ARS | Publication request: Grand challenges for crop science

Submitted to: CSA News
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: April 15, 2012
Publication Date: June 1, 2012
Citation: Lauer, J.G., Gala Bijl, C., Grusak, M.A., Baenziger, P.S., Boote, K., Lingle, S., Carter, T., Kaeppler, S., Boerma, R., Eizenga, G., Carter, P., Goodman, M., Nafziger, E., Kidwell, K., Mitchell, R., Edgerton, M.D., Quesenberry, K., Wilcox, M.C. 2012. Grand challenges for crop science. CSA News. 57:4-12.

Technical Abstract: Crop science is a highly integrative science using the disciplines of conventional plant breeding, transgenic crop improvement, plant physiology, and cropping system sciences to develop improved varieties of agronomic, turf, and forage crops to produce feed, food, fuel, and fiber for our world's growing population. During the last century, crop science scientists have made discoveries that are now important components of everyday life and taken for granted. Despite these scientific achievements, the world today faces ever-growing challenges of widespread food insecurity and malnutrition, negative impacts of climate change, environmental degradation, and dependence on fossil fuel energy. Solutions to these challenges will be found, in part, through sustained, federal investment in crop science to address these challenges. CSSA organized a committee to identify key grand challenges associated with crop science that, when addressed, will provide the tools, technologies, and solutions required to address and meet these challenges.