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DURING THE PAST CENTURY crop yields have increased substantially thanks to the efforts of plant breeders and the seed industry. Corn yields have increased the most followed by cotton soybeans and wheat according to the U.S. Department of Agricultures Economic Research Service. Looking at corn USDA reports that average per-acre yields in the United States rose from 20 bushels in 1930 to about 70 bushels in 1970 and reached 140 bushels in the mid 1990s. Soybeans and wheat follow the same upward trajectory just not quite to the same degree. While a number of factors such as improved pest management mechanization and fertilizer use contributed to these yield increases studies conclude that 50 percent or more of the overall yield gain for corn soybeans and wheat can be attributed to genetic improvements in plant varieties. Its known that U.S. agriculture is the gold standard for producing an abundant supply of affordable safe and nutritious food. This is not changing but the demands are. Food is becoming a pressing issue says Stephen Baenziger a University of Nebraska Lincoln professor and plant breeder. Norman Borlaug thought that the Green Revolution would buy us about 30 years and weve lived on it probably 40 to 45 years. Its coming back and we are going to need that second Green Revolution. Robert Robb Fraley executive vice president and chief technology officer for Monsanto is optimistic about the future of agriculture. This has got to be the most exciting time to be in agriculture and I would argue probably the most important time Fraley says. Today we are beginning to see brand new platforms with data science and the ability to map fields and subdivide them into small segments to farm meter-by-meter and really start to optimize yields and productivity. I believe that with the advances in biology and the advances in data science we will see another Green Revolution. This should be comforting given the task facing those in agriculture to increase food production by 70 percent by 2050 to meet the needs of the expected 9.1 billion people inhabiting the earth according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FAO. But while food production must increase agricultures environmental footprint must decrease and the seed industry and scientists around the world are shifting their atten- tion to soil quality old-world crops and biologicals to hit the bulls eye set for 2050. Increasing food production while decreasing agricultures foot print thats the target todays seed industry leaders are required to hit. Julie Deering Giant Views Industry EYE ON THE TARGET 22 SEEDWORLD.COM DECEMBER 2015 OF THE