The Department of Agriculture shall be the lead agency in carrying out this subchapter.
The Secretary of Agriculture shall conduct, sponsor, promote, and coordinate basic and applied research, technology development, and technology transfer leading to effective and economical methods for large-scale culturing of plantations and the extraction of latex from Parthenium or other hydrocarbon-containing plants, and for the development of other critical agricultural materials from native agricultural crops having strategic and industrial importance. Such research shall include, but not be limited to-
The Secretary of Agriculture shall establish within the Department of Agriculture an Office of Critical Agricultural Materials, as a central location where such Department can address research and development with respect to agricultural crops that have the potential of producing critical materials for strategic and industrial purposes.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in carrying out a demonstration project referred to in subsection (b)(9), the Secretary may-
7 U.S.C. § 178c
EDITORIAL NOTES
AMENDMENTS2018-Subsec. (b)(9). Pub. L. 115-334 inserted ",and including hemp (as defined in section 1639o of this title)" after "hydrocarbon-containing plants". 1991-Subsec. (b)(9). Pub. L. 102-237 substituted "industrial purposes," for "industrial purposes,,". 1985-Subsec. (b)(9). Pub. L. 99-198, §1439(a), extended research program to carrying out demonstration projects to promote the development or commercialization of native agricultural crops, including projects designed to expand domestic or foreign markets for such crops.Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 99-198, §1439(b), added subsec. (d).1984-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 98-284, §5(1), added subsec. (a).Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 98-284, §5(1), designated existing provisions as subsec. (b) and in first sentence of subsec. (b) as so designated inserted provision relating to development of other critical agricultural materials from native agricultural crops having strategic and industrial importance.Subsec. (b)(1), (2). Pub. L. 98-284, §5(2), redesignated cls. (a) and (b) as pars. (1) and (2) of subsec. (b).Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 98-284, §5(2), (3), redesignated cl. (c) as par. (3) of subsec. (b) and substituted "accelerating present plant breeding, genetics, and selection programs for the purpose of improving and increasing latex yields, expanding insect and disease resistance, broadening the ranges of drought and cold resistance of the Parthenium plant, and providing a system of regional research trials for enhancing and increasing the supply of foundation seed for certified seed production" for "carrying out breeding and selection programs for the purpose of improving latex yields, expanding insect and disease resistance, and broadening the ranges of drought and cold tolerance of the Parthenium plant".Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 98-284, §5(2), (4), redesignated cl. (d) as par. (4) of subsec. (b) and substituted "establishing a system of large-scale experimental plantings (aggregating ten thousand acres or more) to provide shrub for feedstock to process in the developmental rubber processing facility described in paragraph (7)" for "establishing a system of experimental plantings in arid and semiarid regions of the United States having suitable climatic and soil conditions for the culture of Parthenium". Subsec. (b)(5), (6). Pub. L. 98-284, §5(2), redesignated cls. (e) and (f) as pars. (5) and (6), respectively, of subsec. (b). Subsec. (b)(7). Pub. L. 98-284, §5(2), (5), redesignated cl. (g) as par. (7) of subsec. (b) and substituted "accelerating the refinement of present extraction and processing technologies and future extraction technologies, including the development and construction of a developmental rubber processing facility for the extraction and production of test quantities of guayule natural rubber;" for "further refining present extraction technologies and future extraction technologies, including technologies which utilize solar energy; and".Subsec. (b)(8). Pub. L. 98-284, §5(2), redesignated cl. (h) as par. (8) of subsec. (b). Subsec. (b)(9). Pub. L. 98-284, §5(7), added par. (9). Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 98-284, §5(8), added subsec. (c).