Opinion: Science Will Lead To The Future

Recently, I had an opportunity to visit Southern Spain to learn about a vegetable seed breeder’s latest developments and find out how the company plans to continue to meet the needs of growers and consumers through the use of the latest technology.

Specifically. the trip was to an area near the Mediterranean Sea, which is also known for its “sea of plastic,” as greenhouse structures seem to go on for as far as the eye can see. The venture not only informed ag journalists about what HM-Clause, a French vegetable seed company that is part of Groupe Limagrain, is doing in the area of melon breeding, but also how production practices impact yields.

At two of HM-Clause’s research stations in Spain, discussions surrounded the attention to detail that is required to breed for disease resistance and other important qualities in melons and other crops. Also part of the discussion was the use of beneficial insects both in open field production and greenhouses. Many growers in the area have been able to reduce sprays, thanks to the use of beneficials.

Not to be forgotten in the breeding mix, however, was taste. According to Denis Balen, who is the head of melon production at California-based Harris Moran Seed Co., which is also under the Limagrain umbrella, it is taste that will bring the consumer back for more.

A main goal, said Balen, is to offer varieties that have something for everyone. That means the varieties must offer traits for growers, such as disease resistance; long shelf life; and, most importantly, good taste.

The Big Picture
One of the takeaway messages I learned from the experience was that the use of the latest technology — for breeding and production practices — is paramount, not only to be leaders in the industry but to feed the nation and the world.

Focusing on the U.S., Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack gave a commencement address in June at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences in Illinois, reinforcing the important roles agriculture and technology play in our lives.

“Agriculture matters,” Vilsack told the graduates. “Agriculture is more relevant than ever to the challenges our country faces today. It is central to our values as Americans. No matter where you go, or what you do, it will only become more significant in your lives as you grow older.”
He also said that ag will become more relevant as the population continues to grow and more and more people will need to be fed.

Enough Food For All
A key role in rising to the food production challenge will be technology. Vilsack told the young graduates that they are needed to take up the task of farming, as the average age of the American farmer is around 57 years old, but he went on to say that studying science will contribute to feeding the world.

To meet future demand worldwide, those involved in food production will have to increase productivity by 70%, Vilsack said.

That is a tall order to fill, but there are people — usually behind the scenes — breeding for easier to grow varieties, determining how to produce more on less land, etc. As each new development unfolds, we will become closer and closer to meeting the goal of feeding the world.