The world today is struggling with the issue of food production. In many parts of the third world countries, people die of hunger on an annual basis. Unfortunately, world governments do not seem to have a long-lasting solution to the persistent problem. International bodies have also not been able to meet the demands of various countries. Nonetheless, it is asserted that, the hunger problem will end when all the stakeholders give more input into the discipline of plant physiology.
Plant physiology covers a number of areas including plant nutrition, photosynthesis, plant hormones, seed germination and transpiration among many others. In simpler terms, it covers all the internal activities of the plant such as plant chemistry, diseases in plants, and plants response to different environments. Therefore, it is possible for the professionals in the field to understand everything in a plant- from the molecular part to the reproductive control. Such knowledge is important when it comes to food production. It can help world governments to find ways of producing a lot of food to meet the ever-increasing demands by the wider population.
One of the biggest issues in food production is timing during planting. Poor and illiterate people do not know when they should plant and how to store their produce. Hence, it is possible for them to have surplus in one season and suffer from a serious shortage in another. They may also sell their food at a throw-away price because of lack of storage facilities. This happens because of over-reliance on the traditional methods of farming. Also, many governments do not offer assistance and the related skills to the farmers.
Fortunately, professionals in the plant physiology field have the knowledge about optimal planting and harvesting. With their skills on environmental physiology, they can advise on how to avoid some plant diseases, and at the same get good harvest from small portions of land. Their contribution has also led to the emergence of green houses, which are very cost-effective and ideal for many hardship areas. The professionals will also advise on some of the products that can be used for food storage. Still, with some of their products, they are able to help deal with some food poisoning cases. Indeed, governments need to invest more in the plant physiology field in order to deal with the persistent hunger problem in the world today.