Global award AID/TA-G-1216 · 1975 · agriculture · Charles F. Kettering Foundation

The Conference focused on the fundamental biological processes that control productivity of economically important food crops. It was recognized that increased productivity must come with a husbanding of non-renewable resources and that a reduction in food losses indirectly would improve crop productivity by getting food already produced into use. Six discussion groups addressed issues involving: Nitrogen Input; Carbon Input; Water, Soil, and Mineral Input; Plant Protection from Pests; Environmental Stress (air, water, salinity, temperature); and Plant Development Processes. Issues of common concern to, and general recommendations of, the six groups were: (1) develop mechanisms for rapid and effective transfer of available technology; (2) provide manpower and fiscal resources on a sustained basis; (3) encourage interdisciplinary education; (4) strengthen support for the basic plant sciences; (5) intensify and expand international efforts toward the preservation, conservation, and interchange of genetic resources; (6) broaden the range of parameters in plant breeding research; (7) determine the most efficient balance between non-renewable energy and human labor in relation to increa

Source: DEC abstract, PN-AAC-262 (1975). The source's own text.