistance to rusts involves the additive interaction of several gene-encoded traits. Linkage of resistance genes with morphological markers enables the inheritance of the former to be followed easily. It is important that recent advances in molecular genetics are incorporated into integrated pest management programmes. This will require appropriate social organization. Research centres that develop and exploit genetic sources of resistance and varietal diversification should be established.

Agriculture↗