Breeding for a Second (?) Green Revolution in Corn.

The green revolution in wheat and rice production in South Asia saved millions of lives and resulted in awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Norman Borlaug in 1970.  The formula for the green revolution was food self-sufficiency achieved by new high-yielding cultivars, plus adequate inputs (mainly fertilizer) to express much of their yield potential, plus strong policies – including subsidies – to assure widespread use of these technologies.  Trends in USA corn yields also suggest a green revolution beginning in the 1930’s, when average yields were about 1.5 t ha^-1, culminating in current average yields of nearly 10 t ha^-1.  The introduction and popularization of hybrid cultivars, strong public and private investments in research, ever-increasingly sophisticated mechanization of farming, excellent access to input and output markets, and numerous supporting policies – including subsidies – resulted in amazing and typically surplus production.  This productivity, and the abundance of inexpensive food, however, have partly relied on unsustainable use of renewable and non-renewable inputs.  The next green revolution in corn, as for wheat and rice, must be a “smart” revolution that first maintains, and thereafter achieves greater productivity increases, while rationalizing the use of fuel, fertilizer, water and other inputs.  Biotechnologies have begun to show their value-adding potential, and increasingly few will feel justified to argue against their use in securing global food and fuel sufficiency.  While the challenge to achieve a second green revolution in corn is imminently urgent, we must not forget that much of the world, including sub-Saharan Africa with current average yields of 1.5 t ha^-1 and India at 2.0 t ha^-1, have tremendous need and potential for a “smart” new formula to achieve their first green revolution in corn.