UC Davis Wheat Study and U.S. Ag Output Triples Since 1948
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.
**Researchers at the University California, Davis, have discovered a new gene variant in wheat that they say can increase grain yields.
According to research published in the journal PLOS Genetics, the gene controls the number of grains in a wheat spike and can make wheat varieties more productive.
That could allow more farmers to grow more wheat without increasing land use.
**As discussions for writing the 2023 Farm Bill begin, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture will focus policy advocacy efforts on 10 policy areas.
According to www.agrimarketing.com, at last week’s hybrid
NASDA Winter Policy Conference, members named Farm Bill priorities as Ag research, animal disease, conservation and climate resiliency, cyber security, food safety, hemp, invasive species, local food systems, specialty crop block grants, and trade promotion.
www.agrimarketing.com/s/139800
**U.S. agricultural output nearly tripled between 1948 and 2017 even as the amount of labor hours-worked declined by more than 80%.
USDA’s Economic Research Service says the opposing trends resulted in an increase in labor productivity growth in the U.S. farm sector.
ERS estimates agricultural output per worker grew by 16 times during those 69 years.
At the same time, ag per hour worked output grew 17 times faster, implying average hours worked per worker declined.
