Texas Tech University

Agriculture

The Challenge

Regions of the United States and the world face drought, increasing soil salinity, and decreasing soil fertility and other issues that can affect crop yield and fiber quality. Additionally, only 20% of cotton grown in the U.S. stays here to be processed.

Our Approach

  • Using plant genomics to breed varieties of crops that can withstand environmental stresses
  • Offering testing and services like yarn spinning and fiber analysis to local farmers, manufacturers, and public agencies through the Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute.
  • Using cotton as a model system to develop technologies that can be applied to all plants
  • Improving fiber or produce quality and yield in rain-fed agriculture to reduce the need for irrigation
  • Creating systems that allow the U.S. to keep fiber production within the U.S., creating jobs and boosting an area's economy

Thrive!