Seed E-News

April 16, 2004

ASTA 121st Annual Convention
You can now register on-line for the Annual Convention in Philadelphia in June. To register, please follow this link Registration. Registrants should be aware that on May 21, 2004, registration fees for members and non-members will increase. You are encouraged to register early to take advantage of the reduced fees. For more information about the Annual Convention, please see the links in Upcoming Events at the foot of the page.

USDA Grants Protection to 12 New Plant Varieties
In Washington DC on April 13, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued certificates of protection to developers of 12 new varieties of seed-reproduced and tuber-propagated plants. They include bluegrass, fescue, ryegrass and wheat. The 12 certificates are being issued under the Plant Variety Protection Act. The certificates require that the varieties be new, distinct, uniform and stable. The owners will have the exclusive right to reproduce, sell, import and export their products in the United States for the duration of protection.

The 12 certificates are:

• the Quantum Leap and Arcadia varieties of Kentucky bluegrass, developed by J.R. Simplot Company, dba Jacklin Seed, Post Falls, ID;
• the Fenway variety of red fescue, developed by Blue Mt. Seeds, Inc., Imbler, OR.;
• the Pride and Houndog 5 varieties of tall fescue, developed by DLF International Seeds, Inc., Halsey, OR.;
• the Shadow II variety of Chewings fescue, developed by Pure Seed Testing, Inc., Hubbard, OR., and NJAES Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J.;
• the Monterey variety of perennial ryegrass, developed by J.R. Simplot Company, dba Jacklin Seed, Post Falls, ID;
• the 26R15 and 25R35 varieties of common wheat, developed by Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., Windfall, IN.;
• the Burchett* variety of common wheat, developed by Monsanto Company, St. Louis, MO;
• the NuHills* variety of common wheat, developed by Monsanto Company, Creve Coeur, MO.; and
• the Ankor* variety of common wheat, developed by Colorado Wheat Research Foundation, Englewood, CO.

* In the United States seed of this variety (1) shall be sold by variety name only as a class of certified seed and (2) shall conform to the number of generations specified by the owner of the rights (84 STAT. 1542, as amended, 7 U.S.C. 2321 ET SEQ). USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service administers the Plant Variety Protection Act, which provides time limited marketing protection to developers of new and distinct seed- reproduced and tuber-propagated plants ranging from farm crops to flowers. For additional information contact the Plant Variety Protection Office at telephone (301) 504-5518, fax (301) 504-5291 or their web site Plant Variety Protection Office.

Monsanto receives Final Safety Certificates from Chinese Government for Roundup Ready Canola
On April 13, the Chinese Government issued the required safety certificate for the importation of Roundup Ready canola. China is a very important market for Canadian and U.S. canola where imports have continued under an interim process for the past two years. Issuance of this important safety certificate by the Chinese Government will allow for a more predictable process for traders and continued trade of Roundup Ready canola. The Roundup Ready canola event - GT73 - was approved by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and validated from April 6, 2004 to April 6, 2007. This follows the approval earlier this year of safety certificates from China for import of five commercial products in soybeans, corn, and cotton, thereby allowing farmers greater choice in how they produce their crops, control insects and decrease weeds. Specifically, the certificates received by Monsanto included Roundup Ready soybeans, one version of Roundup Ready corn, YieldGard Corn Borer, Bollgard cotton, and Roundup Ready cotton.

Voters Have Spoken; No More GMOs
In March, anti-GMO activists managed to get almost 57% percent of Mendocino Countyâs voters to ban bio-engineered crops. It was hailed as "an act of defiance against corporate stronghold of America's farmland." A "tongue in cheek" commentary in the Western Farm Press argues that they should not stop there.

Scottish Crop Chief Says it Is Wrong to Write Off Benefits of GM
Professor John Hillman, the director of the Scottish Crop Research Institute, believes that conventional agriculture has done a good job of feeding most of the world's population. Given the chance, he says, it will continue to do so, a contribution that cannot be replaced by organic farming, while rejecting the potential benefits of genetically modified crops is a mistake. He warned: "[Conventional] agriculture is relatively important and becoming more so. Underestimate it at your peril." To read more on this story in The Scotsman newspaper, follow the link.

Brazil Labels GM Food
All human and animal food sold in Brazil that contains more than 1% GM ingredients must now be labeled under a law that came into force this month. The law states that the packaging of GM products should be labeled with a 'T' — for 'transgenic' — no smaller than about 1 centimeter squared. It also imposes fines of up to US$1 million on producers that flout the new regulations. Three organizations will be responsible for enforcing the law: the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Health Surveillance Agency will take care of agricultural and industry matters, respectively. PROCONs, the state consumer-protection organization will control commerce of GM products. At present, it is illegal to grow GM crops for commercial purposes in Brazil. The only exception is GM soya illegally grown in 2003, which was granted special permission to be sold for both animal and human consumption.

Russia Adopts Stricter GM Food Rules
Russia has aligned its regulatory laws for GM products with the European Union by requiring that all foods containing 0.9% or more GM material must be clearly marked as such.Ê Foods made of GM products that do not contain protein or DNA must be marked as well. The old regulation permitted foods with GM content below 5% to go unmarked.Ê A new list of permitted GM products was released.Ê Follow this link to read more MOSNEWS.COM.

Seed Technologist Training Workshops
Mid-West Seed Services, Inc., of Brookings, SD, is hosting seed technologist training workshop May 3-7, 2004. The workshop sessions are designed for seed analysts, seed technologists, quality assurance personnel and others interested in traditional and genetic seed testing analysis. Sessions include Purity and Seed Identification, Genetics, Tetrazolium (TZ) Testing, and Seed Germination and Vigor. Participants may attend any or all sessions. The format of the workshop includes lecture and hands-on experience. Agendas, a Registration Form and Travel/lodging information are available on Mid-West Seed Servicesâ website, www.mwseed.com/workshops.htm. The workshop will be credited towards RST/RGT continuing education. If you have questions, or to register, please contact Mid-West Seed Services, Inc., 236 32nd Ave. Brookings, SD 57006. Phone 605-692-7611 or via email workshops@mwseed.com.

PVPO Seeks Nominations for the Plant Variety Protection Board
The Plant Variety Protection Office is seeking nominations by April 30, 2004 for the Plant Variety Protection Board to be appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture. Under the Plant Variety Protection Act, ãthe Board shall consist of individuals who are experts in various areas of varietal developmentä which is interpreted to include plant breeding, seed increase, certification, merchandising and use. Membership of the Board ãshall include farmer representation and shall be drawn approximately equally from the private or seed industry sector and from the sector of government or the public". The PVPO Board consists of 14 members, each of whom is appointed for a 2-year period, with no member appointed for more than three 2-year periods. The term of the present board will expire in June 2004. The first meeting of the new Board will most likely be held in the spring of 2005. In order to provide the Secretary of Agriculture a broad choice, from a diverse group of applicants, in appointing Board members, the PVPO is asking for nominations of person(s) for membership on the Board, to serve for two years from the date of appointment. Expenses will be covered by USDA. For more information on this, and how to apply, please follow this link PVPO.

USDA Seek Nominations to Fill Vacancies on National Organic Standards Board
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on March 8 that it is seeking nominations to fill five upcoming vacancies on the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). Successful candidates will be appointed by Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman to serve a 5-year term of office commencing January 24, 2005, and terminating January 24, 2010. The NOSB is a 15-member board responsible for developing and recommending to the Secretary a proposed National List of Approved and Prohibited Substances. The NOSB also advises the Secretary on all other aspects of the National Organic Program.

USDA is asking for nominations to fill the following five upcoming NOSB vacancies: organic producer (two positions), organic handler, retailer, and environmentalist. To serve on the NOSB, an individual must be either an owner or operator of an organic production operation, an owner or operator of an organic handling operation, an individual who owns or operates a retail establishment with significant trade in organic products, or an individual with expertise in areas of environmental protection and resource conservation. USDA will follow equal opportunity practices in all appointments to the NOSB. Written nominations, accompanied by resumes, must be postmarked on or before June 14, 2004, and sent to:

Ms. Katherine E. Benham
Advisory Board Specialist, National Organic Program
USDA-AMS-TMP-NOP
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Room 4008-S, Ag Stop 0268
Washington, D.C. 20250

For more information, contact Ms. Katherine Benham on (202) 205-7806, by fax on (202) 205-7808 or by e-mail at katherine.benham@usda.gov. For more information on the National Organic Standards Board, check out the web site at www.ams.usda.gov/nosb/.

World Conference on Organic Seed
On July 5-7, 2004, a conference for stakeholders in the organic seed sector will be held at the headquarters of the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome. Delegates are expected to include scientists, plant breeders, seed producers, farmers, certifiers, and others interested in organic farming and seed production. ASTA is represented on the conference organizing committee by Frederick "Chip" Sundstrom of the California Crop Improvement Association. The conference is sponsored by the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM), the FAO and the International Seed Federation. The focus of the conference will be on the scientific and technical aspects of organic seed issues and participants will also evaluate regulatory requirements. Registration information and a provisional program can be found by visiting www.organicseedconf.org.

Industry People
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.

Upcoming Events

May 24-26, 2004
International Seed Federation Congress
Berlin, Germany
www.worldseed2004.com

June 27-30, 2004
121st ASTA Annual Convention
Wyndham Franklin Plaza
Philadelphia, PA
Tel: 1-888.890.7333
For more information on this joint meeting with the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies, please follow this link Speakers.

November 7-8, 2004
ASTA 50th Farm & Lawn Seed Conference
Westin Crown Center
Kansas City, MO

December 8-10, 2004
ASTA 34th Soybean & 59th Corn & Sorghum Conferences and Seed Expo 2004
Hyatt Regency Chicago
Chicago, IL
Tel: 1-888.890.7333

January 22-25, 2005
ASTA 44th Vegetable & Flower Conference
Grand Hyatt San Francisco
San Francisco, CA.

June 19-22, 2005
122nd ASTA Annual Convention
Sheraton Seattle Hotel and Tower
Seattle, WA

July 7-14, 2006
Joint ASTA-CSTA Annual Convention
Hyatt Regency Chicago
Chicago, IL