From 1989-2008, farm yields (FY) of maize increased linearly at 1.6 percent per annum versus 1.2 percent for soybean and 1 percent for wheat and rice (Edmeades eta!., These yield increases are insufficient to meet future food demands without resorting to agricultural land expansion - but Asia has little arable land available for expansion. In addition, climate change predictions for the Asian region paint a scenario of rising temperatures, increased variability in rainfall, land degradation and increased frequency of extreme weather events such as drought and floods, which raises particular concerns for the agricultural sector.