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

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

3. 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?

4. Germplasm (Seed Stock) Resources
National Genetic Resources Advisory Council (NGRAC)
National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (NCGRP)
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center

5. 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

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

7. 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)

8. 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)

9. PVP Certificates Began in the 1970’s
By ,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%

10. 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

11. Major Crops Biotechnology Applied
Corn
Soybean
Cotton
Wheat
Rice

12. 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

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

14. 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

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

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