Hybrid wheats: their development and food potential

There is no general overproduction of wheat in the world today. However, since the termination of World War II a few countries, such as the U.S.A., Canada, Australia and Argentina, either temporarily or over a period of years, have been accumulating "surplus" stock. These "surpluses" frequently have been burdensome to the national economies of these countries. Simultaneously, a shortage of wheat exists in many countries of the world which traditionally use wheat as an important part of their diet. Countries such as China, India, Pakistan, U.S.S.R., Brazil, and many smaller countries, would like to purchase .additional wheat, but are frequently, because of limitations in purchasing power, unable to import more than a portion of the quantity they need. In order to reduce the economic drain resulting from wheat purchases, many importing countries are currently making a serious effort to increase their domestic wheat production through the development of research and extension programs designed to modernize production methods. These decisions are made in order to keep their food deficit from becoming worse. The world population will double within the next 35 years, assuming an overall population increase of 2 per cent per year. Many areas of the world that are most in need of food have populations that are increasing at the rate of more than 3 per cent per year. Such populations will double within 20 to 25 years. Where will the food come from to feed this exploding world population? There are groups within countries temporarily plagued with "food surpluses" who would curtail agricultural research as a remedy for overproduction. Such action, if carried out, would in the long run be disastrous both to the nations involved and for the world in general. Anyone who looks toward the future food needs of the world, soon realizes that every effort must be made toward increasing knowledge and improving the materials and methods for increasing food production potential. The cereal crops are unique in that they can simultaneously provide a large part of the caloric and protein requirements of the human diet. As the world population soars it will become necessary to substitute an increasing proportion of the world protein requirements now supplied by animal protein, from cereals. It will be necessary in the future to both improve the nutritional quality of cereal proteins and to expand their production. The development of commercial hybrid wheat varieties is one way of increasing wheat production.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Rodriguez, R., Quiñones L., M.A., Borlaug, N.E., Narváez-Morales, I
Format:	Report biblioteca
Language:	English
Published:	CIMMYT 1967
Subjects:	AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY, HYBRIDS, WHEAT, PRODUCTION FACTORS, AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT, RESEARCH,
Online Access:	https://hdl.handle.net/10883/19406
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