Prospects for growth in Food productivity. Science and Tech

Recent increases in inflation-adjusted crop prices have sparked renewed interest in the potential for continued increases in crop yields, particularly since increases in crop yields could affect food security, bioenergy production, and the response to global climate change.

Although market forces and biological factors influence corn yields, research investments have been the driving force behind increasing corn yields in the past. Continued scientific advances could accelerate the rate of growth in corn yields, but achieving a nationwide yield of 300 bushels per acre by 2030 would require a tripling of the projected growth rate, and would be historically unprecedented.

See http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/December09/Features/USCornYields.htm for the complete study

Source ERS