David Oppedahl writes a good Piece about the Fed conference on Agricultural R&D, which basically examined the direction of Agricultural R&D, both Past and Future, since WWII. My trouble with the entire Issue lay in the fact that total factor productivity (TFP), while high, has not been sufficiently increased, R&D has been slight in development of natural Fertilizers concerning total devotion of Capital to Fertilization, and R&D has not been devoted to Gene-splicing to develop perennial, Soil-building Crops (I can envision a perennial Corn plant with an attached Misquite root system). Billions are currently being spent, but on short-sighted venues which will become unsustainable after a short Fad Period.
My Mind can expand to the almost grotesque in consideration of avenues which should be explored. We now Spray Herbicide and Insecticide, as well as Cultivate; where it the short-blade grass which forms a lawn mat preventing the growth of Weeds, the congregation of Insects, which happens to be Nitrogen-fixating, transfering Water through it’s root system to the Soil–mat preventing Soil erosion, preventing Winter erosion through Soil cover, and serving as good Fertilizer when plowed into the Soil in Spring? I can understand Seed companies being hesitant in introduction of such types of Grasses, but what is wrong with Government R&D?
I still am trying to interest Someone in the Concept of a Plant form which can be planted in dried Sewage or ground Garbage, which will establish a tight mat of retention of both the Sewage and rainwater, by the growth of deep roots into the underlying desert ground. Impossible? Remember I am a Nebraska Farm kid, who grew up within a Time and history of making Things work, even if One had to get a little inventive. Often R&D has only the limit of lack of imagination by Program managers. lgl
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