1.2: Agricultural Productilon System

Contribute to the Efficiency of Agricultural Production Systems

Other Information:

Intense competition in global markets and pressure on U.S. farm policy to reduce price supports emphasize the need for American agriculture to pursue and market higher value agricultural products. Research must respond to consumer demands for more healthful and safe products to ensure a sustainable and profitable agricultural production system that capitalizes on an abundant source of raw material for value-added food, fiber, and industrial products. These superior technologies must effectively differentiate U.S. agricultural products from competing sources and provide customers with value-added processes that enhance product quality. ARS will develop and disseminate science-based information to provide U.S. producers of agricultural products with increased flexibility to effectively manage unforeseen risks that affect profitability and product quality. U.S. agricultural production and marketability is constantly influenced by factors such as unpredictable weather, disease and pest outbreaks, and changing consumer demands. Use of genetically diverse germplasm resource collections and best management practices requires research that helps improve production efficiency and productivity through the development of pest resistant varieties and information to facilitate decision-making. Performance Measures: 1.2.1: Provide producers with scientific information and technology that increase production efficiency, develop improved germplasm, safeguard the environment, improve animal well-being, and reduce production risks and product losses. Baseline: 2002 – Key animal production systems have been identified and research is being conducted that will lead to more efficient production techniques that safeguard the environment and reduce production risks. Target: 2007 – Specific information and technology will be available to food animal producers for evaluating animal productivity and well-being, increasing efficiency, and decreasing environmental impact through improved management models and reproduction methods. 1.2.2: Develop needed information on the relationships between nutrients, reproduction, growth, and conversion to and marketability of animal products. Baseline: 2002 – Information exists for several economically significant species on the relationship between feed intake, utilization, and nutrient requirements related to animal growth. Target: 2007 – Information will be available to producers for more efficiently converting improved knowledge about the interaction of reproduction, growth, and nutrient intake to increase marketability of food animals. 1.2.3: Identify genes responsible for economically important traits, including animal product quality, efficiency of nutrient utilization, and environmental adaptability. Baseline: 2002 – Identified important quality trait loci in a variety of food animals and made progress on sequencing parts of several animal genomes. Target: 2007 – Better understanding will be available of how genes are responsible for economically important traits in food animals, such as nutrient utilization and environmental adaptability. 1.2.4: Maintain, characterize, and use genetic resources to optimize and safeguard genetic diversity and promote viable, vigorous animal production systems. Baseline: 2002 – Established a repository and developed techniques for the long-term preservation and identification of genetic resources of economically significant animals. Target: 2007 – The diversity of food animal germplasm will be maintained and optimized to invigorate production systems. 1.2.5: Provide producers with scientific information and technology that increase production efficiency, safeguard the environment, and reduce production risks and product losses. Baseline: 2002 – Production systems have been identified and information exists on the relationship between intake, utilization, and nutrient requirements for plant growth. Target: 2007 – Cultivars will be developed that are adapted for management practices that optimize soil microbial, carbon, nitrogen, and water resources for sustainable production; production systems and technologies will be developed that harness genetic potential to maximize profits and provide secure supply and market competitiveness; and user-friendly models and decision aids will be enhanced to determine cost-effective inputs for specific enterprises or the whole operation. 1.2.6: Improve the understanding of the biological mechanisms that influence plant growth, product quality, and marketability to enhance the competitive advantage of agricultural commodities. Baseline: 2002 – Information exists for several economically significant crops on the fundamental biological mechanisms that control seed composition. Target: 2007 – Information will be available for more species to guide manipulation of regulatory metabolic processes that influence plant growth, product composition, product quality, and profitability. 1.2.7: Identify genes responsible for plant product quality and resistance to disease, pests, and weather losses. Baseline: 2002 – Identified important quantitative trait loci that govern key agronomic traits for a variety of crop species and made progress on sequencing gene-rich regions of a limited number of plant genomes. Target: 2007 – Have a more complete understanding of the structure and function of genes responsible for quality, growth, and health of crops and how those individual genes are regulated in the context of gene systems or networks. 1.2.8: Maintain, characterize, and use genetic resources to optimize, safeguard, and enhance genetic diversity and promote viable and vigorous plant production systems. Baseline: 2002 – Established genebanks and techniques for the long-term preservation and identification of diverse genetic resources of economically significant crops to provide germplasm for development of varieties and with disease and pest resistance and weather tolerance. Target: 2007 – The diversity of the germplasm collections will be expanded by acquisition of new accessions, and genetic resources from these collections will be used to produce new and improved food, agricultural, and industrial applications for agricultural products.

Indicator(s):

Indicator:1

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