2015 AAAS Annual Meeting (12-16 February 2015)

February 12 - 16, 2015

Feeding 9 Billion+: Information and Imaging for Innovation in Next-Generation Agriculture

Next-generation agriculture has to produce more, consume and pollute less, and fulfill consumer preferences under the increasingly uncertain effects of climate change and resource availability. Need for agricultural decision-making at all levels is increasing rapidly because of increased demands for agricultural products and pressure on land, water, and other natural resources. These challenges can be met through next-generation agriculture that includes information generated on a continuous basis in laboratories, research plots, and classrooms around the world; and innovative techniques including high-throughput sequencing, high-throughput phenotyping, high-frequency weather data, and remote sensing. These advances in technology are generating information in petabytes, but the innovation in improving crop yield is lagging behind. Tools such as simulation models, precision agriculture, and geographic information systems (GIS) can integrate genotype, phenotype, environment, and management for innovation in crop productivity and yield. Analysis of these multifaceted datasets requires trained researchers, extension personnel, and students that can link datasets and tools and generate useful products. This symposium will highlight the current status of next-generation agriculture by exploring research, teaching, and education efforts and include scientific, nongovernmental, and academic viewpoints.