Files
Abstract
Rice breeders and their administrators face difficult decisions regarding the most
appropriate methods and approaches to use in their breeding programs. In this paper,
economic principles are used to evaluate and compare the gains from different plant
breeding programs or differently structured programs. By identifying the costs of
potential changes and estimating the expected returns from proposed·programs,
investment criteria are used to evaluate the efficiency of shifts in resources within the
breeding program. The information generated enables the rice breeders at Yanco to
adjust the existing breeding program to provide the Australian rice industry with
relatively higher returns.