NCGA Research and Business Development Action Team member Pam Johnson speaks to congressional staff on Wednesday about the importance of genetic research and what it means to corn growers at an event sponsored by NCGA on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Corn Genome Event Highlights Benefits of Research (2-24-06)

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) held a corn genome education event Wednesday on Capitol Hill, highlighting the critical need for greater research and investment in corn genome studies and educating attendees on the work being done on Maize Genome Project, which is part of the National Plant Genome Initiative.

According to Pam Johnson, Iowa corn grower and member of the NCGA Research and Business Development Action Team, this type of event is necessary to promote genetic research.

“It is essential to hold events like this one because of the importance of educating everyone on the benefits of genetic research into the corn genome,” said Johnson. “This event was critical to gaining more support for investment into mapping the corn genome. The event also was able to show attendees how all agricultural research has benefits both domestically and on an international scale. The impacts of mapping the corn genome go far beyond just corn.”

The National Plant Genome Initiative was created in 1997. Since that time, the initiative has led to an unprecedented increase in our understanding of the genomics and genetics of plants. The ultimate goal is to understand the structure and function of all plant genes.

Johnson also explained the development of new plant-based products that will replace petroleum-based products on the market. These products are a “win for the environment, human health and economic stability in the U.S.,” Johnson said.

In numerous visits to legislators, NCGA’s corn growers have delivered the key message that the completion of the maize genome will have broad benefits and is essential for corn growers to continue to meet the demand of a growing market.

Completing the corn genome sequence and its applications will provide a wide range of benefits. The research community will be much closer to achieving the ultimate goal of the initiative – understanding the structure and function of all plant genes. Industry will be able to expedite their breeding programs and increase its knowledge of corn’s important agronomic traits. Corn growers will be able to plant varieties of corn that are better able to withstand drought and other stresses and are better suited to market and environmental needs. Consumers will benefit from a more nutritious, abundant and sustainable food supply.

Other benefits include:

• Increased efficiency of public and private corn-breeding programs
• Quicker delivery of new, beneficial traits for farmers and consumers
• Enhancement of corn’s innate drought-tolerance and pest-resistance traits
• Attraction of quality students and researchers to plant genomic and genetic fields
• Creation of a model for completing other major crop genome sequences