Author
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Abbott Dr, Thomas |
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Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 2/3/1999 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: The National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research is a major research center where we invent new uses of agricultural commodities for industrial and food products. NCAUR operates with base funding of $23 million and 92 research scientists, 160 scientific support personnel, and 50 contract employees. New Crops, one of ten research units at NCAUR, performs research that facilitates the commercialization of new industrial oilseed crops, including genetically engineered crops. It is accomplished by developing value-added products from meadowfoam, lesquerella, milkweed, and jojoba; by solving seed processing problems; by exploring new fatty acid and triglyceride chemistry; and by optimizing scale-up of promising new products. For Illinois and Iowa, cuphea, milkweed, and Euphorbia lagascae have potential, but one real potential for farmers in this area is in genetically engineered crops. I suggest that, in the future, processing facilities near the growing areas that can process identity-preserved, genetically engineered crops will give these areas an advantage as a preferred growing area and an economic return. In addition, some grower cooperatives have licensed new varieties of seed for new crops and developed cropping guidelines and exclusive marketing arrangements. Others have developed their own high yielding varieties and outpaced the rest of the world in production. Cooperation between a number of different groups, development of specific goals, and usually at least an 8-10 year commitment is needed to develop these alternatives. |
