Newswise — Oklahoma State University’s Brett Carver added a regional Southern Plains voice to more than 40 wheat growers, researchers, millers and bakers who spoke with members of Congress and the Obama Administration on Feb. 8-9 about the importance of protecting federal investments in wheat research.
Federal investments in wheat research return $10 to the nation’s economy for every dollar spent, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service data.
Clarence Watson, associate director of the statewide Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station system, points out that, unlike most other crops, wheat is disproportionally dependent on public research.
“Historically, fluctuations in commodity prices have been a disincentive for industry to invest heavily in wheat research, leaving public research programs through the nation’s state land-grant universities and USDA’s Agricultural Research Service locations as the primary resources for America’s wheat producers,” he said.
More than three-quarters of wheat varieties being used today came from public research programs.
“Wheat is also a very complex crop, with a genome larger than that of humans,” Watson said. “While industry has recently shown renewed interest in wheat research, it is too important a staple food crop not to guarantee a sustained effort of plant improvement, be it from a state, regional, national or international perspective.”
Oklahoma is the fourth-largest wheat-producing state in the nation, producing an average of 127.7 million bushels annually from 2005-2009 and providing an average of $584 million in cash receipts from 2004-2008, according to OSU Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources data.
Carver, holder of the Oklahoma Wheat Research Genetics Foundation chair, agrees with Watson, citing that it is important to remind national leaders how important it is for wheat research to continue to receive federal funding.
“Producing a new variety takes more than a decade, and continuing to produce innovative varieties is vital for our local farmers’ ability to fight pests and diseases and deliver their grain to domestic mills and export customers so consumers will have plenty of nutritious breads, pastas and cereals,” Carver said.
Watson and his peers in the nation’s Experiment Station system have been examining how to best provide for sustained wheat development and improvement, especially in regards to current budget pressures being faced by the federal and state governments.
“Funds provided through the Hatch and Smith-Lever acts are appropriated on an equitable formula basis to all states, and are not as subject to politics as congressionally directed funds, thus giving a greater degree of stability for research and Cooperative Extension activities,” he said.
The stability of formula funds allows for the employment of permanent faculty experts to address research needs, which Watson and his peers contend is much more difficult with congressionally directed funds that must be renewed every year. Since formula funds are administered at the state level, it is generally easier to apply these funds to address issues of state and local concern.
“While these issues may be of vital importance to local, state and regional areas and economies, they may be viewed as relatively minor issues on a national scale and, thus, are not within the scope of federal research agencies,” Watson said. “That makes it easier to diminish the importance of continuity in wheat research, despite its obvious major impact to the livelihoods and quality of life of so many.”
Watson and Carver believe agricultural research is one of America’s great success stories, citing that the nation enjoys a great abundance of low-cost, high-quality food, feed and fiber.
“We know wheat research is a good investment because we see its returns every day on our farms,” said Erik Younggren, a wheat producer from Hallock, Minn., and the second vice president of the National Association of Wheat Growers. “NAWG is eager to tell the research story and work to ensure those vital dollars continue to supplement our local check-off investments.”
Wheat exports alone contributed $5.9 billion to the U.S. economy in 2010, and wheat itself is responsible for 20 percent of calories consumed in the world, according to United Nations data.
“As re-emphasized in the new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, grain foods are part of the foundation for a healthy, balanced diet for Americans,” said Lee Sanders, American Bakers Association’s senior vice president for government relations and public affairs. “Continuing wheat research and developing new technology in the areas of nutrition, quality and disease resistance is critical.”
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