Crop Science in
Food Security
Brian Diers
Outline
• Role of Crop Science in
food security
• Crop Sciences
Department research
on increasing crop
production
• USAID soybean project
in Africa
Global Crop Production
Needs to Double by 2050
• Yield increases of 2.4% / year needed to meet demand
without putting more land in production
Current
1.6%
1.0%
0.9%
1.3%
Ray DK, Mueller ND, West PC, Foley JA (2013) Yield Trends Are Insufficient to Double Global Crop Production by 2050. PLoS ONE 8(6): e66428.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0066428
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0066428
Ray DK, Mueller ND, West PC, Foley JA (2013) Yield Trends Are Insufficient to Double Global Crop Production by 2050. PLoS ONE 8(6): e66428.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0066428
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0066428
U S A S o y b e a n Y ie ld
50
S e e d Y ie ld (b u /a c )
40
2500
30
2000
1500
20
S e e d Y ie ld (k g /h a )
3000
1000
1983
10
500
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
Y ear
US yield increases are approximately 1% / Year
Crop Sciences Department is Focused
on the Crop Production Challenge
• Diverse portfolio of
research
– Breeding/genetics
– Molecular
biology/genomics
– Agronomy
– Plant protection
Crop Sciences Department
Soybean Breeding and Genetics Research
• Improving soybean with a
focus on yield and disease
resistance.
– Releasing nonGMO varieties.
• Identifying useful diversity
in USDA soybean
germplasm collection
(Randall Nelson, curator).
Soybean Innovation Lab
Breeding Research in Africa
Why Soybean in Africa?
• There is a protein deficiency
in Africa and soybean
produces more protein /
area of farmland compared
to any crop or livestock
system.
• Soybean is a relatively low
input crop and doesn’t
require nitrogen fertilizer.
• Better varieties and
production practices needed
to improve yield and make
the crop profitable for
growers.
Soybean Yields are Low in Africa
• African soybean yields are similar to the USA in the
1930s.
3500
Yield kg/ha
3000
2500
2000
USA
Average Africa
1500
1000
500
0
1900
1920
1940
1960
Year
1980
2000
2020
Participants in Breeding Effort
• USA (60+ years of soybean
breeding experience)
• Randy Nelson – USDA-ARS and
University of Illinois
• Brian Diers – University of
Illinois
• Africa (little experience in
breeding soybean)
• Hesham Agrama – IITA
breeder Malawi and Zambia
• Nicholas Denwar – SARI
breeder, Ghana
• Abush Tesfaye – Jimma
Agricultural Research Center
Soybean Breeding Programs
• SIL providing:
• Basic equipment for
breeding
• Threshers, planters, vehicles,
crossing forceps, scales
• Germplasm
• Technical expertise
Conclusions
• Crop Science has a critical role in food security
• Crop yields are increasing, but not fast enough
to meet growing demands
• Crop Sciences Department research portfolio
is focused on improving sustainable crop
production
• The Soybean Innovation Lab is working in
increase soybean production in Africa
Need for Food Production Increase
• Maize (corn), rice, wheat, and soybean
produce nearly 2/3 of global agricultural
calories.
• We need increase of 2.4% per year (noncompounding) for these crops globally.
• Current global rates are 1.6% (maize), 1.0%
(rice), 0.9% (wheat) and 1.3% (soybean).
Ray DK, Mueller ND, West PC, Foley JA (2013) Yield Trends Are Insufficient to Double Global Crop Production by
2050. PLoS ONE 8(6): e66428. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0066428
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0066428
Need for Crop Production Increase
• Crop production is needs to
double by 2050 be meet
growing demands
• How to meet the demand?
– Increase area under production
– Increase output of land in
production
Challenges
• Breeding programs are
small
• Breeders have staff lack
experience with the crop
• Limited by the number of
plots that can be planted
and threshed by hand
threshed
• Limited by what is viewed
as possible