Although more food is needed for the rapidly
growing human population, food quality
also needs to be improved, particularly for
increased nutrient content. In addition, agricul-
tural inputs must be reduced, especially those of
nitrogenous fertilizers, if we are to reduce en-
vironmental degradation caused by emissions
of CO2 and nitrogenous compounds from agri-
cultural processes. Furthermore, there are now
concerns about our ability to increase or even
sustain crop yield and quality in the face of dy-
namic environmental and biotic threats that will
be particularly challenging in the face of rapid
global environmental change.