HAS BIOTECHNOLOGY A ROLE IN SOIL SCIENCE

Biotechnology is discussed in terms of its potential to improve crop p roductivity and protect the environment. The topics covered include so il stabilisation, dinitrogen fixation, plant growth enhancement, bioco ntrol, bioremediation, and sustainability. It seems that soil science and biotechnology are totally interactive and both disciplines will ad vance where it is recognised that interdisciplinary studies are most v aluable. Many advances in medicine and pharmacology are based on devel opments in soil science, such as the discovery of streptomycin from so il-borne actinomycetes. The soil biota should produce much scope yet f or further discoveries, and there seems to be a place for soil science courses in biotechnological, environmental health, and medical educat ion.