The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) asked members
of the U.S. House to protect the focus of the National Plant Genome Research
Program on crops that are ?agronomically important? ? plants grown to bring
value back to the consumer and the taxpayer, as stated in the program?s
original intent and mandate.
Pam Johnson, a farmer from Floyd, Iowa, and chairwoman of NCGA?s
Research and Business Development Action Team, presented testimony to the
House Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations
subcommittee and discussed the program?s successes, which led to the Feb. 28
announcement of the completion of a draft sequence of the corn genome.

?This high-quality genetic map is a foundation and the first step in
creating a robust pipeline of scientific knowledge and innovation on a
pathway to application and crop improvement,? Johnson said. ?Access to the
information encoded in the corn genome will improve water and nitrogen
efficiencies, help plants cope with challenges from disease, pests and
adverse weather, and allow us to tailor the crops we grow to specific end
users.?

Johnson fears efforts to shift the program within the budget structure
of the National Science Foundation could lead to reduced funding for the
program, and urged the subcommittee to include in the FY 2009 Science,
State, Justice and Commerce appropriations bill, language that secures the
$101.22 million National Plant Genome Initiative budget to be applied
exclusively to species of economic importance, keeping in line with the
original intent of the program.

She ended her testimony by saying this effort is especially critical
at this time in history, when the growing global population looks to corn
and other plants to meet demands for food, feed, fuel and fiber.
[www.ncga.com]