With reference to agriculture in India, how can the technique of ‘genome sequencing’, often seen in the news, be used in the immediate future?

1. Genome sequencing can be used to identify genetic markers for disease resistance and drought tolerance in various crop plants.
2. This technique helps in reducing the time required to develop new varieties of crop plants.
3. It can be used to decipher the host-pathogen relationships in crops

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (d)        

Explanation:

• Genome sequencing involves determining the sequence of DNA nucleotides or bases in an organism’s genome, including the order of As, Cs, Gs, and Ts.
• The human genome, for instance, contains more than 3 billion of these genetic letters.
• This technique can be employed to recognize genetic markers for disease resistance and drought tolerance in diverse crop plants.
• Furthermore, genome sequencing is an effective tool that can facilitate genetic engineering, thereby reducing the time needed to create new plant varieties.
• It can also be utilized to comprehend the relationship between hosts and pathogens in crops.