Today’s farmers use both innovation and stewardship to meet
growing global demand
By Bill Belzer
For decades, agricultural innovations have driven increases
in productivity, efficiency and quality of the crops and livestock that farmers
grow. Along with those increases, farmer commitments to stewardship of those
technologies, land and water resources, crops and animals, and their
communities have also grown.
In my role at Corteva Agriscience, I am honored to work with
team members around the world to help farmers responsibly and effectively use the
seed, crop protection and other product innovations we bring to the marketplace
to increase production and protect our natural resources. I am also proud to be
the third generation of an Iowa farm family. My father and grandfather raised
corn and soybeans on our family’s farm, and now as my son, Jacob, and I are
actively farming, we have been able to see the positive impacts of innovation
over the years.
A soil conservation plan from 1947 from my grandparents’ original
family farm showed that the actual yield of open pollinated varieties of corn
was 30 bushels per acre, with a goal to raise 67 bushels per acre in 1948 by
adopting double-cross hybrid corn. That’s more than doubling production by
adopting hybrid corn technology! As time passed, my parents acquired land
across the county. In the 1970’s, my father’s goal was to raise 125-bushel per
acre corn and that grew to 150 bushels per acre in the 1980s. Over the next two
decades, our average yields continued to improve as we adopted new technology
and genetics, seeing our farm yields grow well beyond the 200 bushels per acre
mark.
That increase in productivity mirrors average yields across
the United States, driven by improved seed genetics, management practices, and
inputs to improve fertility and control weeds, insects and diseases. In fact,
the corn seed we’ve planted in recent years are hybrids that include multiple biotech
traits that protect against insects and provide herbicide tolerance. These
hybrids also feature in-the-bag refuge seed (a product innovation that I helped
launch in the early 2010s) to ensure we are meeting our refuge requirements,
which ultimately protects the long-term effectiveness of Bt technology. In addition to increasing our yields, my sons
and I have expanded the soil conservation methods that my grandfather began years
ago to include terraces, tiling, buffer strips and reduced and no till practices.
It is abundantly clear that farmers are the original and the
best stewards of our natural resources. As farmers face ever-changing
challenges from weather, pests, and disease, our team of researchers,
agronomists and more are focused on delivering innovative solutions. And, as
the world’s population and demand for food continues to grow, so does the need
for stewardship to help farmers succeed, protect the environment and ensure
that our communities thrive. That’s why Corteva continues to work side-by-side with
farmers to provide seed products and management recommendations to help farmers
be more sustainable and productive.
Let’s celebrate the role of farmers and our agriculture industry
in feeding, fueling a growing world population, protecting our land, water and
air resources, and building strong, vibrant communities on National Ag Day and
every day!
Bill Belzer is the global stewardship leader for Corteva
Agriscience, based in Johnston, Iowa. He has responsibility for the company’s
global product stewardship and regulatory compliance activities.
