The health benefits of Agronomy
Agronomy is the science of agriculture, using different ways to grow plants for human consumption and biofuel. It is also used as a science to create healthier food, genetically modify food, and make sure land for farming doesn’t impact the environment. Eating any food that has been biotechnology changed does have several health benefits for consumers as well as farmers and producers.
One of the first benefits is the lesser use of pesticide, as plants are genetically created to resist bugs and disease, farmers do not have to use herbicides or pesticides to keep their plants safe and your food free of chemicals.
A second benefit is probiotics for plants, that are used in the same way and to the same benefits as probiotics are used in humans. Several plants such as peas and lentils have bacteria in their leaves that create nitrogen for the plant’s use, and several studies show that these nitrogen producing bacteria can be transferred from plant to plant with ease and ensure that farmers don’t have to use as much fertilizer to give the plants nitrogen. A lack of fertilizer can keep the environment safe from the damage of nitrogen overuse (such as potential runoff and contamination, or an increase in greenhouse gases) while still producing the same nitrogen levels in the plant.
Plant breeding is also a part of Agronomy that can help your food be the healthiest on the market. Corn, soybeans, and wheat are often selectively bred together over multiple generations to produce offspring with several benefits including high levels of nutrients, new hybrid plants that give their own benefits, and crops that are resistant to bug damage, changes in weather, and other environmental effects. Modified crops are often healthier and last longer than their non-changed counterparts and oftentimes the modified crops produce more goods for the same amount of space and money.
Agronomists also work very closely with soil to ensure it contains the best level of minerals and nutrients needed to be profitable and beneficial for plant growth. Soil that can hold a high level of nutrients beneficial to the plant or that can retain a high level of water will not only prevent the dangers of overwatering or malnutrition but will also ensure your plants are in an environment that is tailor made for them to thrive and become as healthy and as nutritious as they can be.
By modifying the plants to embrace good qualities and resist bad ones, the science of Agronomy can not only show us how to make our food healthier, but we can also be spending less money, using less fertilizer, and protecting the environment at the same time.