The seed industry in U.S. agriculture: an exploration of data and information on crop seed markets, regulation, industry structure, and research and development

A publication of USDA/ERS

Unprecedented growth in crop yields and agricultural total factor productivity over the past 70 years owes much to biological innovation embodied in seeds, beginning with the development of hybrid crops in the United States in the early part of the 20th century, continuing with the Green Revolution of the 1960s and early 1970s, and, more recently, modern biotechnology. Throughout this period, the seed industry has evolved. This publication explores data and information on crop seed markets, regulation, industry, and R&D relating to the U.S. seed industry.

HTML version: http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/AIB786/

PDF version (952KB): http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/aib786/aib786.pdf