Title : Deciphering the mechanism of action of complex agricultural inputs for the future of a nutritious and globally sustainable food system
Abstract:
There are many products in the market, and each product claims to be superior to all the other products in performance – but how do we know that is true? The agricultural marketplace is driven through marketing capabilities rather than actual product efficacy or sustainability. Better performing products may eventually stay longer in the market, but most of the product claims are exaggerated, which inevitably fail in broad-acre applications, causing severe loss-of-income for farmers and undesired environmental consequences. It is difficult to regulate product claims, leaving a gap in the industry. On the other hand, high level basic research capabilities exist in institutes and universities, but it is largely out of reach for commercial product verification and peer-reviewed publication. A new model to bridge the research gap between the two sectors will be presented. Developed and established in the past six years, it allows industry access to independent research for product verification and provides a unique platform for technology transfer from academia to market. Examples will be shared on mode-of-action research (with commercialized products), and on technology transfer (with new inventions). The need for implementing a new independent research paradigm is urgent to identify beneficial technologies methodologically for building actionable portfolios to overcome pressures on plant performance, like disease and drought stress, and improve nutrition and productivity in broad growing systems. Academia and industry collaborations together will lead the emerging trends in plant science. This is an essential step for achieving positive impact on society, local and global economies, and collectively on our planet for generations to come.
