Protecting the Environment

Water quality

A major problem is to control water pollution from agricultural sources, particularly the use of phosphorus and nitrogen. This is both an accepted international goal and of major national concern, witness the recent EPA reports on the quality of Irish lakes and rivers. Phosphorus and nitrogen are essential nutrients, but a fine balance must be achieved between providing enough to maximise production, and protecting the environment. Biotechnology can play a significant role in achieving this balance, by enhancing the nutrient efficiencies of plants and animals. Specific research targets are:

• Develop forage crops that are more efficient at absorbing phosphorus from the soil; this would reduce the need to add phosphorus, and in turn reduce phosphorus levels in the soil and the possibility that phosphorous will pollute the water courses
• Develop improved nitrogen-fixing bacteria so that the inputs of inorganic nitrogen can also be reduced

Air quality

This research will be important in helping Ireland to meets its obligations under the Kyoto Agreement for control of gas emissions.

Agriculture is a significant source of greenhouse and acidifying gases. Ruminants are the major agricultural source of methane, the primary greenhouse gas. Recent international agreements commit us to reducing our emissions, and initial targets can probably be met through improved management or other relatively simple approaches. Further reductions will likely be required, however, and for these the use of biotechnology should be investigated, specifically:

• Modifying rumen fermentation to reduce methane emissions from livestock
• Using micro-organisms to reduce ammonia emissions from the storage and land spreading of manure

Manure and waste management

Agriculture and the agri-food industry generate significant quantities of manure and organic wastes, with manure accounting for over 90% of these. Managing these wastes to ensure the nutrients they contain are recycled and do not pollute the surrounding environment is a significant challenge. Land spreading remains the primary management option, but public tolerance of the associated odour is declining. Moreover, there is growing concern about the possibility that manure and waste could spread disease. Biotechnology has an important role to play in addressing some of these issues, and there is scope for Irish firms to establish an expertise in niche areas, such as tackling the waste from dairy processing plants. Priorities include:

• Diet manipulation to improve nutrient absorption by the animal from the feed, would reduce the quantities excreted. For example, plants with improved phosphorus availability would be beneficial in intensive pig and poultry rearing, as their use would lower the nutrient content of the manure and therefore the build up of nutrients in the soil
• Optimising energy recovery from manure and organic wastes
• Reducing odour emissions using diet manipulation and biological treatments
• Improving nutrient availability for crop production
• Reducing harmful pathogen levels in wastes
• Developing biosensors to rapidly determine nutrient levels in manure and wastes (this will help ensure the best subsequent use of these for plant growth)
• Develop sensors to establish pathogen levels in manure and organic wastes

Soil quality

Soil, the basic medium for food and fibre production, is also a multi-functional system that detoxifies many of the wastes we produce (organic waste is processed by degradation and inorganic by chemical fixation). Soils can become polluted through aerial contamination, land spreading or other disposal, or industrial accident. Pollution endangers the soil's potential for clean food production and represents the loss of a natural resource and amenity. Biotechnology offers significant potential to detect, monitor and rehabilitate polluted soils using plants and microbial agents. Priorities are:

• Develop bio-remediation techniques to rehabilitate polluted soils
• Study the relevant soil microbes and microbial processes

Biodiversity

It is essential that any biotechnology application used in Irish agriculture be environmentally safe. This concern relates in particular to the potential for gene transfer from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to natural ecosystems (plants, animals and microbes). To prevent this we need effective procedures for testing and monitoring the impact of biocides and GMOs. Research priorities include:

• Assess the environmental impact of GM crops
• Investigate the safety and implications of feeding GM products to farm animals
• Develop fast and cheap biosensors to monitor, analyse and evaluate water, air, waste and soil systems