| ||
|
Biography
Dr. Larry G. Heatherly is a retired USDA-ARS Research Agronomist. He is now an agronomic adviser and freelance writer specializing in providing the latest production and management information to soybean producers in the US.
He conducted research that resulted in: 1) formulating and guiding the development of management strategies for the Early Soybean Production System (ESPS), which is a new and now dominant production concept in the midsouthern USA that was developed to avoid drought stress; 2) formulating and developing management systems that include crop rotation, soybean maturity group, stale seedbed technology, and tillage and weed control inputs to determine the most economical combinations for use in dryland and irrigated ESPS and conventional systems; 3) developing cost effective, water-conserving strategies for irrigation management in ESPS and conventional production systems in the southern US; and 4) identifying morphological traits for use in developing breeding strategies for earliness and canopy development. Personal expertise in agronomy, soil science, production economics, and soil-water-plant principles.
He writes for the popular press, educational institutions, and professional scientific organizations.
On Biotechnology
How does agricultural biotechnology contribute to solving the world's need for more food, water, and fuels?
Biotechnology has allowed soybean to become more protected against pests, and has allowed improvements in seed quality.
Why should the public and policymakers care about agricultural biotechnology?
Plant Biotechnology may be the single greatest asset we have in increasing food and fiber for a growing world population.
Where will the field of agricultural biotechnology be in 10 years?
Most crop plants will have some or many biotech traits that will improve their performance and protect them against environmental hazards.