Plant researchers call for more funding

A group of 50 plant scientists have urged the government and universities to spend more money on seed research.

While private companies spend millions on R&D for lucrative crops such as corn, lower-value crops such as tubers get little support, the researchers said in a report. 

The report urged Congress to legislate more money for public plant breeding research in the upcoming 2018 farm bill. They also asked universities to ensure royalties from crop varieties are put back into research, including spreading the returns from more lucrative crops to less profitable crops.