The Pleasures and Pitfalls of Interdisciplinary Research in Agriculture

Increasingly, interdisciplinary research is being touted as a way to solve real-life problems of interest to the taxpayers who support research at public universities. The purpose of this paper is to examine the benefits of interdisciplinary agricultural research involving economists and natural scientists, to discuss problems associated with carrying out this type of work and to offer some suggestions on how such research can be facilitated. Mutual trust and ongoing relationships can lead to better timing of collaboration and more satisfaction for all parties. Open communications are also important for success in collaboration. Within the border university environment, it is important for tenure and promotion committees to be able to properly evaluate interdisciplinary work; otherwise, faculty will not be properly rewarded for these efforts.