At last, another record corn crop

• Published in: Journal of crop improvement Vol. 14; no. 1-2; pp. 175 - 196
• Main Authors: Troyer, A.F, Good, D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 01.01.2005
• Subjects: Biotechnology; conventional breeding; corn; cultivars; genetic engineering; genetic improvement; grain crops; grain yield; historical corn production; history; hybrid corn; hybrids; literature reviews; maize; Malthus; plant breeding; seed crop production; yield gain; Zea mays; United States
• ISSN: 1542-7528; 1542-7536
• DOI: 10.1300/J411v14n01_08

More conventional corn breeding effort is needed to help feed the world and to stabilize ownership of the U.S. seed corn industry. The former U.S. record average corn yield (8,691 kg ha −1 or 138.6 bushels acre −1 ) was in 1994 and average annual corn yields have increased only 82 kg acre −1 (1.3 bushel acre −1 ) since that time due to less conventional corn breeding. After 8 years, we attained a new record average corn yield (8,917 kg ha −1 or 142.2 bushels acre −1 ) in 2003. This contrasts with average annual increases of 125.4 kg (2.0 bushels acre −1 ) and U.S. record corn yields averaging every 2.1 years since the U.S. Corn Belt first used 99% hybrid corn in 1950 through 1994. We describe U.S. corn breeding and production across time, the 1994 and 2003 U.S. record corn crops, the use of the U.S. corn crop in recent history, and the economics of U.S. corn production. We cite papers from a 1999 review on «The plant revolution,» from a 2002 review on «Food and the future,» and a 2002 plenary panel on «A look at the future of the U.S. seed industry.» Seed corn businessmen fault the high cost of biotechnology. Since hybrid corn, conventional corn breeding has increased U.S. corn production 176 million Mg or 7 billion (1 × 10 −9 ) bushels while reducing total hectarage 20% because corn yields increased more than 6,271 kg ha −1 (100 bushels acre −1 ). Plant breeding and crop production research provide plentiful food in the USA. Our present desire is to export more excess production to help feed the world. We expect economic reason to prevail. Attention to quarterly P&L statements will cause drastic reduction in U.S. seed corn industry spending on expensive, non-yield-increasing biotechnology. The low-cost innovator and marketer of higher yielding corn will prevail. Conventional corn breeding will continue to help feed the world and restore order to the U.S. seed corn industry.