Though it has been in use for centuries, recent advances in biotechnology have expanded it into the agricultural field, with significant applications in two major areas . First it helps decrease the rate of soil erosion in many areas of the country which often suffer losses in soil productivity. Other applications include conservation and protection of water supplies. To make advances in these areas, it is necessary to perform five practices. One obstacle in obtaining this goal is farm tillage practices.
Excessive tillage reduces organic material in soil and depletes soil stability and structure.
Conservation tillage is one possible solution to this problem. Practices of conservation tillage often increase the presence of plant root diseases, making it desirable to genetically engineer plants to be more cold-tolerant, more resistant to pests, and more favorable for root colonization by beneficial microbes. Biotechnology could also engineer plants with favorable traits such as vigorous growth early in the season, which can help protect against soil erosion, and increased crop vigor which can provide weed control. Plant root-microbial associations may be improved, resulting in healthier rooting systems and more efficient nutrient use, improving soil physical properties, and reducing nutrient losses. It is possible to manipulate microbial root colonists to improve plant growth.