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R&D appropriability and planned obsolescence: empirical evidence from wheat breeding in the UK (1960--1995)

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  • Dwijen Rangnekar

Abstract

Plant breeders face a unique appropriation problem--plants are reproducible, genetic information is heritable and seeds can be multiplied. The paper uses varietal age as a proxy for durability to examine planned obsolescence strategies in UK wheat breeding. Market-weighted age fell from 13 years (1960s) to 5.5 years (1990s). This fall is on account of increased varietal proliferation and breeding strategies that focus on incremental productivity improvements (i.e. increased efficiency) and narrow and limited disease resistance (i.e. reduced durability). Copyright 2002, Oxford University Press.

Suggested Citation

  • Dwijen Rangnekar, 2002. "R&D appropriability and planned obsolescence: empirical evidence from wheat breeding in the UK (1960--1995)," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 11(5), pages 1011-1029, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:indcch:v:11:y:2002:i:5:p:1011-1029
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Varios autores, 2015. "Colección Enrique Low Murtra: Derecho económico. Tomo X," Books, Universidad Externado de Colombia, Facultad de Derecho, number 1018, March.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • Q10 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - General

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