National Research Initiative A Vital Competitive Grants Program in Food, Fiber, and Natural-Resources Research (2000) / Chapter Skim
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H Research Needs in Food, Fiber, and Natural Resources
H Research Needs in Food, Fiber, and Natural Resources
Pages 170-180
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From page 170... ...
This information will have many applications, from increased plant yield to cleanup of environmental pollution.
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From page 171... ...
For example, the ability to identify specific marker genes associated with or predictive of such traits as rate of gain, fecundity, milk production, egg production, and ovulation rate would enable the selection of superior sires and dams in a shorter time than the many years now required .
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From page 172... ...
Land areas now available for grazing or production of forage crops will decline, and livestock might have to be fed foodstuffs that by today's standards are considered to be of poor quality. However, appropriate genetically engineered microorganisms that are deemed nonpathogenic when introduced into livestock species might enable these animals to use poor quality foodstuffs efficiently.
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From page 173... ...
Aquaculture and mariculture constitute the most rapidly growing sector of animal agriculture; many new species are added each year. A broadly expanded research program in genomics, nutrition, and reproduction of domestic aquatic species is essential to the health and wellbeing of these newly emerging industries.
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From page 174... ...
The several genome projects under way or expected will yield unprecedented knowledge applicable to understanding the evolutionary history of humans, animals, plants, and microorganisms. Much of this information will in turn have a major impact on agricultural processes.
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From page 175... ...
Yet basic research in conservation biology suggests that landscape diversity can be as important as species diversity in plant communities for maintaining diverse populations of insects and vertebrates in a geographic region. In fact, agricultural communities can benefit directly from landscape diversity in that this diversity often includes beneficial organisms that prey on crop pests, pollinate crops, and provide other ecosystem services for cropped fields that have economic benefit.
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From page 176... ...
Understanding biodiversity also requires an understanding of basic population genetics, and many fundamental questions in population genetics that are relevant to agriculture are being insufficiently addressed. How will gene flow in native populations retard or accelerate the movement of genes from genetically modified organisms—for example, from Bt corn or glyphosateresistant soybeans into native plant populations?
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From page 177... ...
For example, increased CO2 in the atmosphere leads to changes in leaf chemistry in many tree species; do these changes affect insect herbivory or leaf-litter decomposition rates? If so, how will the changes affect other trophic levels and soil nutrient availability, and eventually plant susceptibility to insect outbreaks, fire, and drought?
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From page 178... ...
Changes in tillage practices, the application of site-specific famung methods, the introduction of nutrient catch crops in the cropped field or of riparian vegetation downstream, and increases in the efficiency of plant nitrogen uptake in the rhizosphere all depend on a better fundamental understanding of the ecologic interaction among crops, soil organisms, and the set of physical and chemical conditions that define the plant-soil environment. Opportunities for peer-reviewed, competitive funding of basic, integrated research in crop ecosystems are largely lacking outside the small NRI programs in Natural Resources and Environment.
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From page 179... ...
Studies should assess the benefits and costs of government regulations that affect agricultural production and the environment, design and evaluate alternative policies and institutions to mitigate negative environmental impacts of production agriculture, and develop more quantitative and qualitative tools for assessing nonmarket goods. Risk-management tools and financial management.
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From page 180... ...
Studies should ascertain the benefits and costs of public versus private information and the implications for delivery systems for agricultural research results and education, redesign the delivery systems of the Cooperative Extension Service for more effective and timely performance, and evaluate the value and use of precision technology and information in agricultural production. Economic and social impacts of biotechnology: Studies should analyze how biotechnology affects farm size, production efficiency, competitiveness, trade potential, and other elements of economic performance in agriculture; evaluate the public- versus private-sector roles in the development of biotechnology; and enhance the public's understanding of the benefits and risks associated with biotechnology.
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