Food sustainability is a crucial component of the North Dakota State University Food, Energy and Water Security initiative, and Predictive Crop Performance is a way to ensure those public sector crops are grown now and in the future.
Predictive Crop Performance is defined as the use of data, modeling and technology to forecast how a crop will grow, develop and yield in a specific environment. The goal of this and other initiatives, such as the Big Data Initiative at NDSU, is to collect data, set up experiments and develop PCP tools to ensure that public crops are sustainable against current and future abiotic and biotic stresses.
“The long-term goal of this project is to utilize Predictive Crop Performance tools to ensure North Dakota's public sector crops are resilient,” said Richard Horsley, NDSU plant sciences head and barley breeder.
Public sector crops are those where private industry does not invest significantly in breeding efforts. At NDSU, these include barley, dry beans, flax, oats and pulse crops, Horsley said.
Source : ndsu.edu