Notes On Yield Improvement Stagnation

Genetic engineering is already providing a more stable solution for agricultural production in the economy to stand on. In nine years (i.e. 1996-2005), profits from genetically modified crops were twenty-seven billion dollars. Those twenty-seven billion dollars were not just in the United States or countries like it, but the profits almost split half and half between first and third world countries (O'Neill 19). In India, for example, cotton yields have jumped to one hundred-fifty percent from the use of genetically modified crops, vastly increasing the farmers’ profits (19). The planting of these crops can really help farmers know what they are going to make every year and plan accordingly. Also, helping the farmers’ expenses is the lack of chemical pesticides needed on the crops and reducing time spent using the pricey traditional breeding methods (Mannion and Morse 749-751). Even if genetically modified crops are not planted in every field, adjoining fields can benefit due to the “halo effect.” The “halo effect” is the ability of pest protection on the genetically modified crops to affect the non-genetically modified crops due to the lack of insects in the genetically modified field (754). Genetically modified crops affect the economy in a positive way and should be seen as a smart

Think fast. Think green. What comes to mind when you hear the word photosynthesis? Take a short quiz to see how much you know!

demand in our economy. At the same time, I want to continue to farm a variety

California is an extraordinarily productive agricultural region with over 350 different crops are grown here and it has been the highest producing state over the past 50 years. (California Agricultural Production Statistics) Californian farmers have always proven their quick adaptation to new methods and technology; however, even after more than a decade of one of the most intensive research efforts, researchers are baffled on why Californian farmers are proving reluctant to adopt the beneficial conservation tillage farming practices that originated from the Midwest.

The third largest mustard seed supplier in Western Canada has experienced a shortage of crops.

45). However, the hybrids' strength did not withstand when naturally crossed in the farmers' fields and thus farmers had to rely on industry- produced seeds. Seed and fertilizer companies experienced an economic boom and businesses in this industry began sprouting up at a rapid pace, similar to that of the crops being produced. It was only a few decades later though that "the early warnings of genetic uniformity suddenly became a reality" (p. 45). One alarming discovery was the fact that since only one type of species was being harvested in a given area, if a crop contracted a disease, the entire field was wiped out, which meant for many farmers, no income that season (Pringle, 2003). For the companies who had already invested in this new agricultural era and had seen the enormous profit potential in having a hand in controlling the food chain, they apparently were not about to throw in the towel. Instead of considering natural solutions to these problems, they ventured further into the realms of science and sought ways to alter a species' genetic make-up in order for it to conform to human convenience (Pringle, 2003).

From the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the world we live in, it is all directly or indirectly dependent on plants. Dr. Cheung sets out to understand the growth and reproductive story of the plant life cycle and has made significant progress throughout her career. The identification of FER was widely accepted among the scientific community and led to the investigation of other members of the FER-like family in search for similar processes. FER, LRE, and LLG are all apart of gene families which have led to discoveries after exploration. Similarities in Arabidopsis genes have been found in other species such as Rice, Tomato, Medicago, and Moss through collaborations with Dr. Li-Jun Ma and Dr. Dong Wang at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Once the process of pollination and mating is fully understood molecularly, the next step will be to push the boundary to the atomic level, leading to true enlightenment of this well studied phenomenon. These studies will provide the necessary knowledge and tools for the future of genetic modification in plants. While still in its infancy, the field of genetic engineering holds unprecedented potential in utilizing plants to meet the ecological, environmental, and economical challenges that lie ahead for this rapidly changing

In the past few years farmers have overproduced and had to slash prices on their crops, due to the lower prices, farmers have reduced their spending on seeds thus impacting the sales in agribusiness (Pickler, et al. “Bayer Deal for Monsanto

     Photosynthesis is a reproductive system that occurs in plants. The main components required for photosynthesizing are sunlight, energy, water and mineral from soil, and carbon dioxide from the air. Once these components are combined they

Netessine, S., & Shumsky, R. (2002). Introduction to the theory and practice of yield management. INFORMS Transactions on Education, 3(1), 34–39. 
Retrieved from http://archive.ite.journal.informs.org/Vol3No1/NetessineShumsky/

The short-term of using GMO’s allows the decrease in cost of food production as well as providing an unlimited amount of food without the need of so much water use. With the innovation of science to insert a plant’s gene from another specie of plant or even from a virus or bacteria, can multiple food growth twice as fast as a regular process of crop. The long-term benefits of GMOS due to climate change provide ways of growing food “That produce higher yields, grow in dry and salty land, withstand high and low temperatures as well as tolerate insects, disease and herbicides (Freedman 2).

    In order to sustain a large population, measures must be taken to improve crop efficiency with the limited amount of land we have.  The recent development of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have allowed for unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacteria, and viral genes that do not normally occur in nature(livingnongmo.org).  These GMOs allow a

2011). The genes have been awoken in multiple angiosperm plants throughout the evolution of today’s modern plants. These genes have not been found in gymnosperms. The genes are only being utilized when in seed form for most flowering plants. Being able to switch these genes on like a light switch, in the tissue and fiber of conventional crops will aid in our fight against world hunger.

Agriculture in the United States has changed dramatically over the centuries. Since the 1960’s large commercial farms have been leading in sales. As a direct result of their success we, as a society, have access to affordable food. However, the success of large farms has lead to many negative impacts such as increased usage of resources and decreased diversity in crop fields. This begs the question, what can be done to reduce the negative impacts of large farms. One solution growing in popularity is sustainable agriculture. The idea of sustainable agriculture is to create farms that need little to no outside help from irrigation, pesticides, or fertilizers. Sustainability can be achieved in many way through

Yield monitors collect information on growing conditions throughout the year that are reflected in yields, and yield variability across a farmer’s fields gives a rich source of information on the effectiveness of recent practices. Farmers