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Henry Agard Wallace, The Iowa Corn Yield Tests, And The Adoption Of Hybrid Corn

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Author Info
Richard C. Sutch () (Department of Economics, University of California Riverside)
Abstract

This research report makes the following claims: 1] There was not an unambiguous economic advantage of hybrid corn over the open-pollinated varieties in 1936. 2] The early adoption of hybrid corn before 1937 can be better explained by a sustained propaganda campaign conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture at the direction of the Secretary of Agriculture, Henry Agard Wallace. The Department's campaign echoed that of the commercial seed companies. The most prominent hybrid seed company, Pioneer Hi-Bred Company, was founded by Wallace and he retained a financial interest while serving as Secretary. 3] The early adopters of hybrid seed were followed by later adopters as a consequence of the droughts of 1934 and especially 1936. The eventual improvement of yields as newer varieties were introduced explains the continuation and acceleration of the process.

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File URL: http://econ.ucr.edu/papers/papers08/08-07.pdf
File Format: application/pdf
File Function: First version, 2008
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Publisher Info
Paper provided by University of California at Riverside, Department of Economics in its series Working Papers with number 200807.

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Length: 38 pages
Date of creation: Jun 2008
Date of revision: Jun 2008
Handle: RePEc:ucr:wpaper:200807

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N12 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Growth and Fluctuations - - - U.S.; Canada: 1913-

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Alan L. Olmstead & Paul W. Rhode, 2002. "Hog Round Marketing, Seed Quality, and Government Policy: Institutional Change in U.S. Cotton Production, 1920-60," ICER Working Papers 37-2002, ICER - International Centre for Economic Research. [Downloadable!]
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  2. Zvi Griliches, 1958. "Research Costs and Social Returns: Hybrid Corn and Related Innovations," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 66, pages 419. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. repec:cup:jechis:v:61:y:2002:i:03:p:663-698_03 is not listed on IDEAS
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. William A. Brock & Steven N. Durlauf, 2009. "Adoption Curves and Social Interactions," NBER Working Papers 15065, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Alston, Julian M. & Pardey, Philip G. & Ruttan, Vernon W., 2008. "Research Lags Revisited: Concepts and Evidence from U.S. Agriculture," Staff Papers 50091, University of Minnesota, Department of Applied Economics. [Downloadable!]
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