Biogenetics. Six years ago many, farmers may have raised an eyebrow about the word and wondered what it meant. Today biogenetics are as much a mainstay as the combine. But has time proven that it's worth the money?

A few weeks ago, I spent several days in Denver, Colo., sharing ideas with agricultural leaders about the importance of agricultural research. This was at a meeting where attendees advised the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) on assessing soil resource research programs and planning future research needs.