NCGA's Perspective On the National Plant Genome Initiative and the Future of Plant Research.

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is a national organization founded in 1957 and represents more than 36,000 members in 48 states, 47 affiliated state organizations and more than 300,000 corn farmers who contribute to state check-off programs for the purpose of creating new opportunities and markets for corn growers.  In 1997, NCGA spearheaded the effort on legislation that authorized major plant genome research, which resulted in the Plant Genome Research Initiative, and has grown this program’s budget from an initial $40 million/year to over $100 million/year. Obtaining genome sequence information frequently leads to breakthroughs in the study of a particular organism. The goal of the initiative is to understand the structure and function of plant genes in species of economic importance at all levels, the initiative has led to an unprecedented increase in our understanding of the genomics and genetics of plants. The initiative also changed the way research is conducted in plant biology and helped to attract a new generation of scientists to the plant sciences field at U.S. colleges and universities. Maintaining and improving upon the resources available for crop systems is now more important than ever, as agriculture tries to meet the demands of consumers worldwide by providing a safe and secure supply of resources for human and animal nutrition, fiber, bioenergy, and industrial feedstocks. Continued strong governmental support of basic agricultural research is essential to ensure that the innovation pipeline remains robust. NCGA will continue to be a strong voice on the Hill advocating for significant increases in agricultural research funding, and needs the help of both public and private sector scientists to make us successful.