The Role of Agricultural Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering in the Improvement of Medicinal Plants in Afghanistan

Most pharmaceutical products are derived from plants, making plants an essential source for developing and discovering novel therapeutic compounds. The phytochemical components of medicinal plants (MPs), particularly the secondary metabolites (SMs), are linked to the pharmacological effects of MPs. The widespread interest in phytotherapy, consumer preference to use natural resources, the continuous exploitation of natural resources, the economic importance of MPs in the self-sufficiency of developing countries like Afghanistan, difficulties associated with the traditional breeding methods of MPs, and resulting insufficient plant yield have made wild MPs resources unable to meet the current requirements and led researchers to search for alternative solutions. The application of genetic engineering (GE) techniques and biotechnological tools, including combinatorial biosynthesis, CRISPR/Cas9-based systems, and genetically encoded biosensors to select, multiply, improve the bio-production, biodiversity preservation; conservation of the elite and rare genotypes of important MP species in extinction is considered a possible solution. Afghanistan is one of the main exporters of MPs due to its rich flora. Even though it’s uncommon in the country to apply modern biotechnology and GE procedures to improve MPs, they may still be considered promising methods. This paper reviewed the recent successes and developments in the previously/at present use of various biotechnological and GE approaches for the improvement of MPs in Afghanistan and also to identify the main challenges the country’s plant breeders and/or scientists may face during the use of these approaches to improve MPs shortly

Evaluation of Wheat Genotypes for Slow Rusting Resistance to Stripe Rust (Puccinia Striiformis) in Afghanistan

Stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis) is the most common wheat rust disease in wheat-producing areas of Afghanistan. Durable resistance based on partial resistance is an important, eco-friendly, and effective way to manage stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis). The present study was conducted during 2019-20 and 2020-21 to reveal variability for field-based partial resistance to stripe rust among different varieties/genotypes at (ARIA) Research Farm, Bin-Hisar, Kabul. Partial resistance genotypes were evaluated through Final Rust Severity (FRS), Area under Disease Progress Curve (AUDPC), Infection Rate (r), Coefficient of Infection (CI), and Relative Area under Disease Progress Curve (rAUDPC). Genotypes 22, 26, 27, 32, and 43, consistently resistant to stripe rust in both crop seasons, were the most promising. Likewise, the genotypes that showed MS type of reaction and their severity was not beyond the 40MS during both the crop seasons indicated slow rusting behavior were genotypes no 14, 16, 20, 21, 23, 34, and 39. The average infection rate and CDL values of stripe rust development in two crop seasons indicated promising highly resistant and slow rusting behavior of varieties/genotypes

Towards Self-Sufficient Agriculture in Afghanistan: A Review of Enhancements and Challenges

Afghanistan's agricultural sector, a cornerstone of its economy, faces multifaceted challenges ranging from environmental issues to socio-economic constraints. Current challenges, including water scarcity, soil degradation, and socio-economic constraints, are scrutinized, while environmental and human factors are highlighted. The paper critically examines the trajectory of Afghanistan's crop sector. It sheds light on the intricate web of challenges and potential enhancements required for the nation to attain food self-sufficiency. The efforts and challenges associated with enhancing agriculture in Afghanistan towards self-sufficiency in food production have been analyzed. The pivotal role of improved technologies, innovation, and research in bolstering agricultural productivity was also examined. The potential of technological advancements from precision agriculture to resilient crop varieties is explored. The paper provides actionable insights for policymakers, stakeholders, and the international community to navigate Afghanistan towards sustainable food self-sufficiency. The influence of government policies, international aid, and community engagement in shaping the agricultural landscape has been evaluated. A holistic understanding of achieving sustainable agriculture in Afghanistan is proffered by examining the historical context, current status, and potential solutions. The review contributes to the ongoing discourse on transforming Afghanistan's agricultural sector for long-term resilience and food self-sufficiency by synthesizing historical trends, current challenges, and future strategies. A multi-pronged approach, integrating technology adoption, research initiatives, and community empowerment are advocated as recommendations

Implementing a Sustainable Green Revolution Strategy for Comprehensive Economic Development in Afghanistan

Implementing the Sustainable Green Revolution Strategy in Afghanistan is thoroughly examined in this paper, with a focus on how it might boost food security and promote economic growth. The fact that agriculture employs 61.6% of the workforce and accounts for roughly 23% of the country's GDP highlights the importance of this sector to Afghanistan's economy. To ensure greater output while protecting biodiversity, the study presents the idea of "Green Revolution 2.0," which aims to modify past agricultural advances to Afghanistan's particular socioeconomic and environmental challenges. Important prospects for agricultural development are noted, such as various climates, foreign assistance, and the involvement of young people. The paper also discusses urgent issues like poor infrastructure, budgetary limitations, and how climate change affects agricultural productivity. A successful implementation approach is suggested, emphasizing education, climate-smart agriculture, credit availability, and infrastructure development. A Gantt chart, which involves stakeholders including the Afghan government, non-governmental organizations, and foreign organizations, provides an organized schedule for the actions required to carry out the strategy successfully. The results highlight the significance of strengthening community involvement, encouraging sustainable farming methods, and creating a supporting governance structure. In the end, this paper promotes a multifaceted strategy for agricultural development that seeks to enhance rural Afghanistan's general quality of life in addition to productivity, opening the door for long-term resilience and economic stability

Effects of Elevated CO2 on Rice Harvest Components

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) has long been a staple food for people across various nations, particularly in Asia. Climate change and rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels now have diverse impacts on crop performance worldwide. Since CO₂ is a key factor in photosynthesis, it enhances productivity and yield. This study investigated the effects of elevated CO₂ (eCO₂) on rice yield improvement. Using a novel approach, rice seedlings were only exposed to high CO₂ levels during the early vegetative stage. The treatments included eCO₂ (600 to 800 µmol mol⁻¹), ambient CO₂ [aCO₂ (410-415 µmol mol⁻¹)], and a control under field conditions. Following treatment with eCO₂, the seedlings were transplanted into a rain shelter in a two-factorial randomized complete block design (RCBD). Results showed that tiller number per plant, panicle number per plant, and panicle length increased by 18.38%, 20.96%, and 14.15%, respectively, with eCO₂. Additionally, filled grain per panicle and grain yield increased by 15.30% and 47.48%, respectively. In conclusion, eCO₂ treatment significantly improved rice yield components during the seedling stage. Applying eCO₂ sustainably could increase rice yield, supporting Afghanistan in achieving rice self-sufficiency in the future. Temporary eCO₂ treatment on rice seedlings may enhance rice production, improving farmers' incomes and living standards

Analysis of Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources in Harirod-Murghab River Basin

Climate change represents one of the paramount challenges confronting humanity today. The profound impacts of phenomena such as changes in precipitation patterns, global warming, polar ice melt, floods, and the onset of untimely and extreme temperatures worldwide have instilled a sense of urgency and concern. This critical issue has been placed at the forefront of climate change. To understand the ramifications of climate change on water resources within the Harirud-Marghab River basin, an analysis of average precipitation and temperature variations (including minimum, maximum, and average values) across different time frames (annual, monthly, seasonal, and during wet and dry seasons) has been conducted using data from hydrometeorological stations in the catchment area from 1979 to 2022. the non-parametric Mann-Kendall and PCI methods were chosen as the analytical tools. The findings reveal a notable decline in annual rainfall within the Harirud-Marghab River basin, with a pronounced reduction during the winter, the basin's primary water season. Conversely, an increase in seasonal rainfall has been observed in summer and autumn. Overall, rainfall in this river basin tends to be intense, occurring on limited days throughout the year. Furthermore, a significant rise in the annual average temperature has been documented, alongside fluctuations and changes in water flow across most stations within the basin. Consequently, the surface water resources of the Harirud-Marghab River basin have experienced a substantial decrease, amounting to approximately 29% of its capacity, equivalent to a reduction of 0.98 billion cubic meters of water

Molecular Characteristics for Identification of Fusarium Oxysporum Associated with Tomato Infection

This study aims to determine a suitable molecular identification technique for Fusarium oxysporum associated with tomato infections to enhance tomato production in developing countries. Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) is one of the most important vegetables worldwide and ranks as the sixth most popular vegetable, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). However, its cultivation is significantly affected by pathogens, including F. oxysporum. The most suitable medium for cultivating F. oxysporum was found to be Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA). Cell disruption using bead beating in a homogenizer yielded optimal results. EF-1α primers were identified as the most appropriate to detect Fusarium isolates within species complexes, as corroborated by various researchers. Intergenic spacer restriction fragment length polymorphism (IGS-RFLP) analysis was widely used to trace the origin of F. oxysporum by analyzing genetic similarities among isolates from different sources. Other methods, such as random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), allele-specific associated primer (ASAP), single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), and variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) analysis have also been applied. To mitigate fungal infections in tomatoes, this study recommends selecting disease-resistant tomato varieties, maintaining ideal growing conditions, adhering to stringent sanitation practices, ensuring source water is free of potential fungal pathogens, sterilizing tomato seeds, and using organic fungicides as needed

Impacts of Humic Acid on Growth and Yield of Wheat: A Review

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a crucial crop, providing 20% of caloric intake for many populations worldwide. Soil organic matter, an essential component of soil, directly influences soil fertility and texture. Humic substances, derived from biomolecules' physical, chemical, and microbiological transformation, are integral to soil humus. Humic acid has become a standard method for enhancing crop growth, yield, and soil fertility. While the effects of humic acid on wheat have been extensively studied, the optimal type and application method for wheat cultivation remain undetermined. This review investigates sustainable wheat production methods using humic acid to mitigate the negative impacts of chemical fertilizers and climate change factors. Research indicates that humic acid significantly increases wheat plant growth parameters: shoot length (18%), root length (29%), shoot dry weight (76%), root dry weight (100%), and chlorophyll content (96%). Moreover, humic acid substantially improves wheat yield and yield components, including spike length (14.66%), number of spikes per square meter (28.73%), number of spikelets per spike (23.52%), and 1000-grain weight (23.90%). As a sustainable organic substance, humic acid application offers a promising approach to improving wheat production. This method could help meet the food demands of the growing global population, particularly in countries like Afghanistan, where food security is a pressing concern

de Nova Whole Genome Sequencing of Marssonina Juglandis Causing Walnut (Juglandis Regia L.) Anthracnose and Development of PCR-Based Diagnosis Using Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) Markers

Walnut anthracnose, caused by Marssonina juglandis, is one of the economically important diseases of walnuts worldwide. The pathogen is a filamentous fungus belonging to the class Leotiomycetes. In this study, we isolated and purified the Marssonina juglandis from walnut leaves collected from the walnut orchard of SKUAST-Kashmir. The whole genome of the pathogen was sequenced using the Illumina HiSeq NGS platform. The whole genome of the pathogen was found to be 63.6354 Mb in size with 1916 scaffolds, 12086 genes, 205 total tRNAs, and 6884 SSRs containing 5861 SSRs with 150 flanking regions. A phylogenetic analysis using whole-genome alignment revealed that Marssonina juglandis is closely related to Cryphonectria parasitica and Coniella lustricola. The BlastP analysis using Uniprot, Pfam, and KOG showed 7612, 5515, and 5163 protein hits out of 12086 proteins. The total number of genes responsible for biological processes, molecular function, and cellular components were 1583, 1429, and 1843, respectively. In the Venn diagram, 3912 genes were found to be common in all three software, namely Uniprot, Pfam, and KOG including NR. In addition, we developed the SSR markers based on the whole genome and standardized them against 25 isolates of the Marssonina juglandis collected, isolated, and purified from the walnut-infected leaves in Jammu and Kashmir, India. Out of 30 randomly selected SSRs, 17 SSRs showed successful PCR amplification in 25 pathogen isolates that were found to be highly polymorphic. Further, a PCR-based detection protocol using SSR markers was also developed for early detection of the disease in the field for timely management. We found two primers that could successfully amplify the pathogen in DNA extracted directly from the infected walnut leaves.   

Identifying Afghanistan’s Extraordinary Natural Sites for Ecotourism: A Review of Ideal Ecosystems

Ecotourism is a type of nature-based tourism that supports conserving the natural environment. Afghanistan, at the crossroads of Central, West, and South Asia, is a beautiful and diverse nation that could be the best place for ecotourism. Afghanistan's unique geography and rich history make it an ideal ecotourism destination. The study aimed to understand potential ecotourism sites in Afghanistan and the environmental and economic impacts of ecotourism activities. Afghanistan's major ecotourism sites include biodiversity reserves, wildlife, rangelands, forests, lakes, wetlands, tourism sites, valleys, natural caves, deserts, natural springs, and cultural sites. Additionally, food tourism and medicinal plants play a significant role in ecotourism development. The Lonely Planet travel book highlights Afghanistan's appeal as "vastly appealing" due to its former popularity for hiking and nature sightseeing. In the 1970s, Afghanistan attracted over 100,000 tourists annually. Post-Soviet invasion, it experienced a decline. The Ministry of Information and Culture is supporting the growth of foreign tourism in Afghanistan, which rose from 691 visitors in 2021 to 2,300 in 2022. Sustainable ecotourism in Afghanistan demands effective management and planning to overcome misconceptions and bureaucratic obstacles. Afghanistan's ecotourism sites, like the Minaret of Jam, face threats from natural disasters and climate change, including landslides, earthquakes, and heavy snow, exacerbated by climate change. Afghanistan's ecotourism industry, despite its remote location, requires conservation and management, requiring collaboration among private, public, host community, and international organizations for sustainable development