In the entire country, just 44 acres are planted in biotech crops designed to make pharmaceutical and industrial products. Iowa has only a tiny field trial with barley that could produce an immune system aid. Which raises two questions: Does biopharming hold the promise it once seemed to, and is Iowa serious about competing for new industry from other bioscience sectors?

The answer to the first question is still up in the air. Stephen Howell, head of Iowa State University's Plant Sciences Institute, pointed out the small amount of land devoted to pharmaceuticals at a recent biotech conference in West Des Moines. Despite enormous potential for medical miracles, federal rules on pharmaceutical crops are too restrictive, and social opposition is a problem. "There's so much promise in this area that it's very frustrating to see how far behind the application is," said Howell.

The answer to the second question is also up in the air and frustrating, though the goal is more clearly within reach - if only Iowa will invest wisely to develop its strengths in plant, animal and human biosciences.

If the state's political leaders don't make that happen soon - if they fail to foster the right research and entrepreneurial climate - Iowa is sure to lose what should be a major piece of its economy in the future.

That's because more states are pursuing biotechnology as a key economic-development strategy. Just 14 did in 2001 compared to 40 this year, according to the Biotechnology Industry Organization in Washington.

The encouraging news is Gov. Tom Vilsack and the Iowa Department of Economic Development are working hard on this. A March report for the state by the Battelle Memorial Institute in Ohio details Iowa's strengths. They include using plant and animal biomass to generate energy and materials for commercial application, advanced food products and biosecurity.

The report's mixed bottom line: Iowa's overall growth in bioscience funding has not kept up with that of the nation, but Iowa has the potential to be among the country's bioscience research leaders in certain fields.

A follow-up report from Battelle recommends a plan: Iowa should spend $300 million over 10 years to develop its biotech industry. The idea is to keep and attract top scientists, develop research facilities, secure more capital funding sources and transform concepts into products and young biotech businesses.

Doing so would bring Iowa 130 new bioscience businesses, 5,100 good-paying biotech jobs and indirectly create 10,950 more jobs, the report predicted.

With two major research universities and bioscience jobs making up 7 percent of employment in Iowa in 2002, the state has a solid base from which to proceed.

Iowa is also one of a few states that moved aggressively to come up with a comprehensive biotech plan, said Walt Plosila, a Battelle vice president and project leader for the Iowa study.

But other states are plunging ahead. Arizona is pumping $440 million into university bioscience research facilities. Texas is spending $800 million for new and expanded health science research centers. Rhode Island has a ballot initiative in November to create a $50 million biotechnology center.

Whether Iowa makes the $300 million commitment Battelle recommends depends on the governor, lawmakers and pressure from Iowans to act. Political leaders talk about the importance of biotech to Iowa, but at the same time have severely underfunded the state universities in recent years. That risks losing world-class researchers who are essential to Iowa's success.

And the year-old Grow Iowa Values Fund to promote biotechnology, advanced manufacturing and information solutions is in jeopardy of falling short of funding for the original seven-year, $503 million plan.

"We're pursuing a biotechnology tailored to Iowa, that fits our industry and our agriculture, that allows us to work with plant and animal systems," said Howell. "We're really thinking of a niche market. We do need to make a lot of investment to make that go, and to convince the rest of the world that these kinds of products are valid."

Iowa should make the investment. Wholeheartedly instead of halfheartedly. There's far more risk in continuing to hesitate than in seizing the opportunity to make biotechnology a bigger force in Iowa's economy.