BIOB38H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Thomas Robert Malthus, Mutation Breeding, Rockefeller Foundation
Document Summary
Lecture 4: the green revolution: thomas robert malthus, point of crisis is when there isn"t enough food for a growing population of humans, famine and disease imminent, famines: historic, e. g. Millions died: famines still occur today and hit the poorest the hardest. The green revolution: from the 1960s: growth of high-yield and disease-resistant crops, varieties of a few species, biggest impact felt on wheat and rice. Norman borlaug: biggest contributor to green revolution, b. sc. Stronger stems allowing for good support of larger seed heads: helps the plant to grow faster. Spend more carbon on stems rather than seeds: can grow more plants closer to each other, larger roots in the shorter plants, helps with nutrient uptake, reduced number of branches. Increased use of: machinery, fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation. Massive increase in fossil fuel use and reliance. La nina, lots of rain: there is a lower yield with el nino. Since the 60s, there have been no famines in.
