Scientific investment is paying dividends. Case in point is mapping of the corn genome. It started in 1997 when corn production was 9 billion bushels and worth $25 billion. In eight years, yields have shot upward to a total crop of 15 billion bushels and value of $51 billion.
Friday marked the 20th anniversary of the National Plant Genome Initiative. Rodney Williamson, director of research and development for the Iowa Corn Growers Association, says the anniversary marks a significant milestone for corn growers and all of agriculture.
?For the last 20 years, Congress has invested about $1.5 billion into the Plant Genome Initiative. The money has gone well beyond corn,? Williamson said. ?The significant developments have been – we have now published the complete genome of the corn plant.?
The gene mapping effort, which ran parallel to the mapping of the human genome, opened up a new frontier for corn that is still being explored today.
At 2.5 billion base pairs covering 10 chromosomes, this genome’s size is comparable to that of the human genome, which explains why the data generated from the gene mapping will keep scientists sorting and exploring for decades to come. However, Williamson says the research will pay off for farmers.
?We?re at the beginning stages of understanding what drives this corn plant, the genetic makeup and how can we make substantial improvements to improve productivity,? Williamson said.
A new initiative, called Genomes to Fields, attempts to understand what genes control certain traits in the corn plant.
