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Start thinking about crops for the futureBy Doug Rich The Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) at the University of Nebraska wants to remain a leader in crop production research. IANR hopes to accomplish this with some help from a fund-raising campaign called "Crops for the Future." Rob Robinson, Waterloo, Neb., met with each of the commodity groups taking part in the Nebraska Ag Classic, held recently in Lincoln, to garner support for this important program. Crops for the Future is part of a larger fund-raising effort started in 2005 called "Campaign for Nebraska." Robinson said that effort has raised $650 million so far but none of that is specifically earmarked for IANR. Robinson said funds raised for Crops for the Future would be used to support research that is already being done and to fund "what if"-type research that will use research-based discovery, engineering, and imaginative thinking to find crop solutions for the future. "It will give us room to dream and drive economic growth in Nebraska," Robinson said. Crop production in the future will not just be about yield but about plants that can sense threats, creating germplasm that produces more food on less land and less water, and producing more nutritious "smart food" that meets dietary needs while reducing our risk from disease. "We need to discover where Nebraska can be world-class in agricultural production," Robinson said. The Campaign for Nebraska hopes to raise $1.2 billion to meet high priority opportunities and needs for the University of Nebraska. The campaign started in 2005 and will conclude in 2014. It will focus on priority areas where the university has the greatest potential to excel. One of those areas is future crop production. "I am a firm believer that a strong University of Nebraska is a strong engine for the economy of Nebraska," Robinson said. Doug Rich can be reached by phone at 785-749-5304 or by e-mail at richhpj@aol.com.
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