Human life would be impossible without plants. They provide food, clothing, shelter, medicines, and many other goods and services; plant sciences and crop improvements have already had a major impact on food security and human quality of life. The increasingly powerful tools for genomic research make plant research more valuable now than ever before. Plant genomics has a critical role to play in meeting 21st century challenges in agriculture, energy, environmental stewardship, human health, and more. This booklet, based on the National Research Council report Achievements of the National Plant Genome Initiative and New Horizons in Plant Biology, highlights achievements and new horizons in the plant genome sciences.
These booklets have been written by the National Research Council on a variety of topics with particular interest for the general public, based on information from NRC reports. Some booklets draw exclusively from one report, while others are tied to many reports.