Bringing Skepticism to Crop Science

Crop science is needed to address societal issues like food production and climate change, but many suggestions come from people who are not familiar with the challenges. This book serves as a reminder to evaluate evidence before making claims of increased crop performance. It will review popular assumptions about plant modification and offer alternative approaches with documented support for positively impacting crop performance. The book is intended for those with interests in plant sciences, particularly crop scientists, and aims to challenge assumptions and approach crop improvement with a renewed practice of skepticism.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 66 pages
Publication date: 03 January 2023
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

Society faces significant challenges related to global food production and climate change, among others, which necessitate extensive research input from the field of crop science. While numerous suggestions exist on how crop science can contribute to resolving these issues, many of these recommendations originate from individuals who lack firsthand knowledge of the complexities and requirements involved in modifying crop plants grown under field conditions to achieve the desired improvements. Attempts to alter a single gene or multiple genes have rarely yielded successful outcomes in terms of improving crop production under realistic field conditions. This lack of success has yet to be adequately addressed. This book serves as a reminder to crop scientists and others that rigorous and impartial assessments of all available evidence pertaining to a hypothesis are essential before making claims of potential enhancements in crop performance. Skepticism is not a negative mindset but rather a fundamental aspect of scientific inquiry based on the formation and evaluation of hypotheses. The book will present skeptical analyses of some of the commonly proposed strategies for improving crop plants. Six specific topics will be addressed: photosynthesis, seed number, nitrogen use efficiency, water use efficiency, crop water loss, and unconfirmed field observations. Each of these topics will be reviewed to provide an overview of the prevailing assumptions regarding how specific plant modifications can lead to improved crop performance. The review of background information will be followed by an examination of the evidence, logical reasoning, and predicted outcomes associated with the assumed benefits of the modifications. Finally, each chapter will offer innovative and alternative approaches to plant modification that have been documented to positively impact crop productivity.

Weight: 131g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031144134
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022