New Crop Research & Development Oglala Lakota College Agriculture & Natural Resource Dept. By Leslie Rae Henry Summer 2007 Teacher Education Training Program

Where do I begin? Factors to consider Need a Champion(s) of the Effort Time Industry Interest Academic Priority Political Priority Financial Support

Feasibility (Market, Economic, & Biological) What is the product and how much does it cost? Who is the consumer? What are the characteristics of the demand? What are the competing products and how much do they cost? What advantages does the new product have? Are there product specific questions?

Germplasm (Seed Stock) Resources National Genetic Resources Advisory Council (NGRAC) http://www.ars-grin.gov National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (NCGRP) http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=54020500 International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center http://www.cimmyt.cgiar.org

Seed Industry in U.S. Agriculture Thomas Malthus (1798) predicted Geometric population growth Arithmetic food production increases Lead to chronic food shortages Dire consequences for the future of humanity Failed to materialize Sixfold increase in population Worldwide agriculture production increased Mechanical, chemical, & biological innovations Driven by agriculture research and development

Seed Hybrid crops (corn in the 1930s) Green Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s Modern biotechnology Genetic engineering Seed Patents

Private Sector Research and development is changing form public goals Research priorities are changing Profit motives U. S. Patents on Seed germplasm (crop seeds) Monsanto vs. Canadian Farmer (73 yrs old)

Plant Variety Protection Certificates USDA’s PVPO– similar to patents issued for crops Intent is to benefit both consumer and producer of improved crop varieties Seed producers benefit from exclusive rights Purity, breeding, marketing, distribution and sales Obtain a return on investment of R & D 10 to 15 years to produce a marketable product Annual cost for small breeding program $250,000 (1980s) New varieties costs between $2.0 million and $2.5 million (1980s)

PVP Certificates Began in the 1970’s By 2002 2,584 certificates issued for four major crops 1,078 – soybeans ~84% 648 – corn ~100% 568 – wheat~68% 290 – cotton ~87% Majority held by private sector ~84%

Biotechnology The application of biological science to affect living things Thousands of years of human history 20th century discovery of DNA New period of biological research Application of genetic science to plants and animals = “biotechnology” Plant breeding and biotechnology are complementary

Major Crops Biotechnology Applied Corn Soybean Cotton Wheat Rice

Top Twenty Private Industry Monsanto Pioneer AgrEvo Dupont ARS DeKalb Calgene Semnis Vegetable Seed DNA Plant Tech Northrup-King University of Idaho Upjohn Aventis Iowa State University Asgrow Novartis Seeds ProdiGene Stine Biotechnology Rutgers University Cargill

Field Release Approvals for Corn Monsanto Pioneer DuPont AgrEvo DeKalb Northrup-King ProdiGene Novartis Seeds Iowa State University Stine Biotechnology

Monsanto 1988 – 2000 Approvals for over 1,200 new varieties of corn, soybeans, cotton, and wheat Leader in development Followed by DuPont/Pioneer, and AgrEvo

Seed Sales (1997) Pioneer Hi-Bred = $1,178 million Monsanto = $541 million Novartis = $262 million

Process of Seed Production, Marketing, and Distribution Plant Breeding R & D Seed Production Seed Conditioning Seed Marketing and Distribution