Global Study Reports Crop Yield Gains From Breeding May Be Overstated

Mar 06, 2026

By Dan Moser

The international research team includes five University of Nebraska–Lincoln scientists. Researchers examined long-term trends in wheat improvement, finding that the standard, decades-old approach — growing older and newer wheat varieties side by side and comparing their yields — cannot clearly separate two different types of breeding gains: increases in inherent yield potential and ongoing “maintenance breeding” that keeps varieties adapted to evolving pests, diseases and changing climate conditions.

Understanding the factors driving crop yields is essential to targeting research dollars to meet a growing world population’s food needs, said Patricio Grassini, Sunkist Distinguished Professor of Agronomy and one of the researchers involved in the study, which is the subject of an article in Nature Communications.

“The increases in crop productivity we see year by year can be explained mainly by two factors,” Grassini said. “One is improved agronomic factors like, for example, fertilizers, pest control and so forth. The other is genetic improvement.”

Source : unl.edu

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.