It is notoriously difficult to assess the economic value of research aimed at improvingresearch capacity, particularly for the human capital component of research capacity.In this paper, a framework is developed and an analysis is undertaken of the value oftraining for scientists in wheat rust...

Genetic diversity in agricultural systems relies on both the supply of diversity through varieties produced by breeding programs, and the demand for that diversity, through farmers' usage of varieties. Variety choice by farmers is demonstrated through the mix of varieties that is grown in a...

Acid and acidifying soils occur extensively in Australia. Currently, some 90 million hectares of agricultural land in Australia is considered to be acidic and around 35 million hectares are considered to be highly acidic which is both a serious agricultural and environmental problem. The nature,...

In recent years, output on genetic diversity in the economic literature has included conceptual pieces on the definition and measurement of crop genetic diversity, methodologies for estimating its value, and efforts to analyze its contribution to productivity and stability. However, because...

Estimates of aggregate disease costs can be used for assigning research resources or to evaluate control measures. Most diseases cause production losses, but others affect quality and marketability. Seed-borne diseases also cause problems for the seed production and distribution industry. The...

Feed grains researchers have abundant technical opportunities to select various options for improvement of nutritional characteristics of feed grains. Choosing between those opportunities is a difficult issue for research funding organisations. In this paper, efforts to address the relative...

Crop varieties that are more competitive with weeds offer a means of reducing dependency on herbicides. On the basis of trial results, economic analysis indicates that choosing crop varieties that have stronger competitive ability against weeds can provide a clear economic advantage for farmers....

The development of molecular markers allows plant breeders to identify desirable traits by analysing DNA rather than undertaking field trials or laboratory tests. This capacity provides a potential for a significant changes to occur within plant breeding programs. However, the value of...

The occurrence of low night temperatures during reproductive development is one of the factors most limiting rice yields in southern Australia. Yield losses due to cold temperature are the result of incomplete pollen formation and subsequent floret sterility. Researchers have found that in 75%...

Researchers have abundant technical opportunities to select various options for improvement of nutritional characteristics of feed grains. Choosing between those opportunities is a difficult issue for research funding organisations. In this paper, an attempt to address those research resource...