Research in the Plant Biological and Molecular Processes Program will focus on understanding of plant processes and mechanisms, as a basis for long-term advances in agriculture. The structure of this National Program, and the goals of this research, grew out of a workshop held in St. Louis, Missouri, June 21-22, 1999, in which representatives of commodity and trade organizations, food processing companies, life science companies, universities, and public interest groups participated along with ARS scientists and administrators. At the workshop, participants reached consensus on the appropriateness of a federal research agency with in-house funding taking on problems of a national or international scope, problems that require some long-term stability of research funding, and problems that clearly promote the public good and are inadequately addressed elsewhere. The plan outlined here will guide ARS scientists in choosing objectives for research projects beginning in 2001.

In the area of plant biological and molecular processes, it was clear to workshop participants that genomic information and understanding will be key to successful plant improvement research of the future, and much fundamental information of potential use is not yet available. Participants also deemed it important that a public agency make biotechnology both more feasible and more accessible to all parties.

Component I - Analysis and Modification of Plant Genomes addresses these needs. The group also emphasized that a hungry world will demand more productivity from its crop plants on a declining base of land devoted to agriculture.

Component II - Biological Processes that Determine Plant Productivity and Quality contains the research that will delve into basic growth and development of plants and mechanisms by which plants take carbon dioxide, water, nutrients, and sunlight and convert them into the myriad of essential foods, feeds, and fiber upon which we all depend. These studies will determine where efficiency, productivity, and intrinsic product quality can be improved for the benefit of agriculture. In addition, this component of the program will study plant responses to the environment to learn how to help plants better tolerate drought, extreme temperatures, and other unfavorable conditions.

Lastly, plants do not live in a biological 'vacuum,' and their interactions with other organisms -- be they pathogens, insects, weeds, or beneficial organisms that help plants to grow better -- are very poorly understood in most instances. Research on these interactions is likely to be very fertile, because a recognition of the functions of other organisms in agriculture will enable us to enhance those functions. This area of research is covered in Component III - Mechanisms of Plant Interactions with Other Organisms.

In the first component, research will be divided into two problem areas (fields of study that are conceptually separate), and in the second and third components, research will be divided into three problem areas. Thus, when this National Program is fully operational there will be eight groupings of research projects. Research performed under any of these umbrellas will be closely tied to research housed elsewhere within this National Program or in other National Programs of ARS; the associated research can be in the same laboratory or elsewhere. Even though projects may be assigned to one problem area, it is anticipated that the projects will often make valuable contributions to other research problems and other National Programs of ARS. Indeed, this overlap of objectives is necessary for full success. For clarity, the projects currently associated with each problem area are listed after the descriptions of the problem areas.

The long-term projected outcomes of the combined research under all National Programs are better protection of plants against environmental stress, diseases, and pests, improved productivity, decreased input costs for agriculture, and better agricultural products. All of these outcomes are critical to making agriculture truly adapted to a hungry and crowded world. In addition to supporting the goals identified at the St. Louis workshop, research under Plant Biological and Molecular Processes is consistent with the goals of 'CROPS '99, Crops and Plant Systems Research Priorities for the 21 ^st Century,' a report developed by a broadly-based coalition of more than 75 organizations to guide government investment in crop and plant research published by the American Society of Agronomy . That report places strong emphasis on plant genomics in an agricultural context. The National Program outlined here contains a major part of that emphasis within the Agricultural Research Service.

It should be noted that many ARS projects are associated with two National Programs, because their objectives are broad enough that they clearly fall into two groupings. The projects listed with each problem area are those with greater than 50% assignment to National Program 302, Plant Biological and Molecular Processes. The Appendix to this action plan lists all the projects that have a majority assignment to another National Program , with a minority assignment to National Program 302. These projects are also grouped by the problem area with which they are associated. However, these projects will be reviewed in their primary National Programs, i.e., the Programs with the majority assignments.

Vision Statement
Scientific research leading to tomorrow's advances in crop production, quality, and safety

Mission Statement
Conduct fundamental research on plants that forms the basis for greater crop productivity and efficiency, better product quality and safety, improved protection against pests and diseases, and sustainable practices that maintain environmental quality.