Puerto Rico

In Puerto Rico, most firms’ corn seed R&D nursery sites are located near the south coast where these photos were taken.

Hawaii

In Hawaii, seed firms’ R&D hubs are located on several islands – Oahu, Maui, Molokai, and Kauai. Like in Puerto Rico, firms favor locations with access to water where the weather tends to be drier.

Chile

In Chile, the only year-round R&D hub for corn is located in Chile’s northern desert where much of my work was focused. However, I also visited R&D locations in the central valley where some of these photos were taken. Part of my research was learning in the field from agronomists, plant breeders, and workers how plants are crossed to make new seed varieties. In Chile, I visited both Chilean and transnational firms, learning about soy and corn. I included photos from both crops here. Soy breeding is particularly meticulous work — as you can appreciate from the photos in the fields under the umbrellas.