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The Seed
Industry: Today and Tomorrow
Imagine my
great-grandfather’s excitement when he harvested his first
hybrid corn crop with a one-row corn picker. In the early
forties that first hybrid corn crop yielded almost eighty
bushels per acre in the early forties. Now, fast-forward to
2004. This year my dad harvested genetically modified corn from
the same farm. He was also excited when the monitor on his
eight-row self-propelled John Deere combine showed yields of 200
bushels per acre. This increase in yield is just one example of
the dramatic changes in production agriculture over the past
sixty years. To be successful in this rapidly changing
industry, the right seed genetics and technologies must be
chosen. By teaming with GROWMARK’s crop specialists, a producer
increases his competitive advantage.
Cross-breeding
revolutionized agriculture in the 1940’s. However, the
improvement process progressed slowly because both positive and
negative characteristics were transferred in the breeding
process. When scientists discovered a way to insert pieces of
DNA from one organism into the DNA of another in precise
locations, scientists were able to control which traits were
passed on to a modified organism. The seed improvement process
was accelerated since only desirable traits were transferred
with the new transgenic technology. By 1996, genetically
modified organisms (GMO’s) such as borer-tolerant (BT) corn were
available, and the biotech era was upon us.
The acceptance of
genetically modified seed varieties such as BT corn has
revolutionized the role of the seed industry. New GMO’s feature
stacked traits as well as seed treatments. These new varieties
of seeds are reducing the farmer’s use of insecticides and
herbicides. According to Bill Davisson, GROWMARK CEO, “Exciting
technology in plant genetics is creating a shift from crop
protection products and services to seed characteristics and
traits.”
Another factor
affecting the seed corn industry is the high price of
petroleum. Anxious to reduce our reliance on Arab oil,
Americans are now investing in ethanol production. For more
efficient ethanol production, corn varieties need a higher
percentage of starch for fermentation into alcohol. Biotech
researchers are developing such highly fermentable varieties in
response to the market’s demand. These Processor
Preferred-branded High Fermentable Corn (HFC) varieties are also
available with biotech traits.
Health issues also
drive the future of the seed industry. Traditional varieties of
soybeans are high in linolenic acid. These traditional soybean
oils are linked to chronic heart disease because they lower good
cholesterol and raise bad cholesterol. By 2006, food
manufacturers must list the amount of trans fats on food
labels. In response to this deadline, new genetically modified
varieties of soybeans with low linolenic acid are now under
contract with producers. With continued research and
development over the next ten years, Monsanto predicts that the
soybean of tomorrow will be much different from the soybean of
today.
Farming has changed dramatically,
and it will continue to evolve in my lifetime. Success in the
twenty-first century will require coordinating the use of new
biotech seeds with market accessibility for the new products.
Both the farmer’s and the cooperative’s ability to adapt to
these changes will be critical for success. As the role of the
seed industry has grown significantly, GROWMARK has responded by
expanding its seed division. Because the cooperative system is
member-owned, it responds to the needs of the farm producer.
For four generations, our local FS coop has met our family’s
needs, and I am confident that the coop system will continue to
meet the needs of its member-owners.
Copyright © 2005 GROWMARK |
