Seed E-News

February 11, 2005

3rd Annual USDA/ASTA Conservation Workshop
The 3rd Annual USDA/ASTA Conservation Workshop will be held in the South Building of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. on March 17 and 18, 2005. The meeting room has yet to be determined. The workshop will run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on March 17 and from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on March 18. The workshop, for ASTA member companies, is being held to discuss current and future Farm Bill programs, to identify opportunities for seed companies to work with USDA agencies and to discuss ways to more effectively communicate and coordinate programs affecting the sale and use of conservation seed.

ASTA has arranged a special group rate of $153.00 per night single/double under the name "ASTA Conservation Workshop" at:

The Doubletree Crystal City Hotel at National Airport
300 Army Navy Drive
Arlington, VA 22202-2891
Tel: +1-703-416-4100
Fax: +1-703-416-4126

Reservations can be made from Saturday, February 5 and rooms must be reserved by Friday, February 18 in order to reserve at the group rate. Call 703-416-3886 to make a reservation. The Doubletree Crystal City is conveniently located just minutes from the Pentagon City and Crystal City Metro Stations on the Blue and Yellow Lines. The hotel has a complimentary shuttle to Pentagon City, which has a Metro stop and a mall. Just around the corner from Pentagon City is Pentagon Row, featuring a number of specialty shops and restaurants offering all types of international cuisine. The hotel also offers a complimentary shuttle to Reagan National Airport. The airport is only 2 miles away and the shuttle runs every half hour. Inside the hotel, dining options include the Cafe, Lobby Bar and Skydome. A long-standing Washington D.C. favorite, the rotating Skydome offers cocktails and appetizers along with a breathtaking view of the city.

USDA Headquarters is located at 14th and Jefferson Streets. The closest Metro stop is "Smithsonian." To get to the Smithsonian station from either the Crystal City or Pentagon City Metro stop, take the Blue Line towards Largo Town Center. The trip takes approximately 16 minutes and costs $1.35 during peak hours each way.

Please feel free to contact the ASTA office at (703) 837-8140 if you would like to notify us of your intention to attend or have further questions about the ASTA Conservation Workshop.

ASTA and Purdue University Offer Two Different Management Development Programs
During February and March 2005, Purdue University and the ASTA Management Skill Committee will be offering two programs. On February 16-18, the ASTA Advanced Management Forum provides an opportunity for participants to dig deeper into the topics introduced in the ASTA Management Academy. It offers upper- and mid-level managers a forum for examining key management issues and discussing the implications for developing successful business strategies. New tools for developing longer-term strategies at the firm level as well as the operational level will be just one area of focus.

On February 28-March 4, the ASTA Management Academy (now in its 18th year) focuses on important concepts in four key areas of management: marketing, finance, human resource management, and strategy. Throughout the week, current topics of interest to the seed industry are addresses in different classroom formats. Discussions in class, small groups and social events with colleagues from across the continent and from different segments of the industry continue to be of great benefit.

Registrations are still being accepted for both programs. If you are interested, or need more information, please contact Betty Sue Jones, Associate Director, Center for Food & Agricultural Business at Purdue University on (765) 494-4328 or by e-mail at bettyso@pudue.edu.

APHIS/ASTA Workshop
The next APHIS/ASTA Workshop is scheduled for April 21, 2005. No information is yet available on the program or venue. Watch this space.

Twenty EU Regions defend Right to ban Biotech Production
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) has reported that twenty European Union regions met in Florence, Italy on February 4 to sign a charter proclaiming their right to declare themselves "GMO-free" regions. The regions intend to work within the current EU legal framework to ban biotech production. This could mark a shift in strategy stemming from previous setbacks. In 2003, Upper Austria's attempt to impose a ban met with failure when the EU Commission ruled that Austria failed to provide sufficient scientific evidence to justify a ban. The network of 20 GMO free regions comprises Italy (Sardinia, Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, Marche, Lazio, Bolzano); France (Aquitaine, Brittany, Ile-de-France, Poitou-Charentes, Limousin); Austria (Upper Austria, Salzburg, Steiermark, Burgenland); the United Kingdom (Wales, the Highlands and Islands of Scotland); Spain (the Basque area); Germany (Schleswig-Holstein), and Greece (Drama-Kavala-Xanthi).

Predicting Soybean Rust a Guessing Game
With soybean rust now confirmed in eight southern states, many are asking where and when it will strike next. Writing in the context of Ohio, Anne Dorrance, an Ohio State University plant pathologist with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) in Wooster, Ohio, said that it is next to impossible to predict if, when or even how soybean rust will arrive in Ohio. However, she is hopeful that surveys being conducted in soybean rust-infected states, along with the implementation of a nationwide soybean rust monitoring system, will help provide some clues to where the disease will show up next. "Southern states, especially those along the coast, will be assessing whether soybean rust is surviving the winter," Dorrance said. "If it does survive, the next step is to determine how much innoculum, or active lesions, are present in that particular area. We won't have any information on that until mid-March." To read more, follow this link Soybean Rust.

Planting Soybeans This Year? Irrigation Timing Makes a Difference
Even as Kansas deals with winter ice and snow, soybean growers know that before long, soybeans will be planted and coming up. And for those who wonder if the timing of irrigation makes a difference, the answer is: yes. A long-term study at Kansas State University's North Central Kansas Experiment Field near Scandia showed that for maximum yields, irrigation should be timed so plants have water available during the most critical time of reproductive development, which is seedfill, according to Barney Gordon, K-State Research and Extension agronomist-in-charge of the research field. To read more, follow this link KSU.

Vermont Lawmakers Again Turn Their Attention to GMOs
The Vermont Legislature is again taking up the regulation of GM crops with both the Senate and the House hearing testimony on the issue during the past week. The current bill is designed to hold manufacturers — rather than farmers — liable for any accidental spread of GM crops. If successful, Vermont could be the first state to pass such legislation, although Montana lawmakers are also considering such a measure (see next item). To read more on this story, follow this link Times Argus.

Montana Farmers Divided Over Seed Liability
A proposed law making manufacturers of genetically altered wheat seed liable for damages resulting from the seed's introduction to Montana brought farmers to the Capitol. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Big Sandy, the bill's sponsor and himself an organic farmer, argued that organic farmers and others need protection against genetically engineered seed that might blow onto their fields and contaminate their crops. Opponents, including two of Montana's largest farm groups, said passing the bill would discourage companies from bringing genetically improved seed to Montana. Jon Stoner, a Havre-area farmer speaking for the Montana Grain Growers Association argued that the proposed bill is "a moratorium on the development of new technology for Montana". The testimony was made before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will decide whether to advance the bill. To read more, follow this link Billings Gazette.

California Wine Country Considers GM Ban
A measure to ban GM crops in the heart of California's wine country has qualified for a local ballot. The measure, which would impose a 10-year moratorium on raising genetically engineered crops and livestock, is now eligible for the Sonoma County ballot. Voters in neighboring Marin County, an affluent area north of San Francisco, approved a ban in November. In March 2004, voters in Mendocino County north of Sonoma County passed the nation's first county-level ban on genetically engineered crops. By contrast, voters in three other California counties rejected similar measures in November, providing some relief to companies and farmers who stand to benefit from the fast-growing business of genetically modified foods. To read the full story, follow this link GM Ban.

US Grains Council Global Update
The weekly global update is provided at the request of the Corn & Sorghum Division. Follow the links for update for week ending February 11, 2005.

Industry and People

Dave Bender Appointed Vice President-General Manger, at Seed Programs Inc.
Seed Programs Inc. announces the appointment of Dave Bender as Vice President & General Manager. Dave grew up in western Pennsylvania on a small farm with several large gardens. After majoring in biology at Goshen College, he received M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in horticulture from Virginia Tech. For 19 years Dave headed the vegetable research program at the Texas A&M Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Lubbock, Texas. This program focused on production practices, plant physiology, integrated pest management, cultivar adaptation evaluations, and sustainable systems. Dave has been active in professional societies, serving as chair of several working groups and committees, a professional horticulture journal reviewer, and an active member of commodity research groups. He has published numerous research journal articles, grower publications, and book chapters.

Seed Programs Inc. (SPI) is a non-profit, tax exempt, non-governmental humanitarian organization. SPI works through other humanitarian organizations, church groups, service clubs and individual donors, to provide quality seed to impoverished communities in developing countries enabling them to grow some of their own food. In addition to seed, SPI provides critical seed expertise and experience operating seed based self help programs.

If you have any personnel changes, or other developments in your company, that you would like included in E-News, please send details to ppatterson@amseed.org.

ASTA Conferences and Activities

February 16-18, 2005
ASTA Advanced Management Forum
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN

February 28-March 3, 2005
18th ASTA Management Academy
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN

March 17-18, 2005
3rd Annual USDA/ASTA Conservation Workshop
Washington DC (venue to be advised)

April 21, 2005
APHIS/ASTA Workshop
Venue to be advised.

June 18-22, 2005
122nd ASTA Annual Convention
Sheraton Seattle Hotel and Tower
Seattle, WA

November 5-8, 2005
ASTA 51st Farm & Lawn Seed Conference
Westin Crown Center
Kansas City, MO
(held in conjunction with the Western Seed Association)

December 7-9. 2005
ASTA 60th Corn & Sorghum and
35th Soybean Conferences and
Seed Expo 2005
Hyatt Regency
Chicago, IL

January 2006
Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference
Amelia Island Plantation
Amelia Island, FL

Upcoming Events

March 2005
Symposium on “Plant Breeding and the Public Sector”
Michigan State University will be conducting a symposium March 9-11, 2005 to address the issue of who will train plant breeders in the U.S. and around the world. The keynote speakers will be:

• Dr. P. Stephen Baenziger (Eugene W. Price Distinguished Professor, University of Nebraska) – Plant Breeding Training in North America
• Dr. Fred Bliss (Senior Director, R & D Special Projects, Seminis Seeds and former Will W. Lester Endowed Chair at The University of California) – Plant Breeding in the Private Sector
• Gurdev Khush (Former Head of Plant Breeding at IRRI and World Food Prize 1996) – Plant Breeding Training in the International Sector

During the symposium, the participants will discuss:

• What kind of training do plant breeders need?
• What is the most effective balance between classical and molecular training?
• Should the training differ between domestic and international students?
• How will we provide improved varieties of subsistence crops?
• How can the private and public sector most effectively partner to train new generations of plant breeders

The number of participants will be limited to about 100 people to facilitate discussion. You can find more information and a registration form here Plant Breeding Symposium.

2005 Annual Congress of the African Seed Trade Association
The 2005 Annual Congress of the African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) will take place March 15-18, 2005 in Yaounde, Cameroon. Last year over 200 delegates from 41 countries participated in the meetings and events of this growing and effective Association representing the interests of the African seed industry.

The 2005 AFSTA Congress will be preceded by a full-day workshop on UPOV and intellectual property rights. The Workshop is designed to provide African seed company representatives and government policy makers the opportunity to increase their understanding on subjects such as the protection afforded plants under the 1991 UPOV Convention and how the UPOV Convention is not in conflict with the provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

The program will also provide the opportunity for attendees to learn more about the critical issues affecting African private seed sector development and trade. Technical sessions are organized to present and discuss important topics such as vegetable seed trade in Africa, IPR, FAO and material transfer agreements, industry accreditation under international regulatory schemes, biosafety regulations and stewardship, coexistence, arbitration and many more.

Trade between companies is also expected to be very active as every year the AFSTA Congress draws increasing numbers of company representatives from Africa and around the globe. Registration has commenced. Registration materials, the Congress program, as well as information on pre- and post-Congress tours can be accessed at www.afsta.org.

April 2005
ISTA Ordinary Meeting 2005
At the invitation of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DOAE) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, ISTA will be holding its Ordinary Meeting 2005 in Bangkok, Thailand April 25-28, 2005. To register, follow this link ISTA Online. The meeting is aimed at discussing and deciding on proposals for changes to the ISTA International Rules for Seed Testing and business items of the Association, with the international participation of ISTA delegates and representatives from both the seed industry and governments, including experts in seed technology, scientific research and laboratory accreditation. The final program can be downloaded Here.

May 2005
ISF Congress 2005
The ISF Congress 2005 will be held in Santiago, Chile, May 30-June 1, 2005. The ISF Congress 2005 web site, which is under construction, can be found Here.

July 2005
Colorado State University Seed Analyst Workshops
Two five-day Seed Analyst Workshops will again be held at Colorado State University (CSU), in Fort Collins, Colorado, July 11-22, 2005. Each will be restricted to 10-20 students. The July 11-15 workshop, "Seed Identification and Purity Analysis," provides an extensive hands-on experience with seeds of legumes, cereals, grasses, revegetation species, vegetables and flowers. The emphasis will be on grass species identification and the use of blowing points and multiple unit factors for determining pure seed. Noxious weeds common to these groups are also emphasized. Participants in this workshop will have the opportunity to collect seeds of many different grasses and legumes. The July 18-22 workshop, "Seed Viability," offers lectures and practical experience in viability testing, including germination dormancy, vigor and tetrazolium. The emphasis will be on the use of tetrazolium when testing seed viability of native species. An educational tour of regional seed labs and a visit to the Denver Botanical Gardens are included with this workshop.

The workshops are an excellent preparation for taking the qualifying exams to become a Registered Seed Technologist (RST) or a Certified Seed Analyst. The workshops provide a review of fundamentals of seed anatomy, identification, purity, physiology, and viability testing. The fee for each workshop, including materials, is $200 ($350 if both workshops are taken). Reasonable accommodations are available at nearby motels. The workshops are offered in conjunction with the Seed Analyst Training Program offered by CSU through its Division of Educational Outreach. This program introduced in early 1998, is comprised of the following courses, some of which may be prerequisites for the workshops, depending on the studentâs training and experience:

These courses may be taken throughout the year, anywhere in the world. To date, over 350 students have enrolled representing 24 states and 7 countries. The courses are recommended by AOSA/SCST for beginning and experienced seed analysts. Credits apply towards points needed to take the RST accreditation examination. To register for the courses and workshops, contact:

Colorado State University
Division of Continuing Education
1040 Campus Delivery, Spruce Hall
Fort Collins, COĘ 80523-1040
Phone: 1-877-491-4336 OR 1-970-491-5288
E-Mail: info@learn.colostate.edu
Website: www.learn.colostate.edu

For information or questions on the courses and workshops, contact Carissa Schow (970-491-6295) or Jim Bruce (970-495-3246).